I’ve always loved taking my time in the mornings, labouring over the process of cooking my oats on the stove top and drinking my cuppa tea or coffee at a leisurely pace while musing over what the day will bring, a practice I’ve no doubt inherited from my British relatives. Until about five years ago I had my morning routine down to a fine art, sleeping in for as long as possible without having to surrender those blissful moments in the kitchen. The rest of my morning was utter chaos - racing around the house, gathering together my lunch, keys, phone - oh wait - I forgot my shoes! I would fall into my car in a heap, desperately searching for my glasses amongst the bundle of belongings I had dumped on the front seat before finally hitting the road. In a word, it was madness.
I’d be lying if I said that one day I woke up at 5am without rhyme or reason and that was all it took to convert me from chaos to calm. It didn’t. I’ve read all the same articles you have from ‘The Benefits of Waking up at Before the Sun’ to ‘How To Become a Morning Person in Thee Easy Steps’. They just didn’t resonate with me. I understood the concept, as I’m sure you all do. Step one: set your alarm. Step two: get up when said alarm goes off. How hard can it be? Ha! I’m sure I don’t have to explain that to any of you. The snooze button can make a very convincing argument at 5:15am in the morning.
Q: So, what’s the secret?
A: Find a purpose
It wasn’t until I truly started valuing my time in the morning that waking up at the prompt sound of my alarm became a whole lot easier. There was a time when I needed those extra hours to study, these days I use them to fit in my regular yoga practice or, if I’m feeling admittedly a bit ridiculous, to bake a carrot cake for my co-workers (call me crazy but when the office vibe needs a lift a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do). Waking up early is no longer a deflating task but something empowering. By 6:30am I’m already kicking goals and getting a head start on the day and I thoroughly enjoy it.
Seize or snooze the day (away) - either way, embrace the opportunity that a new day brings!
x Abbie
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