No motivation? Join my gentle winter blues challenge

Brr it is cold! The dark, chilly days are definitely getting to me. Probably doesn’t help that we’ve been in and out of lock downs or very tight restrictions for most of winter. Each day it gets harder to get up and motivated for the day, but I know I’ve still got more than a month of winter to get through.

As you may know, I’ve taken a bit of a beating of late, with the triple challenge of death, infertility and lock down. I’m sure many of you are feeling the same after the crazy year that was 2020. 2021 is also proving to be a bit hectic, so I think we could all use some bolstering of our mental and physical health.

While all I want to do is stay in bed with a block of chocolate and all my favourite books, I know that won’t make me feel better in the long run. So, I’m starting my winter motivation challenge, and I’d like to invite you all to join me.

We’ll start with a new item to work on each week, slowly building a personalised routine that will help each of us be healthier, happier and stronger people. These challenges aren’t focused on losing a set amount of weight or perscribing a set way to do things. It’s about challenging all of us to find what works for us and stick to it. There’s also a freebie for you, so read to the end!

Morning routines

Our first week is all about setting up a morning routine. I’m terrible at getting up early, but I know that if I do I’ll be in a much better position for the rest of the day. When it’s dark and cold, it feels impossible to get out from under the blankets, but its time to change that.

Firstly, I’m going to think about why I want to get up earlier. What’s my motivation for this? Having a reason to get up each day makes it much more likely that I’ll stick to it. For example, back in the days of working in a city office, I used to get up extra early so I could ride my bike to work. I needed to get to work. I also wanted to save money and get in exercise. With that motivation, I was very consistent. One of the downsides of work from home is that those reasons aren’t there any more, so it’s much easier to hit snooze with fewer consequences.

I’ve noticed that when I get up earlier, my whole day is better. I’m less rushed, so I have time for a healthy breakfast and a bit of exercise. I have time to tidy the house, so I’m not stressing about the dishes in the sink all day. I’m less likely to feel like a sweet snack by 9am too!

My reason for revamping my mornings is, simply, to make the rest of my day better. What’s your why?

Set up your plan to nourish yourself first thing

Having established why you want to do this, let’s get down to nuts and bolts. This is where you can personalise to your heart’s content, but I’ll share mine by way of example.

I want to use my mornings to fit in prayer, movement, a few small chores and good food. These elements will mean I hit my desk fueled and pumped for the day, with a calm and positive mindset. Well, that’s the idea. Some days you really do need the chocolate at 9am.

To make it simple, I’m breaking it down into mind, body and nourishment. My plan is to get up at 6am and start with 20 minutes of meditation. Then, I’ll put on some upbeat music while I get dressed. That’s for my mind and soul.

At 6:30am, I’m going to go for a half hour walk around my neighbourhood. It’s gentle enough not to feel daunting first thing in the morning (I am not a morning run person) but it’s still good movement ahead of a sedentary day.

By 7am, I’ll be back to start breakfast, with still an hour before work starts. I’m going to focus on making nutrient dense breakfasts, like scrambled eggs and vegetables or porridge with fruit, nuts and yogurt. Time for me to ditch my honey toast habit! Tasty as it is, I know I just end up hungry and craving more sugar pretty soon in the work day.

Do what works for you.

And that’s it. I’ll have time to do a general tidy of the house and make a cup of tea before logging in to work. This is a variation of my old routine, so I know it works for me. I just need to get back into doing it!

It’s important that whatever you decide to take on should be based on what you need, not what someone else is doing. Maybe 6am is too early for you. Maybe it’s too late. Perhaps you are a morning run person (more power to you). The idea is just to think about what works for you, or what you think could work. Trial a few things. If it isn’t doing the trick, change it up. Just make sure you’re giving it a solid go before you chuck it. Building habits takes time and the initial stages can be hard as we get used to waking up earlier etc.

Your free printable

Now, for all my plan people and list lovers, here’s a free printable! Use this to write down your new routine and pop it up where you can see it and remember what you’ve committed to. We’ll work on these routines for the first week of August, and I’ll share the second building block of the challenge next Monday.

Are you in? Let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to grab that printable!