HEY-LO!!!!
Wow two posts a day, two days in a row. It feels like the good old days. I told you that my blogging was much quicker now! Thank you Eric, techie genius. ;)
I feel literally ah-may–ZING since I have started NOT multitasking and the Early Rising Challenge. I have an extra kick to my step. I can’t wait to see what I feel like in a few weeks if this has only been a few days. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, so that is what I am shooting for.
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Some of you have been asking me how I am getting up early so I thought I would talk about it a bit tonight and tell you what has worked for me so far.
Here are some of my Early Rising Challenge tips:
- GET WARM: If your place is like mine, it is freezing when you wake up. The walk from the bedroom to the bathroom is the most painful thing I experience all day. COLD. I have found that it is much easier to get out of bed if my fluffy robe and slippers are beside the bed. As soon as I get up the robe and slippers go on and I instantly feel a bit (bit) better about getting up. I also have a small space heater in our bathroom that I immediately turn on when I get up. I look forward to the warmth and I stand beside it for a few minutes while I brush my teeth. These little rewards add up in the early morning!
- WAKE UP NATURALLY WHEN POSSIBLE: I don’t use an alarm clock. I have this strange internal clock that I can ‘set’ before bed and I magically awake for that time. I prefer not using an alarm clock because it means that I am more likely to wake up at the end of a sleep cycle– and not being jolted awake in the middle of one! This method is not for everyone of course (i.e., my hubby). If you can’t go without your alarm clock, I suggest putting it across the room so you have to get out of bed to turn it off.
- CAFFEINE: I will bulldoze anything in my path to get to the kettle in the morning to make my Japanese Sencha. It has just enough caffeine to wake me up and energize me. While I don’t suggest consuming massive quantities of caffeine, I think a little bit is nice!
- GET YOUR ENDORPHINS: If you are going to the trouble of getting up early you might as well cross off your workout while you are at it! I feel ‘ok’ after 15 mins. of rising, but I feel especially AMAZING after an early morning workout. I will be honest though, the first 10 minutes of my workout are often brutal and I feel like I have no energy, however after 10 minutes I magically wake-up and it goes pretty well. When I workout in the early morning I have half a Glo Bar or a Run bar to tide my hunger over until breakfast, which is usually 1-1.5 hours later (after workout and showering).
- REWARD YOUR SUCCESS- TWICE! I want a morning reward and a weekly reward for my hard work! My morning reward is having more time for a relaxing, delicious breakfast. I also spend a bit more time reading fun blogs or reading my book. For my weekly treat, I was thinking giving myself ‘permission’ to buy a special item at the grocery store that I typically don’t buy. Nothing motivates me more than good food! ha!!! ;)
- BE FLEXIBLE: A reader named Ariel gave me this great tip. She says to be flexible with the goal time that you set for your early morning. So for example, if Ariel’s goal time is 5am, she won’t be hard on herself if she gets up at 5:30 on some mornings. We have to take into account the fact that some days we will just need more sleep than others and that is OK! Be flexible with yourself and you will be less stressed and happier (this applies to all areas of life too!).
I was asked if I have a ‘goal time’ for the Early Rising Challenge.
The answer is YES.
You know me, I need goals to strive for in everything that I do. I find they are so motivating. My goal is 4:45-5am wake-up time, and a more realistic goal is probably 5:30am, given Eric’s sleep schedule and the fact that I do need to spend quality time with him in the evening! :) I can’t see myself going to bed much earlier than 10pm, but maybe that will change with the earlier mornings. Baby steps…
All in all it is only day two of the challenge and I am already feeling so much more productive and overall much happier. That is in part thanks to my NOT multitasking too! My life is feeling more simplified with each passing day and I am really excited to keep at it and see what benefits I get from it.
Would you like a chance to win a 2 pound bag of CHIA SEEDS from Chia Seeds Direct?
Just answer this simple question below:
- What time do you get up in the morning during the weekdays and WHY!
Contest open to Canadian and US residents only please. Runs until Friday Jan 15th at 8am.
BONNE CHANCE MES AMIES!
See you tomorrow AM for Pumpkin Pie Baked Breakfast Cake.
I’m off to do Whittle My Middle 2 with Eric, then make some din dins. Ta-ta!
I am up between 6 and 6:30 everyday of the week to start my day. I have no choice… the kiddies are raring to go.
zest
I wake up between 4:30 and 4:45 during the work week because if I don’t make it to the gym early, I will find a million excuses to not go after work! It gives me time to wake up and helps me to feel energized to start my day :)
I get up at 6 a.m. I’ve had an internal alarm clock since I was a teenager and I always wake up then. It used to be for figure skating practice in the winter, and farm work in the summer. Now I use my internal alarm clock as motivation to get to the gym before work.
7:00 on weekdays – because of work. I have a very difficult time going to bed early because of my boyfriend’s schedule! I would love to get on an earlier to bed/earlier up schedule… might have to discuss that… :)
During the week I wake up by 6-7 am! this is usually for class, and even on my later days my body naturally gets up then! bummer !
My internal alarm clock goes off at 4am, but I usually get up around 5am. Mornings are my “me” time. Of course, because I’m in grad school right now, this can vary depending on how late I am up writing my thesis. :) But, I usually have 8am office hours for my assistantship, so I am usually out of my house by 7am regardless.
I get up between 8:30 and 9:30… since I’m unemployed now and have night classes, it’s not necessary to get up SO early, but I find that if I don’t push my tuckus out of bed before 9:30, I’m in serious danger of revisiting my high school ability to sleep til noon!
It took me a really long time to actually get used to waking up early. I have always been a night owl, and would change my schedule a while for school or work – but would eventually fall back into old patterns the minute I had a chance to sleep in. Now, I wake up at 545a or 6a almost everyday (sometimes earlier if I have to be to work super early – like 5a). I usually do not have to be to work until 8a, but I like to have time in the morning to drink my coffee and catch up on things and just relax. Sort of the cam before the storm. I still cannot exercise in the mornings – my body just will not have it – but I do love my quiet time in the morning :)
Hi Angela!!! I try to get up at 6:00 to spend some QT time with the hubby before he heads to work. He works super late, so I typically don’t get to see him in the evening:(
I’ve been reading your website for a few months(this is my first comment…took my awhile to muster the courage!!) and love it! Thank you for all your inspiration!
Hi Angela! I have also been on an early wake up starting this week. I used to get up at 7:30 am. Now I am getting up between 6:30 – 6:45. I like the extra time and I get to spend it with my hubby and help him get a healthy breakfast and lunch ready. Julie B.
Wow, there are a lot of early risers here! I don’t get up til 7:30 or 8:00 when the kids get up.
I am NOT a morning person! But then again, I don’t work typical office hours. I wake up anytime between 7-10. I set my alarm for 11:30 which is the absolute latest I can sleep and still have time to get ready for the day and leave for work but I’m usually up before it. If I do sleep in til 10, I just see it as my body needing sleep… I also don’t go to bed until after 11 most nights either…. Your 4:45 AM wake up sounds CRAZY to my ears, haha.
I get up at 4:45 to do the yoga workout “Inhale” on television at 5:00!
I wake up between 7 and 7:30, sometimes 8. Definitely not super early, but I LOVE waking up early and getting so much accomplished and then seeing that it’s only 9am and I still have the whole day ahead of me :)
I get up @ 6:30 to enjoy “my time” before I wake up my daughter and get her going for school. Thanks for the chance to win. I’ve been wondering where to get these!!
Angela,
I wake up at 8:00am everyday to see my husband before he goes to work and be alone with him & before my 3 year old opens her beautiful eyes.
I’m up at 5:45 to shower and get ready for work before my son wakes up (or gets woken up) at 6:30. That gives us enough time to get him ready, a little snack, a little play time and out the door by 7:00. I have always been a morning person. Even in college, I would be at the library by 7:00 AM and out by 7:00 PM at the absolute latest. I love my evenings free.
I love that you are so excited about getting up early!
Before the last week or two, I would get up at 8 to leave at 8:30 am.
This was SO frustrating and I’d leave EVERY day feeling rushed and frumpy and awful.
My boyfriend and I have been starting the “early rising sleep challenge” as well, and we’ve gotten down to getting up at 6:30 am (this morning was a sleep in a little later day though).
My goal is 5:30am-6am.
:)
I get up at 7 to get my daughter ready for AM kindergarten and then take her to school. It is hard for both of us-she’s a sleeper like me. But I know most adults get up earlier than that, especially adults that have small kids.
7am for class!
I want to take the Early-Morning Challenge with you! With my kids now in school, my only hope of a regular workout is to start getting up at what I previously would have considered an absolutely un-Godly hour of the morning. I’m shooting to be on my treadmill by 5:30am. I could definitely use some Chia Seeds to give me the energy to stick by this goal!! Thank you for the opportunity and keep up the great work!
I definitely need to implement some wake-upchanges. I am up by 6:30AM usually so I can start working/get the kids going but on weekends sleep in until 7 or 7:30! I am so impressed with your challenges you set for yourself, love your blog!
I get up between 3:45 and 4:00. My wife gets up with me and we do 15 minutes of core exercises and then I get ready for work. I am usually out of the house and on my one hour commute by 4:30. I need to use an alarm clock but many many times, my eyes fly open one minute before the alarm buzzes me into reality.
I wake up at 4:40 so I can get in a workout before saying good morning to my kiddos and heading out the door to teach 22 first graders. My family thinks I am nuts but I find the peace very energizing. Not that a treadmill is quiet but you know what I mean. I come up with some of my best lesson plans during that time! BTW, my class had been having a hard time accepting the food choices of others so I told them about the Green Monster. They wanted to know why it was called that so I told that it was green and “monserously” good for the brain. They are now requesting a recipe which I will be e-mailing out in my next class newsletter!
I’m currently rising at 7:00 am, but I’d like to start getting to bed earlier to see if I can lower that – I feel way too rushed some mornings and it doesn’t set a good tone for the rest of the day.
My hubby and I are up at 4:55 am on weekdays. I pack our healthy lunches and b’fasts. He takes care of the dogs. We load up the car with our clothes and head to the Y all by 5:30 am. We both get in our workouts, shower and head into work!
I am up at 6am almost everyday. With a 5 yr old and a 17 month old.
I am up at 5:30am. It’s quiet, I have a routine, and it generally prepares me mentally for the rough days ahead. (No work day is less than 15 hours).
I hit the treadmill three evenings a week, and the personal trainer 2 days a week to loosen up from work!
My time is the morning, even though I would not call myself a ‘morning person’.
I’m in graduate school so my schedule varies every day. I’d say I get up between 7-830 during the week and try to sleep in on Fridays as much as possible ;-). I am so not a morning person but have gotten much more used to it since starting graduate school… still doesn’t mean I enjoy it!
I wake up anywhere from 7:30-9:30, depending on my bedtime. In high school, I LOVED waking up early, but I found that in going to bed early in college is close to impossible! So true about the warmth thing, though…I’ve found I can never convince myself to leave a warm bed if the room is freezing!
I don’t have to physically get out of bed until 6:40 or so, but…i’m weird…and i like to set my alarm for about 5:57, so I can wake up and say “YES! I have almost an hour left to sleep!”. Is this logical? no? Should I just set my alarm for 6:40, and work in the extra few minutes I spend turning off the alarm, repeating above statement, and hitting the pillow once again? Most definitely…but I don’t, and i fear I probably never will. But, what can ya do?!?! Everyone has their quirks, right?!?!?
I wake up at 5 a.m. This is the latest possible time that I can get up in order to eat breakfast, exercise, shower, and make it to work on time.
I wake up at 5:50 so i can get ready for work without rushing. I like to make sure I have plenty of time to eat and mess around on the computer before work. I have to leave my apartment at 7:10 and it only actually takes me about an hour to get ready so that leaves me with 20 minutes of “Me time”!
I get up at 5:45 in the morning to go to my favorite kickboxing class! It kicks my butt and is a great way to start my day.
On the weekdays, it depends on whether I’m working or going to class that day. I tend to get up at 6:00-6:30 a.m., but now that it’s been FRIGID outside, I curl up in my bed until I absolutely have to leave for work or class.
On the weekends, I get up around 7:30-8:00. I love sleeping in, but who wants to waste a weekend in bed? I’ve got miles to run or bike!
Unfortunately my schedule varies every day. I try to be up at 7ish most days to get my day going and I would love to wake up earlier. But it seems like I’m still tired even though I’m going to sleep at 11 and waking up at 7. Some nights I don’t even get home from work until 10:45! Yikes.
During the week I’m either up at 5:30 am or 6:30 am, depending on the day. M/W/F it’s 5:30 am, as I have a class at 8 am, while T/Th it’s 6:30 am so I can make my 9:30 am class. I am NOT a morning person, and would not get up until at least after 7am if I had any choice.
i get up at 515 to workout because as hard as it is, its harder when i get home from work
I get up at 4:45 am to work out!
I have to say – the whole internal alarm clock thing baffles me! Mine is the same way. I am almost freaked out by it. If I say I’m waking up at 6 instead of 4:45,’ I’m up at 5:59!! So crazy!!
I get up at 6 o’clock every morning so that I can have 30-45 mintues of me-time to read blogs and watch the AM news before I start showering, etc. I’ve never been one to jump straight in the shower!
I get up at 6:40 because I have class or work at 9 a.m. and I like to get in a nice and easy morning run, with time to recover before my practice in mid-afternoon!
I’m so inspired to try something earlier but right now we all get up about 7:45! Yikes I think sometimes, wow up at 5 imagine the run I can get in by 7:45!!
hi Angela! Well currently I get my achy joints out of bed at 6:30 am to get the kiddos up and ready for school. I SOOOO agree that being warm really helps with early rising. With my Rheumatoid Arthritis it is so important for me to stay warm! I only have to tell the kids to get up about a zillion times!
I think what might help me get up even earlier is the smell of one of your yummy breakfast cakes baking in the oven! I have yet to try them but I cannot wait!
I am up between 4:30 and 5 every weekday…have to be at work at 6:30. It sounds bad, and some days it is, but it is nice to get off work earlier!
On Mon,Wed, Fri I’m up at 5:00 a.m. b/c I go to an early morning bootcamp class. On Tues/Thurs. I get up @ 6:00 b/c that’s when the hubby gets up to get ready for work.
Japan has put my sleep schedule out of whack!…but I have to wake up at 5:20a.m. to walk 45 minutes to the train station…in the snowy/blustery/nasty mornings- all after spending each night at the gym from 8:30-11pm. No sleep, no sanity and I hate it. But, I do feel great after a long workout!!! However, Japan should invest in some decent membership plans so I can go earlier in the day without it costing a fortune! And maybe the trains should run later than 9:30p.m. so I can sleep in my own bed and not on a friends couch in another city…ok that’s my rant- haha. I sure would love those chia seeds :) And 8 hrs of sleep. Dream big, right?!
I love your blog Angela- truly an inspiration!!! Keep it up!
p.s. I know you said available to U.S. Residents- AND I AM!!! :) So, if I do win, I’ll be home in the U.S. to graciously accept it!!!! haha
I get up between 5:30AM and 6AM every morning even on the weekends!
I get up around 7-also using my “internal alarm clock”. I get up at this time every day, even when I don’t have anything scheduled, because I like to maintain my sleep schedule!
Hi Angela,
I have a green tea question for you. I’ve been making a green tea first thing in the morning with one tea bag. During the day I top up my cup with cold water instead of drinking the water plain.
I use the same tea bag all day and the brew obviously gets weaker and weaker but I still enjoy the taste!
Do you think this is ok to do? I’m just thinking that drinking green tea all day might be too much tea/caffeine, but if it’s the same bag does it negate the over caffeination factor?
I drink probably two litres of green tea (same tea bag all day) and one to two litres of plain water per day.
Thoughts?
ABB
My workdays which are Mon,Wed,Fri and Sat I have 4 alarms going off at different times.So I’ll rarely wake up with the first one at 5:55am but usually after the 3rd one at 6:45am :-) The other 3 days I wake up whenever the heck I feel like it…much better days :-)
I wake up anywhere between 6-8. I work twice a week so I wake up at 6 those days and I`m home with my two year old the other days- when she decides to get we get up! I`d like to aim for 6 every day though.
I’m really glad you are continuing this and telling us how awesome you feel. I’m kind of having a crappy day, and I tried the no multitasking and it didn’t work and now I’m just giving up on everything (ie homework) and watching a movie
Alarm goes off at 6:20 – hubby brings me coffee at 6:40. That’s the only way we canget out the door by 8:15!
I set my alarm for 5:43 on weekdays and am out the door at 6:10 to catch the 6:16 bus to the gym across the street from my office downtown. I shower and get ready at the gym every morning. It’s annoying to lug all of my stuff including business formal attire to work everyday but it’s worth it when I get to go right home after work!
i wake up every day at 5:30am so i can be at the gym by 6:30-7. I don’t need to be up this early, but I LOVE having the whole day and i have SO much energy in the morning.
i have always said chia seeds are nature’s red bull. I would LOVE some, as my stash is pretty much gone at the moment.
I am up at 6 so I can hit the gym before I hit the schoolbooks all day! What can I say, my life is a par-tayyyyyy.
I get up around 7 when my hubby gets up, have breakfast, workout then job hunt. bleh!
6:00 to make it to work by 8:00!
I get up @ 7:30 – I sleep until the last possible minute!
I wake up at 5:30 so that I can go to the gym before my 15 month old daughter wakes up. Don’t worry, her Daddy is home with her. We are out the door by 7:20 to get to daycare. My mornings are a bit rushed =D
I am up by 6:30 to get milk in a cup for my son! I can’t go into his room without it and I hate trying to pour it while he’s crying…so sad.
I try to keep a regular schedule. On weekdays, I wake up before 7am (usually about 6:30) and on weekends before 8:00am
Congrats on your progress with getting up earlier each morning. It’s SUPER hard. I used to get up at 5:30 during the summer to get in a run before the temps went into the mid-80s. Now that it’s dark and winter, I tend to get up more around 6:30. But you’ve inspired me to try for earlier starting tomorrow. I go to bed at a reasonable time each night, so I feel like I’m wasting at least an hour of productive time I could use for — well — blogging or even shifting my runs to the mornings (despite the frigid temps).
<3
I like to get up at 5:55 to hit the gym before work. If I’m being lazy though I will stay in bed until 6:30, have a leisurely morning before work and then exercise after work.
I am lucky enough to be able to set my own schedule in the mornings; I’ve lately randomly set my alarm at 7:40 but I’m most productive and happy with my day if I get up at 6:30. Guess I’ll have to get to bed a bit earlier!!!
I’m up at 5:15 (in bed by 9!) to walk my dog, make my breakfast/lunch, and go to to work. I love being in bed early with the heating pad and a good book!
I wake up btw 5:45-6:15 each day in effort to start my commute to work 45min later. I too wake up sans alarm. I really think waking up to a buzzing electric alarm clock is quite easily the most jarring disruptive way to start your mind and body for the day.
Sweet dreams all!
I wake up at 6:30 so I have a few minutes to myself before I have to get the kiddos out of bed at 7. I am trying to whittle that back to 6:00 but am going in baby steps :)
My goal is 4:45-5:00 AM every day. I like to get to gym when it opens (5AM) because not only is it way less crowded, but I get to make my workout my first priority of the day!
I’m a super early 4:30am riser. That’s the only time I can force myself to workout, and that’s when I have to get up to get to work on time!
I get up a little before 6 AM so that I can exercise, shower and be at work by 730 AM. I like to get to work early and then get to leave at 430 PM…so that I can get back into my kitchen and cook away :)
I’m not in a good schedule right now (job searching), but ideally I would be up at 6am and in bed by 10 :)
Typically between 5 and 5:30 so that I can go to the gym before work! It’s especially difficult when it’s dark, as in the winter, but always worth it!
I get up at 6:50 for work now but I would love to get up at 6 and workout first thing.
I like to get up at 6 so I can get in a run before heading to class. It wakes me up and makes my oatmeal taste SO much better. I love eating something warm after a run in the cool winter weather. I’ve always bounced out of bed though, I love to see the sunrises!
I have been getting up at 7, but that is because I am unemployed. I really prefer to get up earlier!
I get up and out of bed at 8am on weekdays.
Why? Because I stay up too darned late!!
Ideally I’d be up around 6ish and getting a nice sweat session in before work!
I usually get up at 6AM since I have class most days of the week at 8AM…i like to have an hour at home to get ready, make breakfast and read blogs and them my commute is an hour