Discovering The Benefits of Waking Up Early


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As a fulltime freelancer, I’m able to set my own work schedule, allowing me to take care of errands during the middle of the day (before traffic builds up) and, yes, even sleep in as I please. Of course I have to make this up, but I don’t mind doing work in the evenings or finishing things up over the weekend.

But I’ve started to notice that on the days when I wake up at 9:30am, I start off with a bit of a panic, trying to juggle everything to get started: There’s checking my work email, checking my personal email, not to mention making breakfast and saying good morning to Michael. It’s like having to rush and catch up from the moment I swing out of bed.

At the same time, I read a handful of blogs by stay-at-home moms who talk about everything from cleaning to crafting to childrearing. Lately? They’ve all been talking about their routine of waking up early. Which encouraged me to set my alarm clock and wake up at 7:30am. (And to think, I used to have to be at work at 7:30am!) The thing is, though it’s nice to have a full night’s rest, I know that I only need about 7 hours.

And waking up early--though it’s difficult to climb out of a warm bed and leave my sweetly slumbering husband--has been refreshing and allowed me to ease into my day, leisurely checking emails and catching up on blog reading, making a to-do list before settling into my work. I think--for now, at least--I’m an early-morning convert.


7 comments:

  1. Carmen, I love it! I get up at about 4:50 which is probably 20 or 30 minutes earlier than I have to get up, but I have learned to LOVE it. If I have time, I throw in some laundry so it is drying by the time I leave (Tim is still home so there's no danger in leaving a dryer going unattended), I'll wipe down the bathroom really quickly or even load/unload the dishwasher.

    If I'm REALLY lucky, I have one of those mornings that reminds me of Gilmore Girls...coffee...leisurely strolling to my car, etc. This happens ONCE in a blue moon...haha. In my opinion, it's worth it. Sometimes, I get back in bed, cuddle with Tim and say some extra morning prayers.

    I heart running early. I love that you are getting UP when I am getting to work. :) It makes me laugh!

    Keep it up, Carmen! You can do it!!!!!

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  2. Me too! I get up early to work on my blog. I have a whole routine down now that I love. I get so much done before I even really start the day.

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  3. I'm still trying to figure out a little routine and what works best for me, but it has been SO nice to ease into my day and be able to check things off my list from the get-go. I've even started making my to-do list the night before.

    I just read a passage in a book today about a woman in the 1800s who started her day at 4am and didn't go to bed until 11pm. I have a LONG way to go until I become that productive with my time!

    <3 for Gilmore Girls!!

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  4. this also will making adjusting to having kids much easier for you. Hendrix is a great sleeper at night, but he gets up at 7:30 on the dot every day. I've finally stopped resenting that fact and embracing my extra time with God in the morning!

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  5. Haha, good point, Jessica. Thanks for looking out for me. That's what I'll have to tell myself when my alarm goes off--at least it's not a crying child!

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  6. Still trying to make peace with my little ones waking up before the sun. Thanks for the positive spin on mornings!

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  7. I found the best way to wake up early was to make it a challenge. Here is what I did:

    http://keystooptimalliving.com/6-am-challenge-the-benefits-of-waking-up-early/

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