I would like to be a "morning person" but I have to admit it feels a lot easier to get up early when the summer sun is streaming through my window and I have definitely felt my body struggling to wake up as the mornings get darker.
My morning routine has changed since last autumn, I now meditate for 20 minutes every day and try to fit in a little bit of exercise too. My goal is to go for a run and meditate every day before work but I've not managed that yet and I decided to look at my routine.
I came across a post on the Free People Blog which I absolutely loved ~
"If there's any season to welcome change into your life, its Autumn.
Don't just wake up earlier, make adjustments to the rest of your day to account for this change.
Dawn is a different kind of dark, one full of possibility at the cusp of the day,
a time to appreciate the world around you.
Do some yoga, drink tea, write a few lines about thankfulness.
Our lives are so hectic in one form or another, any time we can set aside time to just "be" is so valuable and rare.
Make time to allow yourself to simply exist, to breathe in a new day and sit quietly.
Try being a morning person and your perspective of the day ahead could change dramatically"
After reading this I realised as well as changing my routine I had to change my attitude to how I felt about the upcoming winter mornings, I began to see it as an opportunity to invest in some "me" time which definitely helped get me out of bed (and the 3 alarms didn't hurt either). For the first time in years I am actually looking forward to Winter and using the time in the morning to fit more into my day and to spend time on myself.
How do you deal with dark mornings? I'd love to hear.
I can't believe that's another month gone!
I think April's goals were my favourite, although I started the 100 days of happy challenge in April it will actually carry on until July. The most surprising thing I found was how the smallest thing can flip your mood. My little pieces of happy included making time for myself, the sun, flowers, spring, trying something new, catching up with friends, celebrating birthdays and more.
At a time where we are busier than ever it can make a difference when you take time out of your day to register something that made you smile. Its especially great when you're feeling a bit down as you can go back and remind yourself of the good days you've had.
You can start it any time, why not give it a go?
The second goal I too part in was a Facebook challenge set by my fitness instructor . It was an AB challenge where you did a set of core moves every day and a new set were posted each week. It was a great way to introduce a new habit and learn new exercises as you chose how many repeats you did so it would take you anything from 1 min - 10mins, which you can definitely fit into your day. The 4 weeks went so quick I think I'm going to add it into my daily routine.
You can check out the moves and the video tutorial above if you would like to try it.
Why not make it your May goal?
Day 3 > Bubble Bath.
I had my 2nd Insanity fitness class today and although I'm loving it, it is not getting any easier.
A big bubble bath and some scented candles were exactly what I needed.
So it's the 1st of April tomorrow and I've been thinking about what this months goal will be.
I had heard of the 100 Days of Happy Challenge that was popping up on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as my friend is now on Day 52 but I noticed it the other day and I thought it would be a perfect goal to achieve.
I will be mostly using Instagram and you can follow me to keep up to date with how I'm doing but don't worry I'll be posting on here too.
As well as the #100Days I will also be taking part in an AB-pril Fitness Challenge that my local fitness trainer has posted on Facebook . She's so motivating and you can also find access to diet tips, exercise routines and YouTube videos to follow. You should definitely check it out.
What's your goals for April?
