I’ve always said that a great day begins the night before. I take my own advice after a day of feeling rushed, tired, and overwhelmed again. I remember how to set up for a wonderful morning today by beginning last night.
You can do all sorts of activities to prepare for a great morning. You can empty the dishwasher the night before and set out what you’ll need for a great breakfast. You can tidy the whole house. You can do a load of laundry, set out an outfit, plan your meals, or anything else that makes the day feel planned and organized when you wake up. Try it! At least try the part about emptying the dishwasher and preparing the kitchen for your morning. See how you feel!
You can also pamper yourself the night before in ways that make you feel refreshed in the morning like creating a night time routine to tuck yourself in. This might include all the things my teen girls have taught me including face masks, serums, moisturizers, deep conditioning hair products, or anything that helps replenish how dried out your skin and hair might feel. In the morning, you’ll glisten.
Finally, you can do what scripture suggests about nighttime activities: You can read and meditate on God’s word (Psalm 1); you can “search your heart” (Psalm 4:4) to confess sin the Holy Spirit reveals; you can unburden your mind (1 Peter 5:7) and your can rejoice and thank the Lord for all that has happened in your day as a way of singing for joy “on your bed” (Psalm 149:5).
I think about chores, pampering, and spiritual practices that help usher in a great new morning. I tried these things last night, and this morning, I found myself in a lighter state–with room to breath–as I turned towards the morning practices that create a great day (another post!).