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#120: How to Own Your Mornings (and Your Life)

• Polly Warren

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💫 In this solo episode, I share the real reason mornings matter—and how reclaiming that first hour of the day can transform everything else.

No rigid rules. Just honest, practical ideas to help you build a morning that feels like yours.

✨ Tune in to learn:

  • Real-life strategies for making time—even when time feels scarce
  • Why your morning routine might just be the missing link in your wellbeing journey
  • How I went from night owl to early riser (and why I’ll never look back)
  • The subtle mindset shifts that make early starts easier—and even enjoyable

Whether your mornings currently feel chaotic, rushed, or non-existent, this episode will inspire you to claim them back, one small, intentional step at a time. Because when you own your mornings, you start to own your life.

Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now.

Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible.

To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to: https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace

Email me at: info@pollywarren.com
https://www.pollywarren.com/
https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

Speaker 1:

Are you like me, riding the roller coaster of midlife and menopause and eager to get back to living your best life? Are you tired of low energy, a short temper and endless self-doubt? Well, it's time to stress less and shine more. It's time to ditch the worry, reclaim your mojo and tap back into the incredible woman you already are, because midlife isn't the end of anything. It's the beginning of becoming more you, more grounded, more radiant, more powerful than ever before. Join me each week for real, uplifting conversations to help you feel better, think clearer and live with more joy, purpose and ease. Because it's never too late and you're certainly not too old. So whenever you're ready, let the beautiful metamorphosis begin. Hello and welcome back to menomorphosis. How are you doing? I hate you've had a good week.

Speaker 1:

Now I really should be saying good morning because actually, as I'm recording this, it is it's 7, 16 currently am, and I have just got back. I've been and done a strength workout, not to sound so too smug or anything, but it's relevant, because this morning that's what I'm going to be talking about is mornings and as I look out of my window this morning, it is the most beautiful clear blue sky morning. The sun is just rising and I've got to say I absolutely love, love, love this time of day. Now, a couple of weeks ago, there was an episode all about consistency. It was another solo episode I put out and how consistency is honestly one of the most important ingredients when it comes to seeing results and getting the things that you want. And off the back of that, I got quite a few messages from you saying yes, polly, but consistency is actually really the hardest thing, especially when it comes to doing the things for yourself, carving out that time for yourself to move your body, to journal, to meditate, to do breath work, whatever that looks like for you, all of those things that make you feel good for us, somehow always the first to get pushed off the to-do list when life gets busy which, let's be honest, is a lot of the time. And I get it, I really do.

Speaker 1:

And I've realised that if I don't prioritise my wellbeing practices first thing in the morning, they really just don't happen. I know that Because if it's eight o'clock in the evening, what I want to be doing is collapsing on the sofa and watching something on really good on TV. I don't want to be thinking about oh, I've got to go and do a workout, my energy's gone by then. So today I want to share how I make time for the things I really want to do, and it's not because I'm particularly brilliant at any of this, but because I've kind of got into a routine, into a habit and I know how much better they make me feel. And because how you feel affects everything how you show up, how you show up at work, how you parent, how you treat yourself. And, yeah, my morning practices are honestly sacred to me now and actually it's quite unusual for me to be sitting here at this time to be doing this. But I've got a window today so they're not rigid by any means. There is so much room for movement and flexibility.

Speaker 1:

But yes, if I don't get to do the things I like to do in the morning before the world is off, I honestly I feel really off, like I'm running behind on my own life before the day's even started. And I was thinking about it and because it's quite funny, my husband does always take the piss out of me a bit about it because I used to be the worst person in the mornings when we were first together. I just could never get out of bed. I just was awful mornings when we were first together. I just could never get out of bed. I just was awful. So really for me, obviously when you have children you have to get up in the mornings. You haven't got any choice.

Speaker 1:

But I wasn't fitting any practices in for myself for much of that time when I had children, and it all really started when I was teaching, when the kids were really quite small. I was really struggling back then to fit in any exercise. Yet I knew how much better it made me feel mentally, physically, emotionally and especially when you have small children and I had three small kids. Especially when you have small children and I had three small kids, it was an opportunity to go and get some some time on my own and I knew that I really needed that time for myself. But mornings was was such a rush, as I'm sure you know if you've got children. Um, and I was leaving. You know I had to get into school for about 7 30 anyway when when I was working.

Speaker 1:

So what I thought was okay, what do I do if I want to carve out this time, because it's not going to happen when I get back from work, what would happen if I left even earlier and that way I wouldn't be missing out on any time with them, and it would be a good time to do it Now. I know I was really lucky because I had someone at home to stay with the kids. But you know, even if you don't, there are still ways to fit in movement or do the things you can do at home. And anyway, your kids now might well be grown up enough that you can just leave the house. Kids now might well be grown up enough that you can just leave the house Now.

Speaker 1:

You might well be thinking, polly, I'm just really really not a morning person and yes, I do, I hear you, I really do, because I do believe in chronotypes. I think some of us are more inclined to be night owls and others of us are more inclined to be early birds. However, I also truly believe that we can change. If, for example, being a night owl at the moment isn't working for you, you're not getting everything done which you want to get done, then perhaps it is time to start to try and switch things up. If it's getting in the way of doing the things you know help you feel good, then yeah, maybe it's an opportunity to go. Okay, maybe I'm going to try, but this is really important to remember. You can't possibly expect to go to bed at your usual time and then bounce out of bed at five o'clock in the morning feeling fabulous, because it's just not possible. You have to also shift your sleep gradually and give your body a chance to get used to it.

Speaker 1:

So my early morning routines really started with exercise. I'd set my alarm for about six, I'd head out for a run or I'd go to the gym, I would have a shower and then I'd go to work. And I've got to say it made me feel amazing and probably a little bit smug too, if I'm totally honest. There was nothing better than arriving into work at half seven and knowing that I'd done a workout and had a shower, I was ready for the day and, yeah, the endorphins were flowing, my energy was up and I felt really blimmin' good. It really is. It's a win, win, win. And that for me was the first time I truly realised how what you do in the first hour or two of your day can completely shape how the rest of the day unfolds, because I would always have such a spring in my step on those days when I used to arrive into work having been to the gym and having moved my body.

Speaker 1:

So if I then fast forward to now, I'm no longer teaching. I work mainly from home. However, I still get up at 5 27. Yeah, I mean, that's a really weird time. I know it's very oddly specific, but I read a book a while ago about morning routines and the woman in the book, she, got up at 5.27 and for some reason I was like, oh, I quite like that. So that's just the time that my alarm goes off. And, yes, a load of my friends think I'm totally bonkers. However, giles, my husband, he also gets up at that same time, which obviously really, really helps.

Speaker 1:

And yeah, the key thing is to go to bed earlier most evenings. But you know, I'm not saying again, this isn't totally rigid, but you do need to go to bed at a certain time. So most evenings I'll watch maybe 45 minutes to an hour of TV after we've eaten and then get a bed, and generally we will go up to bed at about nine, read for a bit in bed, I generally fall asleep pretty fast. So normally about half nine, ten I'm asleep and lots of people say but you know, you don't have any time to do stuff yourself. But what I've come to realise is that any later, all I would do is probably just sit and watch TV or scroll on my phone, and actually I kind of don't need to do that. I've already kind of had some downtime, eaten with the family, and actually getting up earlier, I believe, gives me back so much time. So here, if you're, if anybody interested, this is how my mornings look right now.

Speaker 1:

So three days a week I tend to and this is this is general and it does. It can change, but generally three days a week I drive Giles to the station because he gets a train up to London three days a week and since we've moved, it's a little bit further for him to walk, and actually I've worked it out pretty well. I found a gym where they've got a 6am class, so I drive into station and then I head straight to that 6am class, which is a mixture, each morning's different, so it's like a strength or there's a HIIT class, and the other two days I will get up and I might go for a run or I might work out at home, but I generally always start doing something to move my body For me. If I don't do it, then I tend not to do it, and I've got so used to doing it. Then I tend not to do it, and I got so used to doing it.

Speaker 1:

Then, when I get back from there, I usually spend a little bit of time stretching. That's something I've been doing for years now and that all started when I was having really awful back issues, which really did coincide with the beginning of perimenopause for me. I was actually referred at some point for surgery on my back, but I'm convinced and I refused it, and I'm convinced that consistent strength training and consistent stretching really helped me avoid that. And I still am very militant about my stretching because if I don't do it, I can feel my back seizing up again and, honestly, that was all the proof I needed that little and often works. At the start, when I started stretching, I couldn't even I couldn't get anywhere near my toes. And now I can fold over cross-legged, you know, and I can. I can touch my toes, I can sit cross-legged on the floor, put my head on the ground. All these things I just can never do and, honestly, all I've done is five to 10 minutes stretching most days not all days, but most days.

Speaker 1:

And then after that I wake my daughter up and she has breakfast, and then three times a week on Monday, wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30, I guide my live breathwork meditation sessions inside the inner space, which has become a really lovely, gorgeous part of my mornings. I mean not just for me but for my members too. I really, really, really do genuinely enjoy leading these. They're only 20 minutes and you know I probably spend about five minutes beforehand thinking about it, but that's why I love it so much, because it does come so easily and I love seeing everybody in the morning. So that takes me to about 10 to 8. And then after that usually I'll take the dog for a walk or Giles will do that if he's around and then one of my favourite parts of the morning is I'll come back from the dog walk, I'll make a cup of tea, I'll go and sit in my bed and I'll go and do my own breathwork meditation and I love that bit. And then I generally get showered, feel like I've achieved so much and yet it's all been done at a really great pace.

Speaker 1:

Now, obviously, my mornings look different to what they used to look now because I've only got my daughter at home to kind of get somewhere. The boys sort of sort themselves out now and Felix is at university. So it's changed massively. I don't have to do the school run or anything like that. So, yes, I have that luxury. I don't have to be into a job for a specific time. I can decide.

Speaker 1:

But taking ownership of my mornings has honestly been so life-changing and I know that sounds really quite dramatic, but particularly when everything else at a certain time in life, and particularly going through perimenopause, when it all felt really chaotic with small children, all of what that brings, it really kind of gave me and it still does a real sense of calm and control and it becomes addictive in the best possible way. So over time, gradually, gradually, I really did just become someone who gets up early, and not because I forced it but because I wanted to just keep those good feelings. I wanted to just keep those good feelings. And the amazing thing is your body actually helps you. You can reset your circadian rhythm so that you wake up naturally much earlier. It's not all about willpower, it's about kind of rhythm and routine.

Speaker 1:

Now you know, obviously you don't have to follow my routine, but I do believe that building a morning ritual, whatever that looks like for you, can be incredibly powerful because you just get into the kind of swing of things much more easily. There's loads and loads of research now showing that certain practices in the morning, like movement, like meditation and breath work, can truly set you up for a better, more grounded and ultimately, a much, much more productive day where you are really calm and in control. So, yes, the truth is I didn't used to be a morning person, um, and honestly, if you told me in my in my sort of 30s, early 30s, that I'd be voluntarily, voluntarily, getting up at 5, 27, yeah, I mean, I would honestly think that I that was never going to happen. But yes, things can shift and I want to help share some of the things in real, practical, human terms which really really do help you to become a morning person. If that's something you want to explore a little bit more, maybe you already are a morning person. Maybe you're nodding your head along, going, yep, I love my mornings, so so much. But if you're not, here are some practical steps.

Speaker 1:

So the first place I think to really explore is your identity. So if you are saying to yourself I'm just not a morning person. We need to shift that. We need to shift the I'm not a morning person to I love my mornings, because that's happened to me. So you really do need to think about changing this identity. It's not about forcing it. It's about kind of trying to remember constantly who you want to be. So you can do this by literally creating a little mini mantra and say it often. So just choosing a phrase that feels like you, something which is believable but just stretchy enough to shift you forward, and you can kind of repeat it out like when you're brushing your teeth or making your tea, or you can just do it before you actually go to bed. So things like I'm becoming the kind of person who loves slow, quiet mornings, or I don't snooze anymore, I'm kind of showing up, I'm getting up. So it's just something which feels good for you. And if you want to, you can place it on a sticky note, put it by your bed, put it on your mirror, put it on your phone, and that identity then starts to feel more familiar the more you say it and you see it. It's kind of like a little brain reprogramming.

Speaker 1:

The other thing you can do to kind of really shift this identity is really before bed. Just literally take 30 seconds that's all to imagine yourself waking up in the morning. Imagine yourself kind of moving through those actions, of what it's going to be like your arms going to go off, how you're going to feel, and actually visualize yourself getting out of bed and feeling so happy and proud of yourself once you've done all the things you want to do. And it isn't just fluffy stuff. This your brain loves mental rehearsal Athletes. Use it all the time You're rehearsing the identity you want to embody. And the more you see it, even in your mind's eye because your brain can't really tell the difference the more you become it.

Speaker 1:

Okay, if you're a journaler, you can also try and write about the version who already is that morning person. You know how did she react. So you can start by writing things like oh yes, today I woke up at six o'clock. I felt so proud of myself. The house was really quiet. I actually really looked forward to doing my workout, or I look forward to doing my breath work. You know, even though it was cold and dark, I got up and I promised myself, and I kept that promise to myself.

Speaker 1:

This isn't about being too woo. It really is about wiring in those new beliefs. You know, your words are planting those seeds of identity. And yeah, it's just literally asking yourself, you know, what would the version of me do when that alarm goes off? Not what's easiest, because often what's easiest is turning the alarm off and rolling over and going back to sleep, but it's actually about what would that next level version of you choose? It's that split second decision when the alarm goes off, repeated daily, that builds your new identity, literally moment by moment, brick by brick. So that's a really big part of any sort of change. It's the identity that you are taking on and that is it's so, so important.

Speaker 1:

Another thing you can do is get the accountability. Tell somebody, tell a friend, tell your partner, get a coach, whatever it is you know, and just say I'm someone who's getting up early and I'm, and just claim it and get someone to hold you accountable. And then, obviously, when you do, do it celebrate. Celebrate every win, no matter how small. So, once you've got out of bed, celebrate, do a little air punch, just do that, because these tiny wins are really again the stepping stones of identity. You're just reinforcing every little win by just noticing it and every time you celebrate, you release a little bit of dopamine into your body and that's like a reward system, so it makes you kind of want to do it again and again. So, yes, shifting your identity to someone who gets up early, it's not just about alarms and habits, it really is about really stepping into the version of yourself who you want to be. So the next step, step, action, tip, whatever, whatever, whatever you want to call it for becoming a morning person is and we've mentioned this already, but it's about setting your intentions before bed. So the morning always, always, starts with the night before.

Speaker 1:

The way you wake up honestly is often determined by how you fall asleep. So not just physically, but also mentally. If you're lying in bed mentally counting the hours and worrying oh my goodness, I've only got five hours of sleep, I'm going to be so tired in the morning, then your nervous system hears that and guess what? It kind of obliges to what. You're telling your body how to feel before you've even closed your eyes. So what we can do is we can flip the script and say to ourselves thank you for these five hours of sleep. That's exactly what I need tonight. My body knows how to rest. I'll wake up feeling restored.

Speaker 1:

Sleep really is my reset and I trust it's enough. Now I'm not saying that five hours sleep is enough, because it really probably isn't enough and obviously we want to aim for more than that. I always try and aim for eight hours sleep. Eight hours, I know I feel amazing on. I generally get between seven and eight, but some nights I don't, and some nights I go to bed later because I'm out doing something. And if that's the case, then this, this hack, really works.

Speaker 1:

And if you wear a wearable so I wear a whoop band I'm curious to know whether these things are good or not. I I don't know, but I do quite like it. So my whoop sometimes will tell me when I've had a, really when I think I've had a really crappy night's sleep, will tell me that I've had more hours than I thought and and actually it was really good quality, and I'll go, oh okay, I'm going to feel okay. But equally it can do the opposite when I think I've slept really well, it can tell me I've had a really shitty night's sleep and of poor quality, and actually that then makes you go, oh well, that's not very good.

Speaker 1:

So how we choose to think about our sleep really does impact how we feel, and you don't have to believe it 100% at first, it's just practice that. And you don't have to believe it 100% at first, just practice that. You know your brain just loves repetition and, honestly, our bodies are just amazing. You can do a lot with a solid five hour sleep and the right mindset. But obviously we want to try and aim for your maximum amount of sleep, because sleep really is the foundation of everything. But what I'm just saying is, if you're not getting enough sleep occasionally, don't panic about it. Just try that hack and tell yourself and your mind that you're going to be okay. Okay, my third point here is about again, it's about mindset, but it's about what you're thinking when you wake up.

Speaker 1:

When that alarm goes off, what's the very first thought that you have? Now, for most people it's probably something like oh God, I'm so tired, I don't want to get up. It's too early, want to get up. It's too early, just five more minutes. But that first thought really sets the tone for the whole morning. It's like choosing which radio station to tune into. You know, are you going to pick the Mooney FM or something a little bit more uplifting? So try something different when you wake up. So it could be something like oh, today's going to be such a great day. Or, oh, my goodness, I'm getting up, I'm so proud of myself. Or something like right, this time this is going to be such sacred time just for me, before everybody else wakes up, before I have to go to work.

Speaker 1:

And honestly, it's not about pretending that you're not tired. You can be tired and you can still show up for yourself so you can have a little stretch and you can have a little. You know that I always feel foggy first thing in the morning. That's real life. But actually the more you do it, the less foggy you become. And you know, over time you you just get you wake up so much more quickly. If you are someone who really, really, really does struggle to get up, okay, maybe you're not getting enough sleep, so make sure you are getting enough hours.

Speaker 1:

But something which I don't do but I know my friend Lucy talks about this an awful lot is to put your alarm across the other side of the room. So this is a very simple one, but it's very effective If you have to physically get out of bed to turn off your alarm, that moment of kind of getting up, that motion that's going to kick start the day. It kind of breaks that feeling of I can't do it. Plus, you know, if you're anything like me, the thought of crawling back into bed once you've stood up it just doesn't appeal, because I just know then that is just that's a big fat. No to myself. So yes, set your alarm. A big fat. No to myself. So yes, set your alarm, put it across the other side of the room and I also think do a nice alarm, be kind to yourself, do a nice soft chime or something which isn't going to make you feel really cross, something a little bit more gentle. Okay, next point.

Speaker 1:

My fifth point is, once you are up, drink a big glass of water. So this is something I do before I do anything. Well, I'll come downstairs and that first glass of water I have I used to always have lemon in it, but actually I've changed that now. So I always put electrolytes I use Ancient and Brave electrolytes and I put one in my glass of water and I down that. And I think you know, if you've been asleep all night and not sipping any water, your body's naturally dehydrated and often that can be like why you feel so groggy. It's not often tiredness, it's just that you're really thirsty. So again, for me that's like a little mini ritual. So have a big glass of water. Also, you know, if it helps. You know, brushing your teeth obviously really helps, putting a bit of water on your face. So these are all gentle cues to your body and your brain. It's like right, I'm up, the day has begun, okay.

Speaker 1:

So here's another one of my tips, particularly if you want to exercise, the moment you get up, put on your workout gear. I just leave mine on the floor ready for me in the morning. I just leave mine on the floor ready for me in the morning, and that's just again a signal to yourself saying right, I am moving today, I'm showing up, you're psychologically getting dressed for that version of you who follows through, and it just saves the mental faff of deciding later. So just put the workout gear on straight away and, as I always say, start small, seriously small. Your morning routine does not need to be two hours long. It doesn't need to include every blimmin' thing out there. If you want to start, just start with one thing, one tiny thing that's going to support you, and maybe that is exercise, but maybe as well, that is, if you want to do something.

Speaker 1:

Quiet for your mind, I mean, I always like to think do something for your body, your mind and your soul. So for my body I always work out. For my mind and I suppose for my soul I'll do some breath work and some meditation and sometimes I will do a bit of journaling. Journaling is something I've really struggled to be consistent with, but occasionally I will do a little bit of journaling as well. Maybe it's literally standing by the window with a cup of tea and taking five deep breaths while while you're looking outside letting your mind wander. And if you just do that for a week, just let it become a rhythm and these act, you know, and if it, if activity feels too much, first thing, do a five minute stretch. Do five minute stretch. Five minute breath work, five minute stretch. Do five minute stretch, five minute breath work, five minute journaling. Do that for a week and just see the difference that that makes. And then you can add to it if you want, and it will change and evolve. You know you're not trying to to win a prize for the best morning routine ever, it's just about.

Speaker 1:

Ultimately, the goal is to try and start your day in a space of calmness, of feeling good, of feeling strong and getting the things done which you know are going to support you. And as we get older, we know we need to be keeping strong, keeping our bones strong and also keeping stress under wraps as well, which is a massive one. So the final thing I kind of want to talk about, which is not sexy at all and I suppose it falls under that consistency banner, but it's discipline. So discipline, I think, gets really bad press. It's actually not a particularly nice word. It always feels quite harsh, I think, like kind of a boot camp or a bit of a punishment, um, for sort of not doing something or for doing something. But actually I think discipline is is really important here. But it's the discipline which is. It's sort of saying you're choosing to do something now that your future self will thank you for, and consistency requires discipline.

Speaker 1:

Getting up early it's not really about hustling harder, it's not. It's about creating space and softness and starting your day in a way that feels so good. It's about carving out real sacred time before the world gets noisy, before your day runs away with you. It's time where you get to remember who you are and what you want and how you want to feel, and what you want and how you want to feel. And every time you do that, every time you show up for yourself, especially on the days when it's harder, you never, ever regret it. You're kind of rewriting your own story and you are becoming that person, the kind of person who follows through person, the kind of person who follows through, who values herself, who leads the day instead of chasing it, and that kind of discipline. That's the kind that truly, truly sticks. So you don't have to be perfect Perfect isn't possible. It's just about making the decision to start and then just beginning.

Speaker 1:

And you know, you will have mornings where the alarm goes off and your bed is so tempting. There are still mornings where I'm just like, oh, I don't know if I can do it today, and you'll have days where it doesn't happen, and that again, that's okay. This isn't about all or nothing. It's about really building that self-trust. It's about saying I'm worth showing up for because you absolutely 100% more. And every morning that's the beauty of this Every morning is a new opportunity. It's a new chance to step into that, and the more you do it, the more natural and enjoyable it becomes.

Speaker 1:

So just to finish with, if you do feel like your mornings have space for, or you want to have some more space for your thoughts, for your mind, for becoming the version of yourself you truly want to become, then I would really love to invite you to come and try an inner space session at 7.30. If you can fit that into your mornings, I promise you, you will feel so damn good. Everybody leaves feeling amazing. It's an opportunity to really carve out a little bit of time, to have a bit of space, a bit of mental clarity, to get some really good feelings going on in your body, to setting your intention for the day ahead and afterwards you will just sort of skip off into the day. So if you would like to come and join us, you there's, everyone is welcome to come to a free trial. Uh, there's no strings attract uh attached. It kind of gives you everything you need to gently craft a morning that feels like yours.

Speaker 1:

The links in the show notes. It's basically polywarrencom forward, slash, the inner space. I hope, hope, hope that this has helped in any way. If you would like to get in touch with me, please do. All my details are in the show notes. It's at polywarrencoaching on Instagram or info at polyarrant. Thank you for listening. Have a wonderful week and let me know how you get on. Lots of love, take care Bye.