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.
[Source]
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 work 35 minutes away from home and have to be there by 6 am, so I wake up bright and early by 4:15-30. Its not to bad but I certainly have to do my workouts in the afternoon which isnt to hard because I get off work at 2 pm. Im a morning person anyways so I love having the extra time in the afternoons!
Hi
I get up at 4:30 a.m each day for work. It is kinda hard- I go to bed early. On weekends, I am up by 7- I don’t like to throw off my sleep cycle too much.
P.S. I do my electric shutdown an hour before bed- have you read Spent– great book, great recs for sleepytime.
Thanks, Lisa
I wake up at 5 for my morning run during the week
I wake up several times (I love my snooze button!) between 5:00 and 5:30. The latest I can sleep is 5:45 and then I’m rushing around to get ready and make it to work on time.
I get up around 8 – gotta be sure to have plenty of time to shower, stretch, get a nice & filling breakfast before my classes ;)
I wake up around 7:30am to get my dad’s breakfast ready (I like to help him streamline his mornings as much as possible) and pack his lunch for the day. I like that having to do this keeps me on a schedule, but I do hope to try to get up earlier to get a morning workout in, if I can.
I wake up at around 7 every day in order to be at work at 8, but I am also trying to wake up earlier. I’m aiming for 6-6:30. I’m not sure that I could wake up earlier than that though!
I wake up at 5am, regardless of the day. I find it easier to maintain the same schedule through the weekends. You would be amazed how quick and easy it is to get groceries at 6am on a Saturday or Sunday! I love it!
I wake up week day mornings at 6:30 am to get ready for work. On the weekends, I am more inclined to sleep in closer to 8 since I go to bed a bit later on the weekends. I do not use the alarm on the weekends–soooo nice!
i’m up at 630 to get the little one up for preschool and to get to the cubicle on time! :)
I wake up at 5:25 AM on weekday mornings so I can give myself time in the morning before leaving for work to get ready and then sit down and eat my oatmeal. I don’t like having to rush around in the morning, so even though my work bag, lunch and snacks are packed, and my clothing is set out I still wake up early.
When I have to work, I get up at 5:00, but when I don’t, I usually naturally wake up around 7:00…I guess my internal clock is tuned to the Early Show, which I love to watch!
Wow, 4:45 to 5:00 AM? That is such a baker’s schedule! :)
I also have to use a space heater to warm up my room in the AM. I find that I allow myself to sleep in a bit if necessary, even though I do use an alarm clock (but will turn it off if I’m too tired–sorta defeats the purpose!). I actually prefer to get up really early (more like 5:45 than 4:45), but because of my hubby’s schedule, I go to bed later than I’d like, so I usually sleep until 6:45 or even 7:00. But I’m aiming to get back to the earlier schedule!
I get up at different times depending on school. The earliest is 6:15am and the latest is 11:15! I probably should try to wake up at the same time everyday though. My sleep schedule has been affected by the holidays too!
Great tips!
I get up anywhere between 6-8 AM during the week. Hubby hits snooze a lot LOL
I get up between 5:30 & 6:00 a.m. because I have 2 kids to get to school and I have to be at work by around 8:00 ish. I don’t like to rush around in the mornings.
I’m a morning person, so I normally get up around 5:15 to work out. I like being the first one up in my house…I snuggle my kitties, make coffee and enjoy the feeling of accomplishing at least ONE major thing before going to work!
I wake up at the horrible time of 4:15 AM on most weekdays. I have to be at work early, and if I plan on getting a workout/run in before work, I have to wake up at that time!
Wow, so many replies already! Those chia seeds are a hot commodity!
I get up between 5 and 5:15 every morning. I take the dog for a walk right away, and then have a longer commute to get to work. So it’s early to bed, early to rise for me!
6:30-7:30 depending on work or class. I like being up early so I’m never rushing around! :)