“You have the same 24 hours a day as Beyoncé.”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this quote run across my social media timelines, but I know it strikes a nerve for me. It’s true, we all have the same number of hours in day as the Queen, but are we using them to our advantage?
If we’re sleeping in ’til noon, the answer is no. If we’re waking up without a plan or a solid routine, the answer is no.
We’ve all heard the great cliché “Early bird gets the worm”, but if we’re honest, for most people it isn’t easy to get up early, especially when it’s still dark. It’s also not easy to push through the day when it started off rough so we must choose the lesser of two evils. There are many benefits to waking up early and having a solid routine, amongst which is living life like Queen Bey.
The first step is to get into the habit of waking up earlier. This means that we can no longer hold on to our pillows until the very last second. Place your alarm clock across the room so you HAVE to get out of bed to get to it.
I have learned that having two alarms going works best for me: one phone alarm and one traditional alarm.
By waking up earlier we give ourselves time for gratitude. If you’ve ever pulled yourself from the bed with little to no time to spare, you know that sometimes the last thing to come to mind is being grateful for the night’s sleep or the warm water running from the faucet as you wash your face.
Feeling appreciation for the little things is often overlooked and underestimated. We can set ourselves up for happier days by bringing light to the things in our lives that bring joy.
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Hydrating at the start of the day can make a huge difference as well. Again, it’s about setting the tone. There are many benefits to drinking water first thing in the morning, especially on an empty stomach. It helps rid the body of toxins, improves metabolism, promotes radiant skin, and strengthens the immune system.
Waking up early also means having a chance to eat a well-balanced breakfast. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to stop to grab something convenient and awful just to keep the stomach growling at a minimum. If we set the tone for the day by eating a good, nutritious breakfast, the rest of the day’s meals get into formation and we tend to eat nutritious lunches.
Because we’re up with enough time to really get our thoughts together, we have an opportunity to get an uplifting playlist going and sort through the day. We can write down our most important tasks and goals. Whatever it is that needs to get done, we identify them and write them down to hold ourselves accountable.
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We also need to reinforce and affirm ourselves, our goals, and our vision. This helps us focus, prioritize, and manage our time better. This practice also boosts confidence and self-love. Remind yourself of how beautiful, talented, capable, and intelligent you are.
Of course, life is constantly throwing variables at us, but at least we have some structure now. We want to set ourselves up for success so it’s okay to take baby steps. If you tend to wake up at 8:30 to be out of the house by 8:45, then try waking up at 8:15 instead.
Continue to wake up 15 minutes earlier each day and perhaps go to bed earlier as well. Small steps lead to much bigger changes and before you know it, you’ll be waking up two hours earlier!
Having a solid morning routine is so important because again, it sets the tone for the day. Small wins empower us to achieve bigger wins, so start small. You’ll find that you have enough time in the morning for anything, including making the bed and cleaning the sink after brushing your teeth!
Jasmine Danielle is the Associate Editor of BlackDoctor.org. She received her BFA in Dance Education & Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has since done work as a certified fitness & wellness educator, blogger, dancer, and designer.
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