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 wake up between 7 and 9 depending on the day. 7, because I have an 8am class, 8 is when I normally wake up, and 9 if I try to sleep in.
i wake up between 5:30 and 6 just cus i like an early start to my day ! the day seems longer that way!
I have been dying to try Chia Seeds!!!
I have not been working until recently, so I usually got up around 9. Since my work schedule varies I get up at different times. I am trying to start waking up early, so I have time to myself before work.
5:15 am… My husband and I both teach at the same high school, early in, but a 2:20 clockout time. Can’t beat it!
I get up three days each week at 5:15am to make my 6am yoga class. It isn’t always easy, but because I get to go do something that I love, I’m much more motivated to hop out of bed before the the crack of dawn.
I am up way early…5 AM every day and usually by 7 on the weekends. I get so much done before most people are out of bed. The bonus…I get a little me time too.
I am so digging chia seeds right now!
I get up at 6 a.m. because I have to – kids – they know not how to sleep late!
I usually get up around 7, sometimes earlier, sometimes later. On weekends, I like to let myself sleep as much as my body needs!
Hey Ang!
I wake up at about 5:25 on weekdays because I am a member and vice president on the Triathlon Club at my university. I love getting the work out in, in the morning and although early mornings are tough (especially in univeristy with all that work :P) I love that I’m working out and training with a great group of people. Knowing I’m not the only one jumping into a cold pool or hopping on the spin bike makes it all the more easier to get up and make sure I get to bed at a decent time!!
I get up at 5:00-5:30 because I am a college student with class at 7:30 or 8:00 and I like to get homework done and have plenty of time to shower and eat breakfast before that.
I try to wake up at around 8 during the week so I can get to the gym before work on days that I have to go in later (about 3 days a week). On days I have to go in earlier I usually don’t make it to they gym but I’m going to try and change that this year!
I get out of be at 6 AM to workout, except on days like today when I forgot to reset mu alarm and did not get up until 6:45 and had to go get ready for work!
I would love to try some chia seeds! I wake up around 7 everyday. I usually workout in the evenings so that I don’t have to wake up too early. I’m not a morning person!
On my weekday running days, I get up at 4:45 so I fit in a good 30-45 minute run. I like to be at work by 7-7:30 to get a headstart on the day before everyone else starts trying to steal my time.
On non-running days, I get up at 5:30.
On weekends, I just sleep unti I wake up! :-) Usually about 7am.
6:10 to go to work. I used to get up at 5:15 to swim, but I found it too draining.
4:30AM so I can get to the gym by 5 to either swim or run….then in the shower by 6:15 and on the road by 6:40….I have it timed to a science :)
Thanks for the green monster idea btw. It is a great early morning pick me up :)
I wake up at 4 M-F and by 7 on the weekends, so I can run and eat breakfast before I have to be at work at 7:15. It took a little getting used to but after a couple weeks it becomes natural. Now my dog barks at me, imitating my alarm clock, at 5 am if I oversleep!
i usually wake up either a 5am for spin class or 5:45am to get a good workout in first thing!
8 am on the dot — i dont even need an alarm clock!
As a college student, I usually wake up around 8am (much earlier than all of my housemates!!). This allows me to relax, get ready, read blogs, and make a big bowl of oats before I leave for me 9:30 class. Everyone else thinks I’m crazy, especially since most people stay up until at least 1am, but I love my mornings!!