Lately a lot of my clients have been asking me questions about why I wake up so early or how to get into a better rhythm now that lockdown is eating up.
My own routines have been a mess between lockdown, home schooling and prior to that having had a baby (and all the joys of feeds at crazy o'clock).
With needing to get my own head back in the game - I looked back to when I was at my best and the very idea of what I was doing.... made me cringe!
Here I was 4st heavier and waking up at whenever o'clock - remembering waking up at 4am to go to the gym ....back home for 6.45 to get the kids off to school for 8.30 - work for 9 and was arriving early at that!
Doing a 9-5 and back in reverse to do dinner, baths, books bed and even back to the gym some days). before bed or studying.
Truth is.... I had more energy, slept great, was in great form and felt amazing then.
Sat in my onesie imagining it all was awful but this year on the 4th April I paid my gym membership ahead of time for the 12th when they re-opened and started back at it.
So why get up so early???
Here's a few reasons and tips why:
1. Start as you mean to go on!
Wake-up and greet the day.
How you do this is entirely up to you.
For some people this will mean with gratitude; grateful you are awake and breathing etc whereas for others that will mean having a look out of the window and smiling at the world.
For me it’s all of the above and some affirmations courtesy of YouTube followed by my favourite music.
2. Get up!
Playing the “press snooze for 5 minutes” for 30 minutes is out!
Get out of bed!! Stretch and get moving.
Avoid laying in bed with dread, thinking and over-thinking and stalling the day.
Instead of that last minute and crazed rushing about – start the day relaxed at nice pace and enjoy the process.
3. You Time. Waking before everyone else gives you a lovely moment of freedom and peace.... no kids, cars, no calls, no yelling and hunting for a matching pair of socks or football kits, laptop leads etc....just quiet peace.
For me this also means sneaking off to the gym while it’s lovely and quiet at 5am or so and then get a massage in the hydro chair before going back home.
4. Ok so I’m a super food so it’s true to say I enjoy making food that tastes great and worse I eat with my eyes so it has to look great too.... but another perk of waking early is having the extra time to make a good breakfast.
No poptarts or half a piece of toast or breakfast biscuits (picture me giving a judgemental side-eye) actual breakfast!!
I’m a total hypocrite by the way! I’m either fasting until lunch time or brunching (having just the odd breakfast here and there). But for those of you who eat breakfast before noon.... you’ll have time to AND to enjoy it!
5. Exercise.
There is no better time to exercise than first thing in the morning!! Brings clarity, gets the heart pumping but also gives you a lot of calm (afterwards) gets the blood and metabolism going and is great for stress, anxiety and depression relief too!
6. Got goals? No better time to review them and plan for them and do your goal tasks than first thing.
Productivity blossoms in the act of getting things done and sooner rather than later.
Starting important things early means you have time to focus on them as you have the rest of the day (if you need it) but also more time to enjoy your loved ones knowing the tasks are out of the way early.
7. Appointments. Book your appointments earlier in the day and then also show up early too. Gives you time to get any thoughts and feelings in check but also its a great reflection of you to whoever you’re meeting. If you need a little extra prep time you can do that all while there already and not have to rush.
How to make it Happen:
• Go Easy:
Start by waking just 15-30 minutes earlier than usual and increase the time gradually until you get to your goal time.
• Sleep Routine:
Get into bed earlier and read or listen to something rather than watching TV. Train yourself to wind down.
If you’re anything like me you enjoy staying up late but it takes its toll eventually... training yourself away from being overly exhausted, watching TV or surfing the net will give you better quality sleep.
• Make it fun:
Although it might seem that you’re forcing yourself - soon you will look forward to waking up early. A good reward is to make a hot cup of coffee or tea or a delicious smoothies, do that fancy hair style or make up or whatever you would have loved to do if you had that extra time....because now you do!!
What will you do with that extra time and energy?
If you're struggling to get some " get up and go" grab a planner over at the store or book a no obligation consultation call to help get your days shaped up ...link is here
https://calendly.com/samatthecoachth
