Mornings are rough

It is dark now when I wake up, that is not motivating!

How many times should I hit snooze? How long should I stay in bed? How much crap can I search for online on my phone before I even get out of bed?

Ugh.

And it is even worse if you cannot remember the last time you woke up cheerful, energized and eager to start the day.

That’s how I was feeling a few months ago. I dreaded the morning ahead. I was not looking forward to rushing around, preparing myself and the kids for the day.

And the kids noticed it too, they would drag and be resistant to picking out breakfast, finishing breakfast, drinking their milk, brushing their teeth…etc.

I had to do something. I needed a better way to start the morning. I want to share my techniques in my new blog – Morning Jumpstart for Moms. I want to let you know what worked for me – and it is still a work in progress!

Between inspirational words, affirmations, spirituality, a better health plan and humor, I have made a lot of progress. We all have in our household.

I got this!

I know my inner critic, I call her Judge Judy. She sits right on my shoulder and squawks in my ear. She points out all of the times I make an error and all of my missteps. She judges and criticizes me.

I need to fight back! When I feel my inner confidence, I can shrug her off.

Sometimes we need to practice an affirmation to draw up our confidence.

Try this one – look into the mirror and repeat:

I got this.

I got this.

I GOT THIS!

Whatever your situation, this affirmation is powerful.

If you are trying to have a baby and can’t bear to go to another baby shower.

I got this.

If you are pregnant and feeling swollen today.

I got this.

If you were up all night with a crying baby.

I got this.

If you are preparing your anxious child for the first day of school.

I got this.

If you are preparing to talk to your child about a bad choice they made.

I got this.

If you are letting your child be more independent today and feel terrified.

I got this.

That inner voice will be what you believe. It means you do have the strength. It means you are good enough. It means you do have courage. You may not handle things perfectly. No one does. But you can pause and focus on what you have to tackle today with love.

I needed a morning jump-start.

There are just some mornings where the emotional hangover from yesterday’s chaos gets to me. I dread the day ahead. I am not sure how I will have patience past breakfast.

Awhile ago, I started a search online for a central location for a morning pick-me-up. I found some beautiful poems. I found other sites with a grounding morning prayer. I had my favorite websites with affirmations bookmarked. I received morning emails with healthy recipes. I glanced through YouTube videos for the best yoga poses when I felt drained.

I would talk to moms around me and recognized that we are all looking for more ideas to take care of ourselves and have the strength to serve our families. We give, sacrifice, and love with our whole hearts.

I am fortunate enough to talk to moms every day. I own a specialized counseling practice for women coping before, during and after pregnancy in the Chicago suburbs. I love that we can share the “truth” in counseling. I always appreciate the honesty of real moms talking about the fatigue, the overload and the search for tools to grow as women.

Moms in my personal life would say the same thing. Moms describing the fatigue, the burnout, and the exhaustion. Women feeling self-doubt, not good enough and anxious. Moms feeling pressure at all phases of motherhood to be better and keep their battery charged.

I want to start my day off strong and like any long race, slowly burn that fuel. I want to feel whole, confident and calm as the sun rises.

So I started reading about the importance of the morning. If moms can start off on a good note, the whole family vibe improves. If your mom wakes you up with a smile, all seems right with the world. If your mom laughs during breakfast, all challenges can be dealt with. If your mom hugs you so tight then you know nothing can stop you.

Lots of pressure, right?! Does it all depend on me and my attitude? Or, I like to think of it as – I can be my strongest and model for them how to cope. We all get a fresh start each morning.

It gave me the idea to gather all of my tools and favorite authors (some being my own colleagues) into one location. I want a go-to blog that moms can gather inspiration, affirmations, spirituality, health tips and humor. My “Morning Jump-start for Moms” blog will be a collection of all of the areas of tranquility for moms.

I will be sharing what I have learned, and what I set as my own goals in motherhood and self-care. Each morning, I appreciate that I have conquered the past day and have been given another chance to make life even better. I feel eager about what awaits me as the sun rises.

Thanks for stopping by! Share your comments and requests to get your morning off to a great start!