The Morning Routine

MY MORNING ROUTINE PROBLEM

I’ve been really struggling to get out of bed lately. If you know me well, you know that I typically struggle to get out of bed, so this isn’t headline-worthy news. Except that, and I really mean this, it’s been even worse than usual lately. And it didn’t have much farther down to go. This means I’ve been contemplating ways to inspire myself to get out of bed, and, naturally, have started pondering the morning routine.

It should be noted that I don’t have much of a morning routine. The reason is stated above: I struggle to get out of bed, so I try to make things as simple and pain-free as possible. But yesterday I made note of my actions once I peeled myself out of bed an hour after my first alarm went off. My typical morning routine goes like this: 

MY ACTUAL MORNING ROUTINE

• Take medication
• Drink as much water as possible (I’m basically a camel 
• Check for urgent messages (boss asking me to come to work, friend can’t think of a name for her new kitten, etc.)
• Brush teeth
• Wash face
• Moisturize face (I go back and forth on this one because it seldom seems to make a difference [Editor’s Note: Always moisturize your face!!!])
• Comb hair (most days)
• Use the toilet
• Clean ears (they get so itchy if I don’t!)
• Go downstairs
• Greet roommate (if applicable)
• Cook breakfast
• Make coffee (more on this later)
• Eat and drink
• Read Bible
• Assess tasks for the day
• Begin life

It’s a pretty boring morning routine, but it covers the basics of what needs to happen. Unfortunately, it does not motivate me to leap out of bed when the sun comes up. However, there’s more to the story.

THE REAL PROBLEM, THOUGH

The struggle has been even more real lately because I lost my one morning joy, my raison d’être for the day. Temporarily, I hope and pray. It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that my body has started rejecting coffee.

I know, RIGHT?!?

Ugh. Coffee is part of who I am. It’s a legacy passed down from generations. Seriously. I used to bring my grandmother coffee in the morning and then I was supposed to sit with her and keep her awake while she drank it. (Maybe my morning problems are also genetic?) But lately, it’s been making me sick, and doing things to my bowel movements that we shall not speak of here. So I’m off the juice.

I appreciate your prayers in this difficult time.

That was kind of a joke.

But not really.

WHAT’S YOUR MORNING ROUTINE?

All of this means that my morning routine has felt even more sad and uninspiring than usual. So I come to you, my life council, my group of unpaid consultants, to ask for help. Do you have a morning routine? And what helps you get out of bed in the morning?

I’m gonna be honest though, if you’re one of those people who pops out of bed like you sleep in a toaster, well, I’ll still try to take your thoughts seriously. Everyone has their own baggage; mine is being permanently attached to my bed.

So. Whatcha got for me?