Sweater: Blaine Bowen [c/o] Headboard: One Kings Lane
Photography by: Angie Garcia
I’d consider myself a morning person, but I don’t love waking up early. However, I love accomplishing things early. I don’t like working at night [I’m writing this blog post at 9 p.m. on Monday because of traveling and feel like a failure! bahah!] and feel so much more motivated getting things accomplished early on in the day. I typically wake up around 6 each morning, 5:00 on shoot days, and there are a few thing I do to make it less dreaded.
1. Don’t. Hit. Snooze.
My girlfriends and I joke that hitting the snooze button is like texting their ex boyfriends. It sounds good for 10 seconds and then you’re regretting it for hours. Hitting snooze messes up your REM cycle and actually causes you to be much more exhausted throughout the day. If you’re struggling to get up, hit your alarm but lay in bed an extra 5 minutes. Whether you start your morning with prayer, listing 5 things you’re grateful for or reading a few pages in a book on your night stand, you don’t have to hit the ground running. Give yourself 5 minutes to wake up, but don’t let that be with the snooze button.
2. Lemon Water or Tea before Coffee.
Y’all, coffee is my bff, just don’t tell Taylor. In college I hated it. Post grad I welcomed it. After Whole 30 I drink it black and can’t get enough. The energy is short lived, but it’s just so comforting to drink warm coffee in a robe. However, if I don’t hydrate before I have coffee I can get a bit anxious. My to-do list runs rampant in my head and I become a bit overzealous. I love to drink some hot water with lemon or green tea as a way to hydrate and wake up before coffee. I’ll drink that while I do my devotionals and then coffee while I do my makeup.
3. Check Your E-mails, but Don’t Respond.
I check my e-mails in the morning, but I don’t respond until I sit down to work. Sometimes I might see something that came through in the night and think it is more urgent than it is. I like to take that time while getting ready to really think on it and then I’m able to respond with a clear mind. One thing I hate about this social media generation is how we find everything to be urgent. You’re considered rude if you don’t text back within 20 minutes. You’re thoughtless if you don’t respond to an e-mail within 24 hours. But I find I’m honestly the opposite. If I respond to something too quickly [without having woken up!] I won’t answer correctly, I’ll forget something or I’ll make a poor judgement call. Give yourself an hour or so to relax and enjoy being a girl and getting ready. The world can wait to hear from you until 8 a.m.! 😉
4. Make a Bedtime, for Getting in Bed.
I love to get caught up in a good book or show on Netflix, so setting a “strict” bedtime never works. However, I’m strict on when I get in bed. I like to be in bed by 9:30/10. I could be writing thank you notes or reading, but I get in bed at that time. It helps me unwind and I find that I wake up a lot less frazzled and rushed when I get in bed less rushed!
5. Get Up Early on the Weekends.
I know, I know. I hate this advice too. The past few months I started to set an alarm for Saturday mornings and I just take that time to get up slowly, drink coffee, play with Peaches and catch up on my Tivo. I’m still relaxing and don’t feel tired [I don’t leave my bed!] but my REM cycle doesn’t get messed up. If I am truly exhausted I take a nap on the weekend and I actually find that to be way more helpful than sleeping in.
6. Invest in a Silk Robe.
Before I had a personal shower and got any form of matching pajamas, I slept in random t-shirts and nike shorts. I went to sleep with my hair wet and I’d wake up feeling less than stellar about myself. haha! So when I had a personal shower, my girlfriends went all out getting me everything from pink and white striped pajamas to pretty silk robes. It’s something so small, but feeling like I match in the morning falls right in line with feeling like I’ve got everything together.
P.S. I also thought I was doing my hair a favor by going to bed with it wet [no blow dryer, right?!]. But then I found out that can actually be damaging if it hasn’t air dried enough. Now I let my hair air dry and if I don’t have the option I use my blow dryer on the lightest setting for a few minutes. This allows my hair product to really soak in and my fragile, wet hair isn’t tossing and turning on my pillow case. I use this case to prevent damage and it helps me keep my hair styled!
7. Enjoy Breakfast.
You can easily make your breakfast ahead of time [try overnight oats or here is my favorite smoothie] but eat it doing something that you love. Whether you catch up on Good Morning America or sit and eat with your husband, it doesn’t have to take long and starts your day in a positive mood. Paul and I really only spend about 7 minutes eating breakfast but I love starting my day off sitting with him as opposed to chugging a green smoothie curling my hair.
8. Reach Out to Someone.
While I get ready I really like to think about who needs encouragement for the day. When someone is weighing on your heart, shoot them a quick text! Investing in others is the perfect way to start your morning and I’m always able to be much more present in conversations before noon. After noon I’ll have a million things going on with work and I’ll forget to respond. I love to send someone a text in the morning, let them know I’m thinking of them and see how they are doing!
9. Watch Your Favorites.
I’m a girly girl, but there are plenty of mornings I hate getting ready. I’m tired. I may be cranky. And the last thing I want to do is hold a curling iron up in the air for 10 minutes. I love my iPad case from Kate Spade because it allows my iPad to sit up and I can put it on my vanity. I watch my favorite Youtubers [I love HRH Collection, Makeup by Tiffany D & Jaclyn Hill] and it makes getting ready go by so fast.
10. Tea Before Bed.
How I fall asleep always affects how I wake up! I love to drink chamomile tea before bed to relax me and I find I sleep a lot deeper with it. If you’ve ever reached for melatonin or something else, it can sometimes give you crazy dreams. I wake up thinking I have two heads or Paul left me for a girl I went to elementary school with. I. Can’t. Deal. With. The. Dreams. It honestly leaves me so much more exhausted! Chamomile tea is much less extreme and just helps me de-stress after a long day.
Do you have any tricks to making mornings easier?! You can shop my favorite robes and pajamas below, too!
P.S. Y’all know I’m a Fort Worth girl born & raised and last month I was honored by being in Fort Worth Texas Magazine as a blogger to follow. They are voting for their 2016 Best Blogger and I received the e-mail yesterday that y’all can vote for me. I was so surprised and I know it’s all because of your support! Here is the link to vote, and it would mean more than you know to me if you could! Thank you for stopping by and all the time you spend supporting COF!
I really needed this today! I overslept by two hours this morning and I’m so ashamed. I’ll try to think about hitting snooze as texting an ex boyfriend. I love that tip 😛
Woohoo! So excited to vote for you! Can we vote every day?! I can’t imagine a more deserving blogger!
XOXO
Aw, how exciting about that award! I just voted for you!! Your posts are some of my favorite!
xo, Shelby
http://www.prettyinthepines.com
Great post for today because I literally saw this in my email as I’m laying in bed this morning thinking….do I have to get up?? haha #timely
#4 & #10 are so good!! These are two that I have been doing consistently and I can tell that it makes a huge difference! I really need to work on #5 🙁 I know I shouldn’t sleep in but in the moment I think it just feel so wonderful but I know it throws my whole next week off. And I agree, I love getting things done early!! So as much as I hate getting out of bed early on a Saturday, I do love to be able to get some housework done and be able to enjoy our clean, cozy space for the rest of the weekend and relax 🙂 great tips Katey, thank you!! Happy Tuesday 🙂
xoxo,
Veronica
How do you get up at 5am?? I need at least 8 hours of sleep or I’m a dead person the next day… Maybe I just need to practice getting up earlier!
Alyssa
Feathers and Stripes
These are all such great tips – especially the snooze button note!
xx Kathryn
http://www.chicandshimmer.com
Love love love this post. Simply because I completely relate and most of these things. I’ve recently started diffusing lavender in my room when I go to bed and it is amazing to sleep with!
Oh my gosh, I totally watch Netflix on my iPad in the bathroom while I get ready every morning, haha! I also try to drink a bottle of room-temp water during that time as well. Guess I’ve got some good morning habits! 🙂 Also, I looove your sweatshirt! So cute!!
Kacie
RegallySoled.com
You could not have posted this on a better day. I pushed snooze for TWO HOURS this morning (yes, I’m ashamed), and I feel miserable (so stupid)!
I also do not consider myself a morning person, but I love mornings (does that even make sense?!). I try to wake up by 5 am on weekdays. I love your advice about giving yourself 5 minutes to wake up, but spending it in prayer and thinking about what you’re grateful for – or even looking forward to that day.
I always try to drink a bottle of water before I pour my coffee – but why is it SO HARD?! I try to remember my skin will thank me.
I also like your advice to make a bedtime for getting in bed. I also like to be in bed by 10 pm, but then I find myself on social media until 11 pm and then sometimes that turns in to 12 am (you get the picture). I need to come up with something else to do once I’m in bed…maybe I’ll write one thank you every night when I get in bed. (My fiance and I are getting married in eighteen days, so we have lots of thank you’s to write.)
Sunday, I slept until noon, #fail. And now I’m going to be running around like a mad woman every evening after work because of it.
I just had my “personal shower” a couple of weekends ago, and one of my girls got me a black silk robe, #heaven. I’m so excited to wear it (on our honeymoon) with all of my pretty new lingerie sets. That’s a goal I’ve set for myself after the wedding – to wear good PJ’s. Because right now it’s always nike shorts and t-shirts. But why is it so hard to spend money on PJ’s?! I’d rather buy those shoes…or jeans…
I also tend to eat breakfast on the go or skip it all together. I’m a HUGE fan of Good Morning America, so I’m going to try to start taking just 10 minutes to actually sit down in the mornings and eat breakfast while I watch Ginger (my favorite) give the weather (haha). And maybe read just one blog…or two…or three:).
And I’m a nighttime decaf green tea drinker – it makes all the difference!
Long story short (right?!), loved & needed this today! Thanks, Katey!
xoxo,
Kadie Jaye
Instagram: kadiejaye
I love this post! How do you think of these?? lol Just voted for you too girl I hope you win!
Katey,
Literally, this is what I needed to hear today! Such an encouraging post, with a lot of great ideas! Thank you for sharing!
–Amanda
Ok I seriously loved this post. so many amazing tips. I read every word! I love the idea of drinking hot tea before coffee, and getting up early on weekends even if its just to lounge. I do that too and find that I like starting my day early and fresh makes everything better! Hope you have a great day!! Xo
@stylemelauren
http://www.stylemelauren.com
I love this! I will be taking some of your advice starting tonight. And I just voted for you. Good luck! You deserve it!
Thank you so much for sharing these tips, Katey! I am a recent college graduate and definitely adjusting to the 9 – 5 grind. These tips are helpful and definitely attainable.
Looking forward to more valuable tips – you rock!!
XOXO,
Danielle
Congrats! You totally deserve it!
And I definitely needed this post. I think I pushed snooze 3 times this morning! Oops. 😉
xo
I voted for you! I recently discovered your blog and I love your fashion style and your home decor tips! You’ve even inspired me to start my own blog! Thanks for doing what you do! Keep up the good work!
Loved this! So many great suggestions and things I honestly never would have thought of on my own. Thank you! As a not-so-big fan of the mornings, I am helping some of these help me out!
This is such a sweet post! Do you happen to recall what lip you are wearing here? Good luck and have fun at your events this week!