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!
Sadly I am up before the sun. On weekdays that would be 5:30 as I have to be at work ready to go by 7.
My husband is the producer for a radio show and has to be up between 5:15 and 5:30 every day. I get up with him to make us coffee, walk the dog, and then take my time getting ready to go to work. Most days I don’t mind being up early except he gets a nap after his show and I don’t because I work all day! Not fair, right?!?
I wake up between 7 and 7:30 because it’s when I wake up. No matter what time I go to bed or what’s going on in my life this is what time I wake up.
I’m up around 7 to get the kids off to school, but about once a month, I hightail it back to bed when they’re gone (sssshhhhh!).
My internal clock wakes me up at 5:45 am, but I stay in bed until about 6:30 am. It’s cold here in Buffalo, and I like to wait until the thermostat heats the house up to a liveable temperature.
I wake up at 630 am and always wish it was later :)
I wake up naturally between 5:30 – 6am.
I raise guide dogs for the blind and I need to get up and
let them out first thing in the morning.
I love the early mornings…I get so much done.
Thanks,
Patty
I wake up at 6:00 AM on weekdays for school. Congrats on the progress! Nothing feels better than accomplishing a goal.
i get up most weekday mornings at 4:15 to be at the gym for 5:00. i sleep in gym clothes to make it easier. i meet up with my fun and funny workout buddies, shower at gym, then go to work. i get to work on time on these days. : )
I wake up at 5:15 and need to leave by 6 to make the 45 minute commute to see my student’s “shinning” faces.
My cell phone is my alarm, and it rings across the bedroom a few times at 7:00-7:30 a.m. each morning. I usually spring to stop it and then groggily grab my goat/fuzzy boots and stumble down for a strong cup of coffee. This is the ONLY time that is ME time until I hit the gym after work. So, I want the extra time to wind down and read the news or blogs (your blog, espec) and enjoy my coffee and yummy breakfast. I have a super stressful job where people need my attention all day-so I sit back, stare up at the sunlight coming through the skylight, hold my kitty Fraus, and feel thankful for such a peaceful morning! Without this extra time for self-reflection, I would miss out on “stopping to smell the roses” (or coffee beans in my case)! PS-LOVING the Green Monsters. Thanks!
I usually wake up at 6:45 on the weekdays so that I can shower, get ready, eat a yummy breakfast and watch the Today Show before catching my train to work. Some mornings I will get up at 5:40 to fit in a run or a Jillian Michaels DVD, though. On good days :)
It depends on my school schedule, but on days when I’m off I still try to get up around 9am so I have my whole day ahead of me :)
I worked the afternoon shift 2-10 and by the time i get home and de-stress i’m usually not in bed before midnight. I usually get up at 8:00 :)
I am joining you on the early morning rise challenge. My goal time is to get up at 5:00 A.M. I have a three year old and a seven year old, and they are full of energy! So, I thought that it would be nice to wake up, have some me time, and get some things accomplished before they get out of bed. I started this challenge today; I woke up at 8:30 this morning, and I am confident that I am able to get up at 7:00 tomorrow. I usually get out of bed at about 9:00 AM, and I am dragging butt all day. Not fun.
I get up at 6:30 during the week so I can get a run in and still have time to practice my violin, and take care of e-mails before heading to my teaching studio in the afternoon. Some days are easier than others….
I never wake up until like 8:45 or 9am because I dont have to be at my first class until 11am. I could probably sleep later, but I like to check my google reader and slowly eat and enjoy my breakfast!!!
I get up just before 6am so that I can head to the gym for a great workout before work. Hard to get myself out of bed, but I am good once I’m at the gym, and GREAT once I’m working out!
I try to get up between 6 and 7 every morning. I’ve been going to bed later lately though, so it has been hard! I work out in the morning though, and if I don’t get up that early, my day ends up starting really late.
If I have to be at work at 6:30am, I am up at 5:30am. If not, I am usually up between 6-7am. I really can’t sleep in- my body is used to it now & I make breakfast in the morning for the fam. I do take a 30-45 nap/relax during the day, but stay up until 11:30-midnight.
One thing about waking up early, if you can wake up before anyone else is up and do what you want to do (ie. you’re not just trying to get ready to go and out the door), you will enjoy the quiet and efficiency. And I love being up to see the sunrise. I may be tired, but it energizes me.