I get up at 4.15am every day.
Yes, even on weekends.
Why?
Because it gives me three insanely precious hours where I can do whatever I want. No one is needing my attention. No one is talking to me. And no one else is awake so I don’t feel guilty that taking time for myself means someone is missing out.
What do I use those precious morning hours for?
Writing, exercise and browsing through social media. Taking time first thing in the morning means no matter how a day pans out, I’ve always managed to do the two things that are really important to my mental wellbeing (writing and exercise).
How do I get up so early?
Short answer is: I go to bed early. I try to be in bed and reading by 8.45pm most nights with lights out at 9.15pm.
Do I jump out of bed with glee each morning when the alarm goes off at 4.15am? Nope. But I wouldn’t jump out of bed with glee if my alarm was set for 7am either. It’s amazing, however, how quickly something becomes a habit once you set your mind to doing it. And habits stick when a craving is involved.
Each night when I go to bed (a bit frazzled at the moment because my three-year-old is being a bit challenging), I am craving those beautiful and peaceful morning hours, and that craving, while it doesn’t have me jumping out of bed, certainly gets me up quick smart because the alternative is zero time to myself.
You don’t have to get up at 4.15am to get the benefits of this #whitespace I’ve created for myself in the mornings. Even 30 minutes before you ‘have’ to get up is enough.
Try it – and let me know if it makes a difference to way you cope with the challenges of any given day.
P.S. You don’t have to get up early on the weekends. It works for me but I suspect it wouldn’t work for most! Start with just the weekday mornings for now!