imPERFECTly emPOWERed®

How To Start Your Day Maximized Instead Of Wasted With Early Morning Habit™ Star Emily Roth

July 30, 2024 • Ahna Fulmer • Season 3

Share episode

ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

Ever wondered how a holistic approach to mornings could transform your life? In this episode, Emily joins us to share her inspiring journey with the Early Morning Habit program. Hear firsthand how integrating exercise, sleep, diet, and emotional intelligence has led to a comprehensive lifestyle change. Discover the power of a morning workout routine, especially if you have an early start like teachers do. Emily recounts her shift from post-work exercises to energizing morning workouts, enhancing both her physical and mental resilience. We also delve into the benefits of intentional journaling prompts that foster gratitude and emotional intelligence. Whether you're considering a similar program or just looking for practical advice on intentionality and holistic growth, Emily's experience offers valuable insights. Tune in for a conversation that could transform your mornings and your overall health.



JUMP RIGHT TO IT:

0:00 Early Morning Habit Program Feedback

7:58 Morning Workout Empowerment and Productivity


Kick start your own revival by renewing your morning.  Say 'thanks' to Emily for sharing her story by joining Early Morning Habit through her link. Let’s rise. https://ahnafulmer.com/early-morning-habit/?ref=Emily+Buckwalter+Roth



Contact The Show!

Website: http://www.ahnafulmer.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@imperfectlyempoweredpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahnafulmer/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahnadfulmer

Speaker 1:

Hi Emily, welcome to the podcast, hello, hello, this happens to be my sister. This is the amazing. Emily was Buckwalter, now Roth Buckwalter likes to be called.

Speaker 1:

I'm so grateful for you coming on to share your experience. I was honored to have her in early morning habit. She went through the program and I'm excited to hear your perspective. Everyone's experience is so unique and I think it speaks to what I hope is the flexibility of the program and the ability to personalize it to your stage and phase of life. And to start, I would love to hear what initially appealed to you about early morning habit when you were reading through the website and the program. What initially was like yeah, if I could do this, that would be great.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think for me, one of the things that is unique about it is how it's so holistic, you could say, in the sense that it's like from your very first, the way you incorporate almost like mini podcast episodes at the start of every week to kind of kick off the week from the very first one, just understanding like wow, this is also interconnected and you're addressing every element of health here. So this isn't just an exercise program, it isn't just an organization program, it isn't just a sleep program, it isn't just a food program or a diet program. It's taking every piece of physical health and then also applying it to mental and spiritual health. So here's a plan to practice gratitude. Here's a plan to practice, you know, addressing emotional intelligence and that you can connect.

Speaker 2:

You know me addressing my emotional intelligence also to like how much water I'm drinking a day and bring it like all in one place and that's like the whole picture of me and my health, not just you know this like, oh, if you do this one thing, you know like you're able to address the complexity kind of of the overall health picture, and I think the fact that you are coming from three degrees in the medical field, it gives so much more credence to what you're saying because you have literally poured years of your life into studying the functionality of the human body, and so you're not just you know someone who listens to one podcast episode about you, know the impact of sleep on the human body, but, like you, have dedicated years of your life to understanding the interconnectedness of the human body, and so I think that uniquely qualifies what you're saying at the beginning of each of those weeks.

Speaker 2:

And knowing that about you, and then seeing the layout of your program, I thought that was really appealing, and I think that for me, is a big draw on something unique that your program has to offer.

Speaker 1:

I appreciate that. Was there one element of the program specifically for those who are not familiar with early morning habit? It can sound very daunting, because early some people are like, oh Lord, have mercy, that's not happening for me. Some people hear morning and again they're like not a morning person. And then they hear habit and they're like forget it, I'm out. So tell me, in your experience, what about the program especially resonated with you? Was there something that you wanted to get out of it? Going into it and then you were in it and you were like, oh, actually I got more of this out of it. What? What would you say?

Speaker 2:

out of it. What would you say? Well, I think one of the things for me and this is kind of going to be unique for me because I'm your sister, but I think one of the specific things was seeing how you change your life and so, like the element of, oh, I've seen a not morning person, do this and stick with it. For I mean, how long now years have you been practicing?

Speaker 1:

I mean it's been, yeah, well, yeah, five years, five and a half years.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, almost to a point where it's hard for me to remember when you weren't an early morning person and so, like I know that you say that, but in as kind of a part of the program, but just like for me the specific witnessing of it working so well for you and seeing here is truly a person who needs a ton of sleep, who, in my life growing up experience, was not an early morning person. I'll be a disciplined person but not an early morning person. And to see you take your discipline, nature and create, recreate sort of your life schedule, like I knew that it worked because I saw it work with you already, and so I think I have a really unique draw. I have a really unique specific thing, um, and that was um, witnessing it already happening.

Speaker 1:

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Um yeah, so there's, there's proof. If anyone doubts that I am actually not a morning person, it's true, yeah.

Speaker 2:

And she does live by this, like I know that this is something you've been living by faithfully and so, seeing that that was a habit, you know, five years stuck like, not just like. Oh, this was a phase she had for a little bit.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, and now she's making money on it. That's right. Yeah, I appreciate, yeah, no, I appreciate that it's not just a money making scheme. It has actually transformed my life.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, this is actually something I've seen you use to completely switch how you live out your life, and so, yeah, it isn't just like this, like um thing. You just started for the sake of this program. You were already doing that and then you built the program out of. Maybe I could help other people with this.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I love that perspective. Thank you for that. What in the program for you was the most impactful, like when you walked away from the initial six weeks? Was there one element that especially stood out to you as impactful, especially for your stage and phase of life?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, two things come to my mind right away. Well, I will say I loved the little like podcast episodes at the beginning of the week. I think with some money buy-in, it's like okay, I'm forcing myself to sit down and take in all the information, like really maximize what I've put into this program. And so I'm really going to hear all this out, try to pull things away from it. And I think the sleep one. As far as which one, really there was some ones. As a teacher, here I am, I'm in my kingdom, right here in my classroom.

Speaker 1:

With all the skulls in the back. I love that she's a Spanish teacher. She doesn't normally just have skulls.

Speaker 2:

So I think that for me, just hearing about, like how much sleep is impacting all those other elements of your life seemingly unrelated, such as like mental health even or yeah, not that like like we know they're connected, but to hear you really break it down, that was the most impactful takeaway for me of information. And then the most impactful things I would say as far as like practical actions were knowing that I can work out in the morning, like knowing that for the six week program, every day of those six weeks, like I was able to and you know, I'm a teacher, like I said so my I have to be here at school by 7am and that is when my workday starts, so I don't have the luxury of like a 9am or a flexible schedule start time. So that means I am waking up at 5 am to make a full workout happen before my teacher day starts, and so I always just assume that's not an option that's on the table for me. And now this program empowered me to know that, like that is something that I can do, I am capable of that and I was capable of doing it well. And so you know that is something that I don't think I've never tried. I can honestly say, my whole life. I've never tried to consistently do morning workouts. I've maybe done, you know gosh, five to ten morning workouts in my whole life, just on, like certain situations, situations. And so being able just to know that it's something I'm capable of was something that I took away from me, specifically with the workout piece, because I've always thought of myself as an after work workout person. But now I know I can be a before work workout person too and that I can still do. I think I always thought that the quality of my exercise would suffer, but it didn't.

Speaker 2:

And then the other piece would be some of the journaling prompts. One of the things that you said is to like start out your journaling is like what is the thing weighing at the forefront of my mind, and I think you described it as like if you zone out for a second, what's that thing your mind, like subconsciously, is attaching to right now, like what's and that for me was really cool cook. To kind of like address, to like sit down at the beginning of the day and almost think about the day before, or even that morning already, and like when I was full of my workout and my brain was turned off while my body worked. What did my brain attach to? What was that random thing that's been slipping in my mind as I brush my teeth and then like actually writing out OK, and I feel this way, which means at the core level, I have an anxiety about this. So it's a fear. Or at the core level, oh, I'm actually sad about something that I didn't even. I didn't even I wasn't feeling sad.

Speaker 2:

But as I take the time to address this thing, I'm realizing and then pairing that with the gratitude things. You know it doesn't sound like you're walking out with just the negatives. So then putting OK, but meanwhile, something positive my mind has been drifting to recently is just like, wow, how cool that X, Y or Z I really liked those prompts. Again, like journaling isn't necessarily something new to me. A quiet time to start my day, a time of prayer those aren't new things, but those specific ways of approaching that time were really helpful with pinpointing how to pray or what to kind of like meditate on for myself that day, or a goal that I could work on for myself. And yeah, it actually led to a new goal of mine, which is identifying all of my core insecurities and finding ways to pray over them and address them, and it all goes back to Look at her go.

Speaker 2:

It all goes back to me just addressing, like, what's something that my mind, like when zoned out, subconsciously attaches to, and realizing how often it's something I can eventually trace back to an insecurity of some sort and kind of like I don't even think of myself as a person who lacks confidence and yet look at that. So yeah, definitely helping me to pinpoint productivity with that morning time, because when you're doing it and you're so tired, it's your 5.30 am brain. It's easy to like just because you checked off the box doesn't mean it was productive. So like, don't look to just put in the time, look to actually be changed with that time. And I think, giving me something really specific to do, not just like write out some generic prayer or just like have a quiet meditation on nothing Not that there's not spaces for those things, but it really helped me, I think. I think intentionality would be the word, like use that time with intentionality.

Speaker 1:

I love that and you know what you talked about. For those of you guys listening and watching. One of the things that we address in the program in that week on Emotionally Intelligent Gratitude is that at the heart of most of our uncomfortable emotions is actually fear and, like Emily was saying, with insecurity. And so I mean not shockingly my sister's taking it to another level in her life, which is amazing. But it is this idea of giving women a guide to use that time in a way that is not only scripturally based but scientifically backed, to start your day being still before the Lord, but then also using the gifts and the knowledge that we have about the body and even just the science of the brain, and rewiring some of those insecurities and fears in a way that's very countercultural, because we're actually addressing them and facing them and that is not really what we're being told to do or, frankly, even what we naturally are inclined to do, but then, like you said, we're covering it with gratitude and ultimately with God's word and prayer. So I love that, I love that perspective.

Speaker 1:

I'm curious if a friend was considering the program. So she's on earlymorninghabitcom, she's hearing what you're saying, she goes to the website, she's checking it out, but she's concerned about the time investment, the financial investment or maybe, more importantly, the potential loss of sleep, because she's already tired. What would you say to her?

Speaker 2:

Um, I think, I think, as far as the financial investment, it's so many things in one place. So, like, are you already subscribing to some kind of you know, video, workouts or gym membership? You can eliminate that and replace it with this. It actually fulfills that need. Are you already subscribed to some kind of, like mindfulness app? Or or have you paid for? Like, do you pay for um, like books about um, health and living and that kind of stuff, and like you're already putting money into these things? I would say, uh, recipe books or um, you know, how much are you paying for um health? You paying for health and lifestyle books or recipe books? Or like, if you just want to put all those things in one place, but you step back and take the time to think about it, you're already spending money on those things and this allows you to put all those things in one place An app that helps you track all of it. So, like, what are you paying for? As far as like, helping you with organization strategies? You know it's not that.

Speaker 2:

These are things you've been unwilling to put money on before, and my husband and I, when we put money on stuff like this, our take on it is always that your physical well-being is an investment that's more important than your financial investments. Not that you don't obviously be irresponsible with your financial investments, but like this is ultimately your spiritual well-being first and foremost most important investment you can make, and then, secondly, your mental health and thirdly, second and third, your mental and physical health, which are so interconnected you almost can't separate them. And so what? Like there is no thing more worth giving something a shot with your money and your time. And so I would say you know there are a lot more stupid things. You've probably spent that same amount of money on that you could very easily eliminate. You've probably spent that same amount of money on that you could very easily eliminate, and you're already spending money on those things that this app provides. So you know it is something that you have. Clearly, you know that we know is worth the money.

Speaker 2:

So, yeah, all that to say, I think the time investment piece and the sleep quantity piece, I think it's not you can't think of it as I'm losing time but rather I'm making better use of the time when I'm being productive.

Speaker 2:

And so you know, instead of. So maybe it does mean I have to go to bed a little bit earlier, but I'm cutting out of time that I was just like doom scrolling on my phone anyways, and so now I was taught by this program, you know, to keep the phone downstairs and instead of spending a half hour to an hour on the TV in my bedroom or on my phone in my bedroom, I just go to sleep right away. I realize I'm actually better off without those things and I'm using I'm waking up earlier in the morning and using that time I was wasting at night to knock out a bunch of to-do list items, and now I'm actually freed with my evenings to do other things I want to be doing without having to go to bed later. So I think it's you're not losing, losing time in your day. You're reinvesting it into, uh, more productive use of your time, more making your time more valuable for your mind and your body really, and your spirit yeah, I love that.

Speaker 1:

And for those of you listening, you're like about the sleep thing. Uh, the second second to the emotionally intelligent gratitude module, the sleep transformation has actually been the second most transformational element for community members who go through the program, meaning most people come out sleeping better. So if you are wrestling with sleep, then this is actually probably the perfect program for you. Don't be scared by the early morning part, because who cares to get up earlier if you're sleeping better? Right, yeah, right. Who cares about the time on the clock if you're sleeping better and actually feeling more energized? So I appreciate that perspective. Um, if you could describe how you felt, or your morning felt, in one word before early morning habit as compared to the transformation that you experienced after morning early morning habit. In one word, what would it be? So, for example, as you're thinking about words in your head, mine would be from chaos to calm. So I'm putting you on the spot. But what comes to mind for you?

Speaker 2:

Um, I think for me, my word for before would be wasted and my word for after would be maximized. So I think, all the times hitting the snooze button, the time spent scrolling social media when I was just living out my mornings before this program, and then realizing like, oh wait, I actually just lost a half hour to other things I could have been doing with my morning, including sleeping, if I just snooze less, I sleep more. If I scroll less, I read more, I have more time, actually intentionally, you know, preparing for my day, and so I think I just felt more like, wow, I really I took advantage of the time that I did have before. You know me as a teacher. Like getting my head in the right space is I can tell, even just in my level of patience with kids, how well I slept or how well I used my morning to like set up for the day and set my priorities. So if I, if I don't have that, it will actually follow me through the whole day.

Speaker 2:

I don't really get a whole lot of quiet time to myself here, and so I've got to take advantage of it when I do have it and you know I'm not a mother, but I am in charge of 130 angsty preteens every day, and so I know that parenthood feeling of oh, I don't get that just like time of peace to myself. And now I have to also be patient with all these needy like younger humans who are to some degree dependent on me or that I am in charge of in this moment, and so I would say I know yours is targeted really for young mothers, but I think it works equally well, especially for women in the field of education, for similar reasons.

Speaker 1:

I love that. So your transformation. Words again are what to what?

Speaker 2:

Wasted to maximized.

Speaker 1:

Love that Wasted to maximized. Love that Wasted to maximized Ladies. We would love to have you join early morning habit. It's not just a routine, it's a revival. We're getting t-shirts printed that says just that. But if you want to join early morning habit, you can check it out. There's a link in the show notes today. This is a referral link of Emily's. Click on it to sign up for the program. As a thank you, she is going to get a referral reward as a gift and just a thank you for sharing her story. Such an honor to have you in the program. It was so sweet. I promise I did not specifically pull my family into it. I was so honored when they were like sign up, sign up. So it was just that much more special to have people in my life that I've done life with in this program and being able to authentically share these strategies and hear how it's affecting your lives has been really extra special for me. So thank you so much for being here. So grateful for you.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes, thank you for having me. It's been a pleasure.

People on this episode

Head Shot

Ahna Fulmer

Host