I am usually the type of person to sleep in until 10am everyday because I keep hitting my snooze button over and over again. In fact, if I did not have an alarm I would probably sleep until 1pm. One day I decided that I was going to wake up early and see what all the hype was about. I got up at 5:30am on the first alarm and went directly to my shower. This way I would not fall back asleep. After I showered I did my skin care routine, drank some water and did some yoga. I then made my way to the kitchen to brew that cup of coffee that I was craving. After my eyes were a little more peeled open and I did not feel like I was sleepwalking, I did some journaling and set my intentions for the day. By the time I did all this it was 7:30am. I have already accomplished so much in the time that nobody else was awake. It felt euphoric being up all alone, even before the sun.
What is most important about getting up early is that you do not waste this time. Do not spend it on your phone because then you might as well just get extra sleep instead! Make sure you are productive during this time; productive does not necessarily mean getting things done, it means using your time wisely. I make a conscious effort to not check my phone for the first hour of my day. When I do this it makes it feel like a fresh day instead of my nights and mornings being one big blur. My mornings become a time I love instead of a time I dread. I take my time, moving at whatever speed I want and being present in the moment and in my actions. I was ready to start my day’s work around 8am and by the time noon came around I had gotten so much done!
That being said, even though I wish I got up at 5:30am every morning I definitely do not. Unfortunately, being a college student I often find myself going to bed late due to homework, studying and work which makes it really hard to get up in the morning. But even if I go to bed late I try to get up at 8am and get my day started which is still better than waking up at 10am like I used to. At the end of the day it feels like I have had two full days in one day. I love this feeling! When I used to wake up late I would feel groggy and I would end up wasting half of my day. I have come to really enjoy the morning time when I can be alone, be productive and appreciate how beautiful mornings are.