Early To Rise
Tuesday, October 28th, 2008To prevent rough mornings, the first step, I think, is to configure a schedule that is right for you. Sometimes employers are flexible within the hours of 8am-6pm. I recently chose a schedule of 9:00 to 5:30, which was my compromise at an early routine. There is no shame in coming in a little later if this is offered to you. Don’t assume it’ll make you look like a slacker. You’ll look like a slacker if you come panting into work with a wrinkled shirt and bed head. Make things easier on yourself.
Go to bed at a reasonable hour, but if staying up until midnight is necessary for your livelihood, save yourself a half-hour in the morning by setting your alarm for the time you actually mean to wakeup. People protest that they’ll be late to work this way, because they’ll still be hitting the snooze button. The solution is to will yourself not to hit the snooze button.
Hearing music gets me to do virtually anything, and it’s the way I’ve survived mornings, study sessions, and doing chores. A radio alarm is helpful for some people, while others need an additional boost. If you haven’t heard of an alarm that launches a helicopter, and one that squawks like a rooster, it’s time to use Google. Do a web search for your ideal alarm, if only just for entertainment.
If even the alarm isn’t doing the trick, maybe the sleep you are getting is just not restful. It is much more productive to get six solid hours of rest than to toss around for eight hours. Consider investing in a good bed, even if it is a little out of your budget. I slept on an uncomfortable air mattress for several months to save money, until I became so irritable and ill, money didn’t matter. A good mattress may-literally-save you backaches.
The final solution I can offer to avoid making life so repetitive is to vary your morning routine. If it flies by in a haze of showering, grooming, and running out the door, a few extra minutes may be beneficial, so that you can make yourself some breakfast, or even exercise. Having some time in the morning and varying what you do with it, allows you to accept your early hours as an enjoyable part of your life. I speak from experience when I insist that even the biggest grouches can survive the sun’s hasty arrival.
