Mornings – you either adore them or despise them. The night owls among us often scratch their heads at the early birds catching the worms and are curious about how they do it. These 15 members of an online community share their morning secrets!
Avoiding Traffic
This is some smart thinking because nothing puts a damper on your morning like rush-hour traffic. One user said, “By 6:30 AM, there is already gridlock on the way to work. I go in early and get off early, beating the rush hour traffic both ways.” A peaceful commute is worth getting up earlier for.
Cat Tactics
Many of us have four-legged friends who act as our personal alarm clocks when they need food or to go potty, or just because.
“My cat practices an Olympic-level vault routine with my chest as the springboard,” one user shared. Another could relate: “Because the dog wakes me up, needs to go out, and instantly wants breakfast.”
Extra Cry Time
“My job is an hour away and I still need about an hour to cry in the shower.” Another user said, “Boss gets a dollar, I get a dime. That’s why I cry on company time!” Hopefully, these guys were just joking!
Age
It’s true that the older we get, the earlier our body clocks seem to set themselves. “As a teenager, I could sleep all weekend. From about 30, I never needed an alarm clock as I would always wake up before I needed to. At around 40, I started waking up around 0630, which gets earlier every year. I’m now almost 60 and am generally awake around 0430 and up and running by 0500, regardless of how late I go to bed.”
Light
Daylight savings time (as well as chirping birds) often play a part in early rising and shining. “I’m a light sleeper and naturally wake up from the light. Also, once I’m awake, it’s very difficult for me to fall back to sleep.”
Time for some blackout curtains, we think!
It Just Happens
Many users didn’t have any secrets or top tips. Early rising is just how they roll.
“Can’t help it. I naturally wake up around then. I like it tbh, everyone else is mostly asleep, too, so it’s a peaceful way to enjoy a coffee and wake up at your own pace.”
Workout
Many of us work nine to five, and the thought of a packed gym after a long day at work isn’t very appealing. The solution? Get up an hour earlier.
“5:30 workout class before the day starts is the only way I seem to be able to tackle exercise, work, and kids successfully in one day.”
Another user shared her routine: “I go swimming before work. It’s the only me-time I get.”
Kids
Many of you will be surprised you had to scroll this far! Rugrats – who needs an alarm when they’re around?!
“Mine woke up every day at 5 am sharp during the baby stage. Now that they are getting older, they sleep till 6-6:30, but I’ve been conditioned to wake up at 5 with or without an alarm. Doesn’t matter if I go to sleep at 10 pm or midnight, 5 am wake up call.”
Me-Time
We all have busy lives and sometimes it’s hard to grab a minute to ourselves. “I like the quiet and alone time of the early morning… allows a couple of hours of doing what I want and no one interrupting or distracting me. Allows me to set the pace of the day also, slow and steady, and take my time rather than rushing around. The absolute best is just sipping my coffee in peace and quiet though.”
Military
Anyone who has ever served will undoubtedly relate! One user shared this: “Years of the army that had me on site by 5 or 6 am. After so many decades, you just get programmed to be up. Now I’m in my 50s. I have a job I can work from home that doesn’t start until the afternoon. I get up at 6 am, do some meditation, do some HIIT cardio, and then go back to bed with my wife for a bit before she wakes up. One of my favorite times of the day.”
It’s Quieter
Arguably the biggest appeal of early dawn is the lack of movement and noise. “I’ve learned people are way more active at night than they are in the early morning. You can walk the dog in complete peace at 5:30-6:30 in the morning. You can have a whole grocery store to yourself. You can eat breakfast in complete peace.”
To Avoid Rushing
A lot of folks like to have time in the morning to chill, meditate, get a workout in, etc., and tearing around to make it to work in time not only ruins that but can get the day off to a bad start: “I like to chill before I have to work all day, enjoy my coffee, scroll, talk to my best friend who is 6 hours ahead of me. Plus, I feel like sleeping is wasting my life.”
Pregnancy
One user shared how carrying a mini human inside her has had repercussions on her sleep cycle: “I’m pregnant. Wake up to go to the bathroom around five every morning, then can’t fall back asleep.”
Clear Head
“I take care of my mother and some of her medication starts at 6 am, not to mess up, I get up early and have breakfast and start everything with a clear head,” one user explained.
Meds
One of the less fun reasons is medication schedules: “I had to have my thyroid removed due to cancer, and I have to take a med to replace the thyroid hormones. But the trick is, I have to take it at least 4 hours after eating and at least 1 hour before eating. So, 5 am it is. It sucks because I have to keep the same schedule on weekends.”
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