Written by Remi Bampton
For a lot of my life, I have tried to become a morning person, but every time that 6am alarm goes off, I turn it off, roll over, and go back to sleep. However, as I have been on placement and have needed to get up at 6am, I want to challenge myself to bring this habit back with me.
So why do I want to be a morning person? Well, every time I wake up later (anywhere from 8:30am), I feel as though I have lost a lot of my day that could have been spent doing other activities.
I want to be the type of person who gets up and watches the sunrise, heads to the 6:30am Pilates class, or just grabs a morning coffee. I love the vibe of the early morning, the warm glow of the sun and the tranquillity of being up before a large majority of the population.
So, let’s try!
On the first day, I had to start work at 9am, I wanted to get up at 6am, go for a swim and enjoy breakfast before getting ready.
So, I set my alarm and put my phone on the bench rather than my bedside table to force myself to get up. Believe me, it was still hard. I genuinely thought about letting the alarm just ring. But I got up, got dressed, had breakfast, and headed out to the pool.
I had my breakfast and finished my laps all before 7:30am, and it felt great! I was able to do the activities I wanted to do and not just go to work like usual.
Day one had officially gone well! But I found it hard to stay consistent. I often would wake up feeling sluggish and really had to push myself out of bed… especially when I didn’t get to sleep on time. But with each morning I woke up, it started to become easier, and I could feel my body starting to adapt!
Something I think made this a lot easier was just staying consistent! Sure, I missed a day or two, or decided to prioritise sleep when my body needed it. But it was the act of trying every day that made it actually achievable.
Fast forward to today, I am still getting up around 6am and still struggling, but it has gotten much easier! I feel more productive, I get more things done, and I still enjoy sleeping in now and then. But enjoying the morning sun is something I want to continue doing. Alas, I will continue to set the alarm and force myself out of bed to get a jumpstart on the day.
Charlie blog is a SSAF initiative.
