I'm not really a morning person.  Unlike my husband, who hops out of bed at 5am every day, raring to go.  Mornings are when my anxiety tends to be at its worst, and it's so tempting to burrow back under the covers and forget about my problems.

But last year I found that beginning my morning with thirty minutes of quiet and devotional time did wonders for my attitude and time management the rest of the day.  However, I was getting going at 7am, along with the rest of the world.  Most days, just as I was pulling out my reading materials, my phone would start ringing with business calls.




So for 2016, I decided that I needed to get up earlier and leave my phone off until I was finished with my quiet time, although I knew that waking up at 6:30am wasn't going to be easy for me.  Especially at this time of year when it's dark and cold outside.

The first thing I did was move my alarm clock away from my bed.  While I never hit the snooze button, I often turn the alarm off and lay there for awhile, thinking about the day.  Which leads to anxiety.  Now my clock is on the other side of the room, and when I get up to turn it off, I stay up.

My next task is to find some light.  This will be easier and much more pleasant when the sun starts rising earlier, but for now I head to the kitchen and turn on the light while I make my morning tea. Then I move to the couch, far away from my computer, and begin my devotional time.

Thirty minutes later I'm feeling peaceful, less anxious, and ready to go to my office and get busy. It's been seventeen days, and while I'll probably never be a morning person, waking up earlier is getting easier.  Just don't ask me to hop out of bed at 5am, raring to go.  That man of mine is crazy.

What time do you get up every day?  Do you have any other suggestions for making mornings easier?

Lana is a regular contributor to The Blended Blog.   These days you can find her working in her hardware business, trying to keep up with her two boys and crazy husband, and blogging at Two Teens And Their Mama.