This is why tweaking your morning routine will make you a better mom

My son, Roman was a year old before I discovered that two minor tweaks to my morning routine could make a massive change in my ability to be a better mom.

Before this happened, Roman was my alarm clock. He’d wake me up between 6 and 7 a.m. with cries through the monitor. I’d fly out of bed, rush to get my stubborn dogs out and fed, hurriedly make a bottle, and be awake enough to greet a ready-to-party toddler who probably peed through this diaper and needed a bath.

All before I could push that magical Keurig button to brew some liquid energy for myself. Whew, I’m tired just thinking about it!

My days started out feeling like a race, one where I was fumbling at the start line attempting to tie my shoes, only to look up and find that the other runners were already miles ahead.

I had no time to catch my breath before the sun came up, let alone before it went down. As a result, I was too hurried throughout the day, grumpy, unenthusiastic, and constantly struggling to find a balanced pace.

I felt like I couldn’t come up for air.

A second habit that I discovered left me feeling blah about myself was my obsession with scrolling through social media first thing in the morning. I’d stare at my phone while feeding Roman his bottle, in search of that dopamine boost of seeing more likes, more comments, more “friends.”

Spoiler alert: It didn’t do much for my self esteem. And it was a huge time suck.

The only good thing that happened while scrolling was that I came across the Well-Watered Women Instagram page (@wellwateredwomen), run by Gretchen Saffles. Gretchen posted a simple image of a letter board that read: Word Before World.

Boom. It hit me. I needed Jesus. And I especially needed him at the start of my day. He would provide the peace, the steadiness and the reassurance that I needed to thrive through the daily race of motherhood. I needed to seek Him before I sought the voices of the world via social media. It was time to make a serious change.

The next morning, I set my alarm. For 5:15 a.m. No more waiting for Roman to wake me. No more rushing to tie my shoes at the start line.

Getting up early was hard. No doubt about it. But, I realized that the alternative was much harder. Dragging my butt out of bed when it was still dark outside was tough, until I started seeing the benefits.

Those first few mornings, I walked into Roman’s room at 6:30 a.m., after my own quiet time with the Lord, after a full hot cup of coffee, and after a little planning already done for the day. When he looked at me standing in the doorway, he didn’t see weary, tired and frantic. Instead he saw happiness and energy. And instantly, I could see that he caught onto that.

He was happy…because he could tell mama was happy.

I sat in the glider in his room while he drank his bottle. And I didn’t have my phone in my hand. It was quiet, and we were both peaceful. Think about that for a second. Having caffeine, strength and peace – all before the sun comes up. There is some serious power in that, friends!

We’re all in different seasons. If your little one is not sleeping through the night, I understand that an extensive early morning routine might not work for you. But, one thing I know we can all do, regardless of our season of life, is put down our phones first thing in the morning.

This is still a constant work in progress for me. But, I tell ya, I feel so much better on the days I follow through with my intention. 

Try just being still, even if it’s for a minute or two in prayer while you’re feeding your baby. Don’t search for the world before you seek the One who can steady you. As Gretchen says, #WORDbeforeWorld. 

Create your routine

If you’re ready to take a leap into a new morning routine, here’s my sample routine you can start with:

• 5:15 a.m. – Get up, grab coffee, turn on an essential oil diffuser with an energy blend
• 5:20 am. – Sit down, grab my planner, a pen and my Bible or Bible study book*. Jot down any must-do’s for the day, or pressing thoughts in my planner. Read my Bible/study book.
• 5:50 a.m. – Review my prayer requests in my Anchored Press planner and just talk to God. I’m not a prayer expert. I just talk to Him like a friend.
• 6 a.m. – Greet a ready-to-party toddler 🙂 and perhaps check social media if he’s busy playing

*I use the Anchored Press planner and  She Reads Truth Bible. Anchored Press is great because it includes a very short daily scripture on each page, a monthly list for prayer requests and goal setting for the beginning of the year. I highly recommend She Reads Truth, especially if you’ve never read the Bible or don’t know much about the Bible. It’s easy to read and understand. They also sell study books on their website if you want to dive deeper into a particular book in the Bible. 

If I’m not doing an independent Bible study, I will take the short daily scripture in my Anchored Press planner and look it up in my Bible for more context, timelines, real-life stories from women today, etc.

I’m such a huge fan of mornings. I love feeling like I’m ahead in the daily race, rather than stuck at the start line. I think God is a big fan of mornings, too. In fact, there are quite a few mentions of mornings in the Bible. One of my favorites is Psalms 143:8:

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.

I hope you’ll take the leap and find your daily foundation in the power of a morning routine like this. I truly believe it will make you a better mom. 

Have you mastered a morning routine that empowers you? Share your tips in the comments below!