10 Tips To Make Mornings More Manageable on "Mondays Are G.R.E.A.T.!"

I have a new button for this meme!!

I'm very excited about it, can you tell?

Hannah Nicole at Aspire made it for me--

and I absolutely love it!

(She's having a giveaway for a new blog design valued at $100,

so click on her link--Aspire--to check it out!)

Isn't it great?!

Please copy the button above and

place it somewhere in your blog post

and then LINK UP today! 

How has God encouraged you

this past week or weekend?

Let's Share and Make Sure Mondays Are Great:

Glad Rejoicing Encouraged And Thankful

I believe there's a connection between Monday (the beginning of the work week) and Mornings (the beginning of the day).


Are you a morning person?  I am definitely not.  This has been a lifelong source of frustration for me.  I had difficulty getting up and getting to school on time as a child, I had difficulty being productive at work in the mornings when I used to work outside the home, I got lower grades in my morning classes in college, and on and on and on...


Growing up, I would sleep in very late on Saturdays, and every day when in my Summertime Schedule.


God encouraged me a few days ago by showing me something in His Word that relates to mornings.  What we traditionally think of as morning isn't the beginning of the day!  In the Bible and the Hebrew world, the day begins the night before.  For instance, Passover begins at dusk the night before.


Genesis 1:5:

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

This prompted me to take inventory and ask myself the following questions:

• If the day begins in the evening, how am I spending the "beginning" of my day, my evenings? and how is my sleep affected by my choices?
• What changes do I need to make in my evening habits?
• What preparations for the following day could be made in the evening that would make mornings more manageable and days flow better?
• How is what's being placed before my eyes, in my ears, and in my mind in the evening affecting my waking thoughts and my morning mood, as well as my overall attitude throughout the day?

I encourage you to come up with more questions for yourself.


In addition to those questions, I began to remember strategies which have helped me at various times in my life.  I put together this list to help all of us "night people," and I think it will be beneficial to you "morning people," too.


10 Tips To Make Mornings More Manageable and Mondays Great!

1. Read the Bible before bed, and/or meditate on Scripture while falling asleep.
2.  Quiet your heart, slow down your pace, and think pleasant thoughts the last hour before bed.
3. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day. (Make Sunday truly a day of rest and take an afternoon nap or go to bed a little earlier on Sunday night. By all means, don't do any of your regular housework or laundry on Sunday.)
4. Decide on, prepare and set out your clothing for the next day on the night before. (This eliminates a condition I'm all-too-familiar with: standing staring into the closet half-asleep for 15 minutes in the morning trying to decide what to wear.)  Make sure your children have clothing set out, too.
5. Take your shower the night before. If that's not possible, try to get ready right away and before you leave your bedroom area in the morning.  This eliminates getting involved with all the decisions and people who are out there, as well as seeing all the visual distractions.  Keep the distractions to a minimum and don't go out to the main area of your home until you're dressed and ready to face people.  Make getting ready such a routine that you can do it in your sleep--almost literally! (If you have to have that morning jolt of caffeine right away to get you going, why not place the coffee maker in your bedroom or bathroom and set it up the night before on a timer!)
6. Do mindless tasks and busy work in the morning when your brain is still waking up. (Make sure children know their responsibilities and can be self-directed as much as possible.)
7. Drink 24-32 ounces of water first thing in the morning.
8. Eat some protein with your breakfast within the first hour after rising.
9. Listen to the Audio Bible or a message of Biblical encouragement on tape, CD or online to begin your Quiet Time.
10. Do thinking, planning, decision-making and any creative activity during your best and most alert time of the day.

I still have a lot of trouble some mornings, but when I take these tips and put them into practice, I find mornings more than manageable and Mondays Are Great!
Write a quick post:  How did God help you through the week? Then link up below. If you don't have a blog, write in a comment what's encouraged or helped you this week.  I'm so looking forward to reading how the Lord has shown Himself strong in your life.