How Waking Up First Helps Me Stay Sane
Rising with the sun is tranquil. My wake-up aim: 5:15. The morning is serene as I scamper around the house, no one else stirring until around 6:30.
It’s the calm before my other roles kick in.
As evidenced in the story Five Minutes Peace, carving time for yourself, mom or not, can be tricky. If it’s one of those days: Watch (or read) this sweet story about trying to catch 5-minutes of “me time.”
What I imagine:
The reality:
Making an effort to wake-up earlier gives me a moment to myself, thus helping me prepare for whatever life happenings pop up throughout the day. Waking up earlier, helps me stay present. Waking up early gives this introverted extrovert of a maman – me – alone time to fuel up for a day brimming with people.
Don’t give into the snooze button. Start your day earlier.
Seriously. Put the alarm across the room, push through the desire to stay horizontal, and skip to your day instead.
I swear, you’ll be thankful.
The time before anyone else is up is all mine, and sets the tone for my day, our day.
Get excited about the morning: My morning routine motivates me peel my eyes open and push through the snooze reflex. Here’s my lineup:
- Start the coffee maker. My first sip of coffee is happiness in a mug. I am so grateful for my morning coffee!
- Exercise. I do a home workout, usually three mornings. I hit the play button for Jillian Michael on DVD. Weights, yoga, kickboxing, and bootcamp are all part of my repertoire.
- Write. My creative juices flow in the a.m. The days I’m not working out, I’m writing. My goal is to write a minimum of one morning a week.
- Meditate. I have an inspirational perpetual calendar and read the daily wisdom. Then I sit in dim lighting for a few minutes, reflecting on my intentions for the day, and practicing mindful focus. These two to three minutes of quiet breathing help me center my mindset for a day full of children – at home with my girls and at school with my students.
- Check the to-do list. I use this time to mentally walk through the day, focusing on one or two personal/family to-dos for the day. What do I need/want to get done that day, outside of taking care of/being with my girls and teaching?
- Drink a glass of water. Dehydrated from sleep, I refresh with a glass of water. Then I do my Neti Pot.
I won’t lie: It is painful many mornings, especially after a Mad Men marathon, or in the dead of winter. And I don’t do it every day. I also enjoy the luxury of sleeping in, the feel of our daughters crawling into bed for a morning snuggle.
What about you? Do you start your day before everyone else? Any tips for what gets you out of bed?
Ciao.
Rudey
Rudeysroom 
One Response to “How Waking Up First Helps Me Stay Sane”
[…] usually up – carving out “me time – so she nudges my husband over and nestles in for a warm snuggle and a light […]