3 Reasons Why I Wake up at 5AM…Even Though I Work from Home
Hello, friends! Today is our first post in a new series that I’m doing this year on my personal reflections and thoughts as a remote/work from home worker. Each month I will share one post on what is either working or not working for me in my own remote work journey.
I remember being in middle school and thinking…I will NEVER work a job that requires me to get up early. Haha, I guess that’s why Justin Bieber taught us all to never say never. Today I have the flexibility to set my own schedule…and believe it or not…I’ve started waking up at 5 am. I know, crazy, right?
I have no idea what’s happened to me. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t love waking up at 5 am, but I do love the lifestyle that it creates. Does that make sense? Probably not, so let me explain. Here are some of the positive aspects that I’ve found:
1. Putting in the Work Ahead of Time
First, I love the feeling of eating lunch and knowing that I’ve already put in 6–7 hours of work for the day. It’s priceless. It truly makes me feel accomplished in a way that I’m not sure I have felt before.
This also allows me to get my most important work done first thing in the morning. Whether you work for yourself or a company, give it a try. If you wake up at 7, try getting up an hour earlier at 6, and see how much you can accomplish in that one short extra hour. You might be surprised to find that it’s your most productive hour of the day.
If you find that you often get interrupted during the day, then this might be a great solution for you! Most people are either still in bed or at least not working between 5–7 in the morning, which means this can be valuable time to make progress without receiving incoming emails, texts, etc.
2. Extra Time In the Morning
Second, I’m able to spend time getting settled into my day before feeling the need or panic of heading straight into my work for the day. I love the feeling of knowing that most of the world is still asleep, it almost makes you feel like you’ve got a head start. And in today’s crazy world of always feeling behind or not enough, that doesn’t happen as much as it should.
I love taking a few extra minutes to savor a hot cup of coffee or plan out my day or even reflect on the day before.
Our mindset is so important, in fact, it truly sets the tone for our day. If we start the morning feeling relaxed and unhurried, it’s more likely that we will carry this attitude with us as the day progresses.
As you wake up tomorrow, this about this for yourself. How do you feel when you wake up? Are you rushed, hurried, or calm and collected?
3. I’m Sleeping Better Than Ever
Third, I’m sleeping better than I ever have before. This my friends, is a complete game changer. Why? Because I’ve struggled to fall asleep for most of my life. As a child and teenager it often took me HOURS to fall asleep, and that’s not an exaggeration. It’s always been difficult for me to fall asleep. However, now that I go to bed at 9–9:30 it only takes 5–15 minutes to fall asleep.
It seems really counter intuitive, doesn’t it? I always assumed that if I went to bed later, I would be more tired, and that sleep would come easily, but at least for me, that doesn’t work. I also find that now that I go to bed early, I feel more refreshed when I wake up in the morning. Plus, I’m not nearly as tired or groggy throughout the day. It’s truly a new experience for me.
Actions Steps:
- Experiment and find what works for you. Not everyone needs to get up at 5 AM, but don’t rule it out until you’ve at least tried it. Trying waking up earlier and see if it works for you.
- Use Your Mornings Well. Even if you don’t wake up at 5 or 6 AM, think about how you can use your mornings well. Is there a project that you’ve been wanting to start or an exercise class that you’ve always wanted to attend? Give it a go.
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