Slow Mornings

I’m not a morning person, like, at all. To me, one of the best feelings is waking up when you’re ready; not by some screeching alarm or a grueling schedule. My husband, however, is a morning person and when he gets up, the dogs get up and suddenly it’s as if a herd of elephants came dancing through the house. I’m a light sleeper so I usually end up awake and annoyed.

The struggle to complete my daily yoga practice is so much harder for me later in the day. To avoid the internal argument of why I don’t have time or why I should skip practice, I normally set my alarm for 5:30am and head to the 6am class at AM Yoga. When I need a more restorative flow and I don’t need to get up super early for a work commitment, I allow myself to sleep in, like it’s my job. I normally only get a slow morning like this once or twice per week.

Since I have a very flexible schedule, my typical days are only dictated by a self-inflicted to-do list and subsequently, high personal expectations. However, today I laid in bed wondering why I don’t make space for more of these coveted mornings. I am the only thing preventing that from happening. Does it all boil down to my constant struggle with balance? Duh.

I create to-do lists on every Sunday for the week ahead. This is a great way to keep myself organized but the overachiever in me wants to crush this list by Wednesday. In my mind, I believe I’ll be so accomplished, and then I’ll have a few days to do absolutely nothing or whatever I want. Sounds glorious, I know, but even if I am able to crush my list by Wednesday, I inevitably fill up Thursday, Friday and usually the weekends working on things I could get ahead on or giving somebody else a hand with a project they’re struggling with. Regardless of my constant struggle for balance (that I will continue to work on) I don’t think it’d be worth creating space for more than 2 or 3 slow mornings per week. I recognize that I’m more effective and efficient in the morning which is vital to a list crusher. I also know these slow mornings are like a treat to me so I wonder if they became more routine, maybe I wouldn’t appreciate or enjoy them as much. But then again, maybe that’s just another bullshit excuse I tell myself.

The nerd scientist in me that loves a good experiment has decided to try slow mornings for four days in a row. I won’t set an alarm for those four days and I’ll get out of bed whenever I want to. I’ll also meditate, drink tea, and have breakfast before I even think of my to-do list. I’m excited to see how it goes.

What about you friend? Any new healthy habits you’re incorporating into your life? Tell me how!

My name is Anna VanAgtmael, and I am a certified yoga instructor with a passion for yoga, travel, and connecting with others.

I believe in trying everything once. My values lie in collecting memories over things. Though we desire adventure and authentic experiences, naturally our fear holds us back.

My ambition is to inspire and encourage you to unmask your fears and jump into the unknown.

Anna VanAgtmael | Yoga Enthusiast | Trip Planning Wizard