If you got up 45 mins earlier

[Draconis]

What would you do with time?
I want to do this (when we get back to our normal routine) and fit in 20 mins of exercise and 20 mins of reading.

I already set my alarm for 4.30am and aim to be walking or doing weights by 5am.

This gives me an hour to myself before I get the DC up and do the school run and go to work. I also walk in my lunch break.

I do go to bed at 9pm on a weekday and sometimes 8pm at the weekend. This gives me about 7hrs sleep.

I couldn't go to work without exercising first, it makes me feel sluggish.

I have been thinking of doing this because I have heard good things about getting up early and I used to get up at 5 when I was studying for a levels and found I got so much done. The problem is making sure I get enough sleep and I have a young child.

I'd maybe try to sleep by 10 and then get up at 6 and would probably tidy up and clean but also need to fit in exercise somewhere.

I definitely see the benefit of being up when no one else is. It's a bit like working late or starting early before you start getting calls and emails coming in.

I started this a few years back - getting up around 5.30 am. I spent some time having a quiet coffee and reading before getting the DCs up and cooking them breakfast. It sets me up for the day and we have so much more peace in the morning. I vaoue it now as 'my' time.

I'd lie in bed and pray no one else wakes up for a while

This would mean getting up at 5, which would then mean I probably wouldn't make it to 1030/11 at night, so I'd lose reading time. I don't usually stop work etc until 9, so I need that brief down time at night.

I'm completely useless in the mornings; if I woke up 45 minutes earlier I would spend 45 minutes staring at my phone like a zombie.

@BertieBotts I’m the same in the evenings. I only make evening plans for special occasions and if I have a task to do, it takes me so much longer because I’m practically a zombie from around 9pm. In the morning I feel like a completely different person.

I usually wake up too early, like 5-5.30am, start work at 8am from home. I start my day with a dog walk, then shower, I then go to bed for 15-20 minutes and read whilst my moisturiser absorbs, before getting dressed and having breakfast. Those 15-20 minutes with my book is my most luxurious part of my morning.

Exercise I do once I finish work.

I always say my prayers in the morning anyway regardless of when I get up. So that’s my me time really it sets me up proper for the day.

If I was to get up 45 minutes earlier realistically I would glare at the kitchen wall like a zombie for the whole 45 minutes and then do my usual morning routine.

I have a beautiful sea view. I would like to sit and drink my coffee observing it. .I stead of drinking it on the go while I also getting ready

I started something similar years ago when I worked out of the home. I thought why am I giving my best, most energetic hours to work and coming home knackered, only fit for slumping on the sofa. So I'd get up at 5 but then I would be in bed by 9pm. It worked for me as I didn't have a partner and DC were already adults, otherwise you might want more of an evening. I got the chores out of the way, read, and just had a relaxing start to the day.

I already get up at 05:00am for work so there is no way I will be getting up 45 minutes earlier in order to exercise.

I would only try and fit in one thing. Exercise and reading is a lot of pressure first thing.

I would get up and write. Am thinking of doing this by going to bed earlier as am knackered but trained by kids to wake up fairly early anyway.

this 😂

Cup of coffee and read my book without interruptions.

I used to get up an hour early, do some exercise and have a quiet bath before getting the children up. I always felt better for it and actually less tired than just getting up, getting ready and leaving the house.

I woke up at 6am pre pregnancy and worked out and then my DD would wake up and we’d get ready etc. it was fab! I find that if I didn’t wake up I’d struggle to exercise in the evenings as I’d always have to log back on to work. So for me waking up earlier did help me get in the time to exercise which is really important to me.

That sounds amazing.

I am poorly disciplined - if I got back into bed, I'd never get out again!

Reading this thread I'm wondering about skipping one morning exercise session in favour of getting up & reading.

I'm dubious that I would do it tho. I love my exercise, and am tied to a time, so I have no difficulty getting up for that. I'm poor at relaxing .. so wonder if I would replace the book-reading with chores / work.

Knit or read.

I wouldn't be doing this. I find if I get up earlier I end up having to have an afternoon nap which ends up using up more time than if I'd just stayed in bed in the first place.
Not everyone is a morning person and there is nothing wrong with that but somehow there's this prevailing mantra that we should get up early and do this that and the other.
I saw a meme on facebook saying something to the effect of how come it's not ok for me not to be functional at 7 am but it's ok for others to not be functional at 8 or 9 pm.

If I woke up 45 mins earlier I would stay in bed for an additional 45 minutes to just relax and shut my eyes instead of needing to undertake a wellness expedition. For me, lying down in quiet and calm is the best form of self care at the moment.

This! Sleep is so important!!
I get up at 05:45 (because I have too) which means I have to be in bed by 9am to get enough sleep 😴

This was a rather roundabout way of me saying : my wellness and self care is sleep. It isn’t something to curtail to insert whatever qualifies as wellness and self care currently be it exercise or yoga or meditation or whatever. Pure sleep. For as long as my body needs. For those “extra” 45 minutes.

A few years ago I started getting up 30 minutes earlier so I had 30 minutes peace before getting my children up. I was very sceptical and reluctant to get up earlier when I already didn’t get enough sleep, but it did help. I don’t do anything worthy or healthy with the time though. I drink tea and look at MN mostly.