A peaceful mind is something we ‘mothers’ don’t think about until it starts affecting our mental health. Whether it’s parenting, driving, or other things, you may feel anxious, irritated, or impatient.
If you’re nodding, you’re NOT alone and many of us have experienced that feeling. We do things for others 24/7, and we’re exhausted by the end of each day. But you keep telling yourself to move forward.
You can’t go for too long before you feel burned out. Like many of you, I wanted to be a good mom to provide the best for my family. As you can imagine, it wasn’t sustainable and created a negative spiral, but I didn’t know how to get out of it.
Then the pandemic hit and we had to slow down. Without a doubt, it made me think about what’s important in my life. I’d rather become a peaceful mom than a perfect mom. That search eventually led me to a book called The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma. This book helped me to be in control of myself. That was the key to a peaceful mind.
In this article, you’ll find out How to create a peaceful mind with an early morning routine.
Why create a peaceful mind with a morning routine?
After reading the book, I learned that getting up early has many benefits for changing my mindset. The best part of rising early is that we get undistracted time away from our family. Once they are up, you’ll be pulled in all directions. Just imagine how nourishing it could be to have some alone time before you start your busy day ahead.
Are you still reluctant about the idea? Let me put it this way – you’re NOT getting up for the needs of others. Instead, you’ll be focusing on your mind, soul & body!
Crafting a peaceful mind begins with small steps
Before I went full-on 5 AM Club, I took small actions to gain momentum.
First, I quit my afternoon coffee that was causing an upset stomach. It was just a habitual thing, so I eliminated it for two weeks. Well, that small success gave me the confidence to try going further.
So I started getting up at 6 am instead of 7 for a few days. Since I was a hockey mom, it wasn’t too bad. Then I set my alarm at 5:30…wasn’t too bad, but I was half asleep. A few days later, I changed it to 5 am and it was hard. I probably looked like a walking zombie.
It’s all about taking small steps towards change.
How to create your own morning routine
I highly recommend reading The 5 AM Club, but I know you’re busy. So here’s the video summary of the book, which explains all of the main ideas. Before you watch the video, grab a pen and paper to take notes. You’ll find a lot of useful information to help your journey!
As you learned in the video, an hour is divided into three 20min blocks: sweating, reflecting, and growing. It’s probably easier to follow this formula, but you can always customize it to make it actionable.
As an example, I change my schedule quite a bit between summer and winter. For now, my routine is 15min walk / 25min yoga & meditation / 20min reading. Some days are better than others, so I focus on what I can!
Things to consider for crafting your own morning routine:
- climate/season/weather *summer’s probably easier to start!
- location of resident (area or type of building)
- any physical limitations (ie: injury, pain, health conditions e.t.c.)
Results for a peaceful mind
On July 11th, 2020, I started getting up at 5 am. As you know, it was hard for a couple of weeks. Eventually, it became much easier and I started waking up naturally. About a month later, I felt something had changed neurologically.
I found an interesting article that describes many inner changes I’ve experienced over time.
- take responsibility on my action – used to blame on others
- growth mindset (positive) – ditched victim mindset(negative)
- set a healthy boundary – no more toxic environment/people
- in control of myself – tried to control others *This was really bad!
- be calm & peaceful – used to feel anxious, irritated or impatient
- awareness around myself and others – too busy to look around
- focus on a peaceful mom – tried to be a perfect mom
As a result, I became mentally stronger which made me calm and relaxed. When you’re relaxed and aware, you’re in control of yourself. That was the key essence for gaining a peaceful mind.
What do you think? Whether you’re a mom or not, creating an early morning routine is a game-changer. It requires commitment, but think of this as self-care to become a better version of yourself!
A peaceful mind can make a positive change in your life!
Now, I want you to write down who you want to become. When you’re done, think about one small action you can take tomorrow morning. You don’t have to get up at 5 yet, but you never know what sparks within you!
with Love & Care❤️
Kumiko
I get my best writing ideas first thing in the morning — while my dreams are still fresh in my mind, and before things get too hectic. But I need my 8 hours of sleep, so if I want to get up at 5am, I have to be asleep by 9, which isn’t usually possible! : )
Thank you Carol for leaving the comment.
Yes, I hear you. I used to sleep 8~9 hours and there was no way I would give up on that!
One thing I’ve learned though was I was focusing on the quantity before I started getting up at 5 am. But now, I sleep around 7 hours, and I pay more attention to the quality of my sleep. That means I need to be organized – myself and my space. I try to go to bed by 10, so I start my night time routine around 9. I usually fall asleep within a few minutes and sleep through the night. When I don’t get enough sleep, my body tells me I need to take a power nap after work.
Everyone has different needs, so you don’t have to get up at 5 am. I followed the principle of The 5 AM Club, and it’s really transformed my mindset. But you can probably do that with any morning routine as long as you’re connecting to yourself. Maybe 10 min of yoga, journaling, or meditation is a good start?! I believe you’ll benefit from it, so maybe start one thing and see how you feel. Getting up at 5 might not work for everybody.