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!
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 :)