3 Reasons Why a Morning Routine is SO Powerful
Isn’t getting up early in the morning one of the hardest things? Especially as mothers…with all our to-dos and not getting the ideal amount of sleep. I put great emphasis on my sleep, because there is SO many benefits in getting enough sleep and SO much harm in a lack of it (more on the topic of sleep in the future insha Allah), yet it’s still extremely hard for me to get up in the morning.
Luckily, our beautiful Deen puts us in training from a very young age, helping us get used to waking up early for fajr salah (pre-dawn prayer). And even with this training, alhamdullilAllah, it’s still VERY VERY tempting to slip back in bed after fajr and snooze a few more hours.
Let me tell you, I have this debate with myself on a DAILY basis: “Should I go back to bed and sleep some more or stay up and start my morning?” As TEMPTING as it is to go back to bed, I find it easy now to choose to stay up and start my morning routine. And the reason is that the sweetness of having an early morning routine in the peace and quiet of the morning, outweighs the sweetness of going back to bed and enjoying a little more sleep.
Here are some of the reasons why I choose my morning routine over a little extra sleep after fajr:
1. Barakah from Allah(swt)
The Prophet(saw) made the following dua to Allah(swt): “Oh Allah, bless my Ummah in the early morning.” When the most beloved to Allah(swt) made a specific dua like this for you and I, there is no doubt that indeed there is success in it. Any action, any dua, any intention during the early hours of the morning will be full of barakah, insha Allah! Just knowing that there is more power in my actions in the early morning, makes me want to be up early in the morning when everyone else is asleep.
2. Peace and quiet
We can’t find much of this in the fast-paced world we live in. Yet it is incredibly important to self-reflect and understand yourself. This is a very important practice if you want to understand yourself. If you want to understand your triggers as a human being. If you want to understand how you make sense of everything that happens around you. If you want to understand your thinking patters, which in turn impact every step of your day, it is important to use the peace and quiet of the early morning. Sis, when else during the day are you able to sit down undisturbed, in silence and calm, to reflect on your inner self?
3. Clarity for your day and a sense of direction
Days when I don’t go through my morning routine, I accomplish very little, because I’m trying to make decisions while I’m in the midst of everything that is happening around me. From deciding what to cook for dinner, to “Which park should I take kids to?” (Or: “Should we even go to the park?”) To: “Should we go grocery shopping now or later?” When simple decisions like these about your day are not thought through in advance and you are trying to make them as you go through day, clutter is formed in your mind and you can actually get very little done. Which then leads to a feeling of overwhelm and feeling stuck.
I shared with you here a few reasons of why your early morning is the key to your success in life, bi ithnillah. I strongly, strongly believe in this, sis! Give it a try and feel it for yourself. I do want to emphasize though, that any time you want to make drastic changes in your sleep pattern, expect it to take some time before you are adjusted to your new sleep schedule. Give your body the time to adjust. Avoid self-criticism if it is hard for you in the beginning. It is normal. Keep trying and I can’t wait for you to experience the benefits of an early morning routine. Insha Allah!
