The alarm on your phone is going off (do people have alarm clocks anymore?) letting you know it’s time to RISE AND SHINE! If just reading this sentence makes you want to grab your blankets, roll over, and hit the snooze button repeatedly…you’re not alone. Mornings can be hard, and sometimes your bed is just so comfy! I get it, but I’m here to tell you, there are some perks of setting that alarm just a little bit earlier.

Full disclosure: I’m a morning person, don’t hate me. With work, kids, to-do lists, errands, and meetings, I know how hectic mornings can be. It can feel like a mini rat race trying to balance the tasks of the day, wrangling little ones, and making sure you make it out the door with the same shoes on, a cup of coffee to-go, and something to eat for breakfast (on a good day). If mornings are a time of stress for you, there are a few tips and tricks to making the morning run a little smoother, and hopefully, can become one of your favorite parts of the day as well.

Start your day with something just for you, something you love. Mornings are the time I get to spend with myself and set my intentions for the day. I love waking up with the sun, putting a pot of coffee on, and practicing my meditations. On a normal day, I get to start my day off doing the things that make me happiest like working out, practicing yoga, and sipping coffee without the worry of running late to work. I am mindful, calm, and can reflect on the day ahead of me. Having the extra time to myself makes me a better me. Starting the day off doing the things that make you feel best helps getting out of those blankets a little bit easier, too.

Have a time dedicated to unplugging. Our TVs, laptops, phones, and all the little screens in our lives make it hard for our minds to recognize it’s time to unwind and prepare for sleep. Having the light and sound of the different screens can also keep us from getting deep, recharging sleep. Try and set the time about an hour before you would normally go to sleep, to reap the full benefit!

Start slow! Becoming a morning person, or any facet of this idea doesn’t happen overnight! Try setting your alarm ten minutes earlier for the first week. Ten minutes isn’t so bad, right? After the first week, try setting it another ten minutes earlier. Beginning gradually can feel less jarring than jumping into the change right off the bat. Carving out a little bit of time just for yourself and beginning your day with a clear mind might just make a morning person out of you.

Autumn has arrived! The cool weather days are here and the hot summer weather has (finally!) gone for the season! Fall is a time of changes, fresh starts, and fall rejuvenation! We are dusting off the summer grit, opening up our windows to let all that wonderful fresh air fill our homes, putting away our summer clothes, and re-organizing our closets. With all these changes going on with our wardrobes, homes, and material items, it leaves me wondering: what about us?

What if we could clean our minds, bodies, and spirits? I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I might have found just the thing: dirt. It sounds crazy and counterproductive; cleaning and dirt don’t exactly go hand in hand. But the kind of cleaning I’m talking about here is cleaning our minds from our attachment to our devices, crazy schedules, and to-do lists. Clearing our bodies of the stagnant nature of hot-weather months, shaking loose, and feeling movement again; and clearing our spirits to the revitalizing awakening that happens when we are able to be outside and experience nature around us!

Let’s spend some time with nature, really taking in all the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of the earth. Spend some time connecting with the outdoors, and allow ourselves to experience all the joys and benefits. Being outside can be so therapeutic and such a wonderful way to connect with ourselves and each other! Feeling inspired? We are too! So, we have created an EcoPsych workshop series that will run from September until November. We’ll be holding workshops on Saturdays with the intent to bring our therapy outside, focusing on the benefits of nature, and really cultivating a deep, long-lasting connection to the world and each other. Come join us and get a little bit of dirt in your lives; it just might be that magic elixir we’re looking for.

Register for an EcoPsych event here