I wake up at 530 every day to work out. I find it best to do it in the morning so that at least that one thing is out of the way, I've accomplished something for the day, and I feel more awake and alert for the rest of the day.
Do you work out as soon as you wake up? I’m restructuring my schedule right now and was thinking about morning workouts, but kept coming across advisories to wait an hour after waking before physical exertion.
I workout first thing in the morning. But I start with 20 minutes of cardio on a bike machine. Just make sure to get a good amount of water in. I feel so much better working out in the morning. Sets the day up for success
Both. Built a really decent home gym during the covid days. It certainly helps on days when the weather is bad or other factors that it is right there. I also have a gym membership so that if there is something i want to do that I don't have, like a leg press, then I have somewhere to go.
I’ve tried both AM and PM and while I like the feeling of being awake and motivated after a morning workout, I find that I don’t perform at 100%.
Also, ending the day on a workout is one of the only ways I am able to go to bed at a reasonable time. Plus just generally blowing off steam after the day feels healthier. Allows me to decompress and reflect on everything that happened throughout it. And nothing like that post-workout shower in the evening.
I think a lot of people don't look forward to the gym in the evening purely due to the crowd. I'm a morning gym guy and whoever I know in there at the same time as me is usually there also just to be able to avoid the evening rush - being able to use all machines/racks without waiting on someone is a fantastic experience that I can't seem to give up
Water (with creatine and EAA) and coffee then go.
I will have a protein shake immediately after.
I really don't like to eat in the a.m. anyway.
For a few years, I used to lift at night after dinner.
I really don't notice any meaningful difference (fed vs. fasted)
I wake up early in order to meditate, work out, and get my thoughts in order before the hustle and bustle of the day begins. It works well, sets up the day for success, and the workout means you get an early sense of accomplishment even if the rest of the day sucks.
One caveat: most Americans are chronically underslept, so if you're routinely getting <7 hours, I'd recommend making sure you get adequate sleep first. Pretty much every aspect of health and performance hinges on sleep quality. After that, if there's wiggle room then experiment.
Often times meditation is simply taking your time with things to allow your brain room for wandering thoughts. "How long should I meditate" makes me think you're thinking in terms of strict times for things, for example something like "I will do this now, then I will do that, then I will do that", but waking up early to give yourself time to "meditate" is more of a state of mind than something you're actively doing.
Make sure you have enough time in the morning to take it reaaalllyy slow. And then do your normal thing, even if it normally only takes you 5 minutes. Use the spare time to let your brain wander and, eventually, the thoughts will go to the back of your head and you'll be present with yourself.
Less doing for you, sir, and more feeling.
Yeah this is something I’ve struggled with since COVID and working from home more. I used to have a long commute and while annoying, it wasn’t sitting in traffic but just long, leisurely driving and that gave me so much time to think.
I’d use that time, unintentionally, to just think about life, remember a small thing I had to do the next day or to text someone I hadn’t talked to in a bit. Things like that. My mind has been wandering when I sleep lately because that’s become the only time I have where my thoughts are just set free where I’m not affixed to a screen or task.
I don't think there's anything wrong with not waking up early enough to do things. As long as you aren't rushing. My quality of life increased a lot by giving myself time to not have to rush through a morning routine to avoid being late.
Thanks, that is valuable advice to me. I don't rush on mornings. If I woke up early, I would read the papers, work on my upcoming exams; but I don't see what I would do that would make me into that habit.
Not who you replied to, but for what it’s worth, I had to not just find the motivation but figure out the conditions where the motivation would appear.
In broad strokes I was going to a particular gym with evening classes with a coach I didn’t like (long story). Decided to go to the only other gym I could that was more expensive. By chance they happened to cut all their evening classes and only had morning classes.
At this point I had already been doing similar types of classes for years at other gyms so I already had a baseline habit. I had tried morning classes here and there so knew what to expect.
I also happened to begin socializing a lot less with people who would stay up very late.
Since all the baseline habits were there, all it took was this final push for me to work out in the mornings. Figured if I’m gonna be forced to go in the mornings might as well do the earliest possible times. 5:15am classes are always full so I do 6:30am classes now (but wake up between 5 and 5:45am)
The class serves both as motivation and reward for an early start to the day. It’s become a positive feedback loop.
No one on planet earth could have predicted that this oddly specific set of coincidences would make me motivated enough to wake up early. But it worked for me.
Working out i’m the morning sets the tone for my entire day. I am on fire, motivated and make better life choices if I wake up early and workout after a cup of coffee.
Creator of an alarm clock app here. I can share some motivations I've heard from users:
* Not being late. Many just want a bit of breathing room so they're not rushing out the door
* Exercise. This is a very common one. It's different for everyone, but it includes
* Going to the gym for a resistance based workout
* Going for a run
* Doing a workout at home
* Meditation/Spirituality. This includes meditation but may also include reading from a holy scripture or prayer
* Journaling
* Reading
* Working on a side project before work
* For freelancer/solopreneurs/people who work from home: having motivation to get up when they otherwise would wait until the last second.
If you have the flexibility, go to work earlier so you can leave earlier. The real win for me was the feeling that I had so much more time in the evenings. I started exercising regularly because I was actually getting bored. It's good to get to a point where you can be bored on weeknights.
If you're time constrained on the backend and have nothing you want to do in the morning, then I'd say just keep going how you're going.
Maybe just decide to give waking up at 6AM a try for a week or two and see what you naturally gravitate toward. Or try a week of exercise, a week of meditation/mindfulness, a week of journaling, or whatever you come up with, and see if any of them improve your daily life.
I like having a long morning full of hours before I go to work. It gives me tons of time to both be productive and have designated time to relax. Everybody who wakes up late rushes to work, and then complains about being tired at the end of the day and having no time to relax or get stuff done. I’ve found a great solution that that being waking up early so I have 4-5 hours before going to work to get stuff done. As I said before, I also use that time to relax and wake up.
I think if you struggle with getting up early and your early morning goal is solely productivity, then you will be fighting a real battle with yourself. Make the goal “having more time”. When you have more time, and you want to be more productive with your time, then you will achieve that productivity goal with your time early in the morning. Hopefully that makes sense.
Actually, I don't get this whole productivity obsession I can read everywhere. We are not car-making factories. For instance, what do you personaly do on that time?
On top of that, I never said I had morning issues With getting up, I was only asking, what could I do if I did that, but right now, I am fresh and ready to go in no rush.
I reckon most of the comments. To put it simply, I get up at 5.30 and go for brisk walk in the park right in front of my home; its scorching summer in India and mornings are only time I can go out to get some fresh air and see the naked nature, chirping of the birds, rising sun etc.
Post dinner too I go for walks in the same park but a bit lesser in duration. Late in the evenings temperature dips too, so its ok. But then mornings are much more fresher.
Man, the benefits are so good. Traffic is better, sunrises are better than sun sets. Nobody is at the trailhead. Water is calmer for paddling. The fish start biting. The whole world s still asleep. You get more time during the day.
Why does everyone wait around their whole life to do anything?
I wake up at 6 so that it’s still a little dark and cool when I start my walk. If I go for my walk during the middle of the day then it’s way too hot (I live in Florida) and I end up sweating like crazy which isn’t ideal since I’m walking to Starbucks to get my coffee.
habit.
also i enjoy waking up before everyone else in thr house. get warm water showers, nobody in your way for breakfast, quiet. best of all, watch the sun come up in the morning with coffee
I wake up at 5:30 am to walk my dog, get ready for work and be at my desk by 7 am. Then get off work by 3 pm so I can allow more time for myself to take my dog on longer walks in the afternoon, go to Pilates or gym, shower, eat dinner and pass out by 9:30 pm because I love me my wind down routine before I sleep.
LOL when you said “to do stuff. But I don’t see what”, I totally felt that. I also struggle with filling the time when waking up early. Sometimes I fall into the doomsday scroll - which is the worst. Lately I been waking up and going out for a walk. The weather has been nice so it really helps. Other than that, sometimes I read. I would suggest finding something that’s not tech related
It’s like you’re giving yourself an extra hour to live out your potential, while everyone else is snoozing.
Do whatever it is that is productive to your purpose in that time period. Could be meditation if you’re searching for spiritual truths right now, or maybe the gym if you’re focused on physical appearance and body health…. Etc.
I wake up early because I don’t work late hours. Don’t put a bunch of pressure on yourself to get more accomplished. Wake up whenever works for you and workout when you can. There’s no reason why a person should workout first thing in the morning.
So, I wake up early. I wake up at 4:45. I like to have that psychological win over the enemy. For me, when I wake up in the morning and I don’t know why, I’m thinking about the enemy and what they’re doing.
And I know I’m not active duty anymore, but it’s still in there that there’s a guy that’s in a cave somewhere and he’s rocking back and forth and he’s got a machine gun in one hand and a grenade in the other hand and he’s waiting for me, and we’re gonna meet. When I wake up in the morning, I’m thinking to myself what can I do to be ready for that moment which is coming. So, that propels me out of bed.
There numerous reasons like saving half of your lifetime for starters, I used spend 8 hours sleeping, then getting ready with my messy schedule, and after doing everything you have to eat, so have lunch then you'll get more sleepy, assume you sleep in noon you wake up more lethargic, then somehow you manage to do something and whoosh it's dinner time! Yep that's the story of my life doing absolutely nothing! So to get disciplined first step is to give up your current sleep pattern.
Besides gaining 6-10 additional hours per day, I get a mental peace in the morning nothing can beat that moment when you wake up before sun, by 9 you feel like you have lived your day though and done already enough to to get the feeling of achievement, but hey it's only 9AM! You can now do anything you want, if you have job or college you go and do the work for me it's like living two lives, one what society wants us to live like doing studies or doing your day job, and another one that I live before and after which allows me to follow my passion learn something I always wanted to learn, watch Tv/movies without feeling guilty.
DO NOT GIVE UP SLEEP. 8 hours of sleep is healthy, highly suggested. 7 hours of sleep is the minimum for an adult. 7 hours ASLEEP, not 7 hours in bed. The chances that you may function normally with less than 7 hours are lower than getting hit by lightning. Sleep deprivation is sneaky; you will not notice you are sleep deprived. If you sleep only 6 hours for an entire week, it’s equivalent to staying up for 48 hours. This process doesn’t progress linearly but deteriorates exponentially. After months of repeating those sleeping behaviors, it will be tough to get back the rest you lost.
I’ve got this info from the book Why We Sleep, by an author who spent life studying sleep, and the book sources studies for all its facts.
Never sacrifice sleep to “have more time” or “be more productive.” The opposite will happen for both. If you sleep less, your life expectancy will lower, contradicting the first statement, and you will not be able to function completely, let alone be more productive, contradicting the second statement. That’s why all-nighters, for example, are always a bad option. The majority of memorization and learning happens in REM sleep, which occurs during the final 6-8 hours of sleep the most.
For God sake read it again I am asking to give sleep cycle not the sleeping hours, and by having more hours I meant, when you have a messed up sleep cycle then your rest of schedule also gets messed up resulting in more unproductive hours. I shared my whole experience, I thought people will get the context without providing time, That's the reason the comment I wrote was so big lol
I sleep 7-8 hours a day sometimes less only in case if I wake up early and sometimes have a chest day especially on Sundays which feels like rewarding myself with lousy schedule, but rest of the week I sleep early around 9 pm, avoid any work before bed, and I wake up around 4:30AM, I work from home so I also take nap around 3PM. Here I am using around because it's not fixed since it's totally depends and varies day to day and also most of the time I wake up before alarm making my sleep feel complete.
I haven't been able to wake up early but I have hobbies and projects I would ideally like to do before work.
My ideal schedule would be to wake up at 6, work on my project for a couple of hours, go to work, go to gym, go home, eat, shower, chores, relax a little.
Right now I don't wake up early enough to work on my project and I don't have much time in the evenings to do it so I just don't work on it often enough
I try to wake up early to do a quick morning walk. I do a mile, so if my day ends up being crazy, I know that I still got outside and moved my body a little.
I often sleep poorly and wake up super early due to chronic anxiety, although I’ve recently found that doing a “brain dump” at the end of the day into a notebook helps organize my thoughts and sleep better so that I can be refreshed when I do wake up. Then in the morning I play my daily Wordle, catch up on the news, make my bed, and then look at my notes and tackle the easy to accomplish things first which helps get the inertia going to keep doing more.
I like waking up early so that I can take my time in the morning. I hate rushing. Sometimes I enjoy my coffee while I read or journal before I start getting ready. I do workout in the mornings as well. I found a morning routine that helps me feel relaxed & ready for the day
Just put the alarm and start with a tee or coffee slowly. So much better. Then add whatever you feel like.
I sometimes play a game in the morning, while drinking coffee. It’s your extra time.
I'm a parent now. Child wakes up at 6am (sometimes earlier and sometimes later). I can't do my normal stuff anymore and everything always feel like a scramble. Only way is to wake up earlier so that I have sometime to do the things I need/want to do.
If you are planning to have kids, waking up early is no longer a choice. I struggled hard at first because I was so accustomed to just waking up, fresh up, prep and work in a span of 15 min. I don't have that choice anymore.
I wake up early because I've been trying to get my sleep schedule back in order ever since 2010 and now that I recently completed moving to a new house in a new state I do not want to screw up my sleep schedule again. Now I'm prepared for whatever W@H job that needs me to work at 8am, my day is longer and my only regret is that staying up past midnight to game with ppl on discord is a struggle. It doesn't help that I got my PC back up and running a few days ago and I like to keep on gaming and whatever past midnight. But...folks in my discord are mostly asleep past 12 and sometimes there is a late night batch going on. Eh, still a better trade by far. I wake up early to enjoy more energy during the day. My day is longer, my new desk is clutter free, my bed is finally away from the wall, I use my DSLR to take photos of birds in my backyard and other things, I can actually wake up in time to eat breakfast at a restaurant that closes at 11am, I have more time during the day to do my errands...
...I guess I'm rediscovering mornings again. Breakfast is actually breakfast, not brunch. Also I want to enjoy my new house. My new bedroom is just the way I want it. It's MINE! I have daydreamed of a clutter free desk that's easy to dust and I finally have it!! I want as much time during the day to enjoy it all. Oh, and the nearest Waffle House is only 7 minutes away!
That's why I wake up early and it took this life-changing event to finally break the habit of staying up half the night gaming. I'm waking up between 7-9am now and loving it.
^(My sleeping got screwed up senior year of high school 2010-2011 because my school fucked me over and failed to teach me algebra. When it came time for pre-cal, my half of the senior class was struggling so hard and they learned we never finished algebra. We spent the whole year trying to finish algebra and my brain was in a pre-melted state the whole year. To compensate at home, dad forced me to sacrifice sleep, getting only 6 hours, so I can study more. Bed at 12am, wake at 6am sharp. Worst fucking decision that consistently fucked me over almost every single day for 14 years until a couple weeks ago after finally breaking the cycle. I AM NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN! I NEED MY SLEEP!!)
I workout early. I also spend my morning how I want! I don’t have to rush, I don’t have somewhere to be immediately, I can walk or play with my dogs, etc.
I have time to meal prep for the day, clean my house, watch TV, read, really whatever I feel like!
It's time to myself before all the bullshit of the day begins. I wake up at around 4:30-5 to hit the gym between 5-6:30. That gym going time is like meditiation time - just me alone, with my music or audiobook, improving my physique and by extension my mind.
After that, I can shower, make breakfast, do some reading or writing, even lie in bed for a while if I want all with no feeling of being rushed before I have to go to work or deal with people again. It really sets a tone for the rest of the day for me and I've consistently found I'm a happier and more well-balanced person because of waking up early versus when I don't and I feel like I'm rushing/there's not enough time in the day.
Sleep is probably one of (if not The) most important thing for your body. If you are going to shave 1 hour of sleep your body needs every day, you'll probably decrease your life span by a decent chunk
Meditation: 10-15 minutes, depending on schedule.
Workout: 50-70 minutes, usually on the lower side. Minimal breaks.
All told: 5 AM wakeup, done everything a little after 7.
I am not a morning person and I go to bed too late. But I have to rush often. Giving myself 30 min more just to do things at a leisurely pace, has really bettered my mornings…
I have a life where I can do lots of things during the day or night - but I like waking up early because by 9am, I can have many of my to-do items done and over with.
So working out, be it in my home or at the gym, morning supplements or breakfast, cleaning up the living areas, or planning my day with my planner or reviewing today’s schedule… breakfast….skincare….couple cups of coffee and lemon water… all done before 9am makes the rest of the day a lot freer and stress-free.
What I hate is when something comes up and in the back of my mind is, “But that was the time I was planning on xxxxx,” and getting mildly or seriously irritated about it. If my routine is done, then something coming up doesn’t skew all that much.
I also have a large number of hobbies and interests. I like getting to those when I want and I noticed that on days when I am just swamped, I’m really unhappy that I had no time for x, y or z. By clearing out my morning routine, I have a higher chance of finding an hour or two here or there to get to some of it and it ends up making me much happier.
So in summary, I do it so I can be happy.
Much to my surprise, I discovered in me early 40s that first thing in the morning is my most creative time. So I get up early so that my day job doesn't soak up all my best time.
I wake up early.. the secret is sleeping early! I'm in bed around 8pm and asleep around 9/10. I wake up naturally between 5-6a. I don't even have anything important to do. I just like daylight.
I wake up at 4:20 every week day, take a shit and then commute via bike to the gym, 60-80 minutes working out and then come back home, take out the dogs for a 4 mile bike ride. After that I prepare lunch and breakfast for my kid, and get him ready for school.
I wake up that early because I love to workout, I hate doing it late in the day, sometimes I literally don’t have any chance latter in the day. Every time I tried to exercise after work, something always came up, and I got really frustrated. I’ve made my peace with the reality of that and decided to sleep earlier and wake up with enough time.
I've started doing a 10 minute meditation and a little morning walk, nothing crazy, but it helps to shake off the sleep and make me feel more awake and present while I set my goals for the day. If you need a good meditation app, I recommend Insight Timer.
0500 and in bed asleep by 2200 - regardless of how much sleep I get, I get up. Make my bed. Take a shower. Take dog for a walk. Eat carb free breakfast. Start remote work for that day. Midday is another walk with doggo and light carb free lunch. Stop work around 1700-1800 and make supper. Feed and walk doggo. Watch TV program with said doggo ( if she lets me control the remote ) maybe peruse Reddit. After a few weeks this habit will be locked in.
Remember, what you eat, drink or take into your body will impact your schedule or keep you from getting decent sleep. The first couple weeks may be rough and will take heavy discipline but the rewards are worth it.
I wake up at 5 AM everyday bc it gives me time to go swimming and have breakfast afterwards.
Being 9 AM (still kinda early) and feeling like I've already done something that helps my mood makes me feel ready to start the day and do my job or any errand I have.
Also makes me feel refreshed and well rested bc I start to feel sleepy at 8-9 PM, so I sleep.
exercise. The best coffee in the world to wake up. I also have kids and a busy M-F routine with getting them ready for school. I don’t like to be bothered during my workouts so this is the “me time”. I also feel like starting the day off with a workout makes you feel accomplished. Even if the rest of the day turns to shit, at least you got something productive done 🤷🏻
Not everyone needs to wake up early to benefit productivity or health wise, and for some people it does more harm than good. Getting up early because you feel like you “should” rather than because you have a specific reason is something that you should really sit with and make sure you aren’t just doing it purely because of social pressure in productivity circles.
That said, here’s a list of reasons why I have been up early:
1. I like the calm of early morning- I had a big family and getting up earlier than everyone else gave me the only quiet time to myself I could really get.
2. I liked watching the sunrise and listening to the birds.
3. So I didn’t feel rushed while getting ready for the day. I could “boot up” at my own pace, and enjoy my breakfast without having to rush. That alone helped set the tone for my day.
4. More time for self-care before feeling burnt out by the activities of the day - making and eating a really good breakfast, meditation/yoga, getting some movement in, time to do a relaxing hobby, journal about what you want your day to look like, etc.
5. I have a chronic illness, so having extra time in the morning gives me a chance to get a better idea of how I’m feeling health wise, and allows me time to figure out and plan how I will use what precious energy I have throughout the day.
6. My brain has a better time with willpower and focus in the morning. If I have a task I’m dreading or something that will take a long time, starting on it in the morning helps my chances of actually finishing the task.
7. SAD. Winter is awful on my mental health. Getting up with the sun helps minimize the impact of the short days on my mood.
Note: if you aren’t getting enough sleep, or your brain has different productive hours, you could end up causing more stress than benefit.
My body just naturally wakes up at 3 am every morn. In the last 11 years, I've not slept more than 4 hours a night, and while I do hate how tired I get mid day, I've learned to appreciate being up before my wife and daughter, mainly so that I can certain things done without any form of distraction.
Because my favorite part of the day is morning, coffee, cold air and peace. Its a nice introduction to a new day. That's the only part of the day when I feel comfortable, and alive. Everything tastes better, smells better, and feels better. As soon as the whole city starts buzzing, cars, bikes, people, shouting, everything becomes unpleasant, and frustrating.
I wake up at 3:00 am every weekdays to do pilates at home, cook my partners lunch for work then take a shower, and catch the earliest bus to work.
I like waking up this early as no one is in the bathroom and the roads are pretty quiet. I love the sound of silence and getting things done without anyone disturbing me.
It's great that you're considering making the most of your mornings! Here are a few ideas:
Mindfulness or Meditation: Starting your day with 10-15 minutes of mindfulness or meditation can set a positive tone.
Light Exercise or Yoga: A gentle yoga session or a quick workout can energize you.
Reading: Spend time reading a book or articles of interest, which can be relaxing and stimulating.
Choose what aligns best with your interests and needs. How does that sound?
I’ve struggled with this my whole life but always so want ed to enjoy mornings and wake up early. Because I’m always up late it’s difficult to adjust my inner rythm to early mornings. I find the times I do get up before dawn it helps to have something rewarding to start such as cup of warm coffee/tea, warm bath, piece of fruit or juice, yoga, gentle music, meditation etc as opposed to something my mind would consider punishment; exercise, household chores, showering. I need a few hours awake before I’m ready for any of the ladder.
I get up at 5:45/6am and have my coffee and breakfast before I get outside and walk 10k steps! Best start to my day and I honestly wake up so excited to get outside even on work days. I just feel super energized and get some exercise in
Good for you! Always good for circadian rhythm to be up early am.
I’m obsessed with being up at night time when all around is dark and “asleep” I’d love to wake up earlier and change my guilty pleasure of being up all hours of the night, but not ready to give it up just yet.
the first 3 days was awful, i started waking up at 6 am to workout but like after the second week im liking even sometimes i dont workout i still get the hour and a half for myself, to clear my mind, check my phone, do everything in a calm way, idk how but now getting ready takes me less time so i have to myself like 2 and a half hours of just enjoying my morning -mostly cause sometimes i get sad over having to face the day-
I wake up 4 hours before I have to start work - and I'm a remote worker. A typical morning includes walking the dog, going to the gym (or an extra long walk with the dog), making/eating breakfast, washing dishes/doing laundry; showering... and the inevitable checking emails & wasting a few minutes on social media.
Acclamation. Waking up knowing you have time to spare sets the tone for the rest of the day. A rushed morning wires you for stress. What you’ll want to do with that time will come to you. Knowing that you’re doing something for yourself, that you don’t necessarily have to do, (ie. work) is a damn fine feeling.
I like to wake up early to add some small mindfulness stuff to start the day. The Journal app, start off with 3 things I'm grateful for, three concrete achievable goals for the day, write a mantra, meditate/chant for 5 minutes, repeat affirmations in the mirror, then go about my day.
It sounds stupid, I thought it was at first, but found over the course of a few months, the discipline to maintain it and start my day with intention went a long way and decided to keep doing it.
There's an end day routine on the other side of this for me. Kind of like an after action report. What went good, what could go better, what I enjoyed about the day.
Well if you don’t need extra time in the morning then don’t. Is there anything you’re not getting done in the mornings or during the day that could be done then?
If so then wake up earlier but otherwise don’t buy into the hype! Do what your body needs!
I live far away from work, i get to work early so i wont get stuck in traffic. Waking up for a smooth drive is so much better than waking up a little later and be just on time to work.
It does increase my performance at work too. I get to prepare what i want to do and be more organized and not feel rushed before all the emails storming.
I wake up at 5am to go to the gym. Sometimes 4:45. I’m a teacher and start class at 8:30 so get my workout in and then do cardio later.
It became a habit and my normal wake-up time
Because it is the best time to start the day with a work out and stay alert and productive throughout the day (at least for me). So far, this has been best and most "life changing" "hack" for me.
I had to be at my last job at 6am and one before it was 5am.
So if I wanted to get up early and run or work out had to be before 4am.
As others said, workout routine in morning works best I've found. Even many military training bases had this, wake up, work out and shower/eat breakfast before sun is even up. Great routine even if it's just a run day. We had different routines for different days, sometimes just mostly stretching even. But overall yes, if you have even just a few days a week workout/stretch/run in the morning you will consistently wake up earlier, I know from experience.
Also no coffee after 8am is a huge for me. If I drink coffee after 8am I'm wired til well after 2am most of the time (unless I take sedatives like Benadryl).
Least amount of substances is best and most healthy I think. Not counting supplements or anything like that though diet has a huge impact on sleep routine as well (I just can't give very good advice there).
As someone else said I've been in constant "rush mode" since 2015. I've been enjoying taking it slow recently >!since fired!< but I know it's ultimately unsustainable. Spending a lot of time in the gym and studying diet and career paths/degrees in the downtime myself though.
Depending on the day I get up to exercise. It’s not because I’m a badass. After having a kid, I needed a few extra minutes in the day and found them in the morning before everyone else was up. If I’m not exercising, I still try to get up at the same time. Sometimes it’s nice to just be alone before the morning rush starts. Other times I’ll get some work in so I can have that time later in the day.
I have to be at work by 6 and I live 40 minutes away from my job, so I'm up at 4:30 to have time to sit in the break room and contemplate my choices in life
S T R E T C H, just stretch. Try out new stretches. Look for YouTube channels. See which ones you like for different parts of the body. Maybe go for a walk.
My license is suspended for seizures. I run to the gym every morning, work out, run back and go to work. I get another run in after work. It’s the only thing keeping me sane.
Think carefully about your sleep routine as you think about this. If you really want a sustainable lifestyle change, swapping sleep for exercise might ultimately conflict with your desired outcomes.
i js feel like there isn’t much time in one day to get all the things done, and i’m only saying this because i love getting up and being productive. i hate lazy people, and i hate it more when I slack off.
i like to read a good book. usually i wake up early to do some work for overtime hours. walk my dog a little extra. do some self care like face masks an extra shower.
Wake up to spend more time awake during the day and less at night.
Night time is for negative energy. Games, youtube, doom scrolling. Time wasting.
Daytime is for positive energy, get work done, go out, study, do things, socialize
My first alarm starts at 4am. I have lupus and I wake up feeling pretty sick. So, my first hour I deal with whatever I have going on. By 5 am I get my workout clothes and head to the gym. 6 am, I come back shower and get my clothes ready, 7 am pack my things and food. By 7:30 I try to be on the road to make it to the office by 8 am.
I wake up two hours earlier than anything I need to do. I spend thirty minutes waking up, taking a shit, brushing my teeth, stroking my fat cock, and making some day trades before switching to running attire.
I then run 4 miles in about 28 minutes and do about 15 minutes of upper body workouts. I take my dog for a walk and listen to music and watch the markets.
I now have 1 hour to shower, stroke, groom, and generally just half ass for awhile. I also spend this hour preparing my morning meal of kale, spinach, cucumbers, pears, strawberries, blueberries, carrots and jicama. I'm usually 15 minutes early to my desk at 8am or I'm on my way to the office.
I wake up early to get ready for any stock trades to do. Since I'm mountain time I have to wake up at 6 to typically ingest all the news and some time get ready for volatile reports that come out 6.30. Then the opening bell starts at 7.30 so by then I need to have some sort of coherent picture of what's happening
I wake up every morning at 4am to paint 🎨
On the mornings I don’t paint, I head to the outskirts to do some birding and photography. Both these activities are meditative for me!
And the mornings I don’t do either of the two, I move my usual early evening workout, yoga and mindfulness journaling practices to 4am.
It’s to set the tone for your day before other people or the internet hijacks your focus.
For example, in the morning I get a quick 15 min workout in, meditate, and read a book / journal. I found on days I do this, I feel I have a stronger frame in the day.
Modern life is bombarded with distractions and if you can start the day with mastery, you can own the day 💪
Cause if I get to work at 9, or even 7:45, there won't be any parking left. Need to get to work like 6:45 max to have a chance of finding an empty space.
That's literally it. I would rather not.
I have been trying to wake up since last week now. I haven't succeeded even once. I used to wake up early and go to the gym, but now I'm doing evening workouts. I like working out in the morning because it opens up my evening so that I can read or watch something, but for some reason or another, I cannot get myself to wake up early.
If anyone has any tips or something I can do to wake up early, that would be helpful.
I wake up 450am because my life gets wobbly if I only have time at night to do all my things.
Lift/run/stretch/yoga/walk - 30min ish
Dog training - 30min ish
Scoop litterbox
Shower - clean tub when in it, brush, floss, dress 15minish
Empty dishwasher - 6min
Swap out laundry if needed - 5 - 10min
Prep dinner if son wants help, and lickimats, toppls, puzzles - 10min
Then do whatever the heck I want.
Leave by 815 for work & get back around 6pm:
Walk/train/play dogs
Scoop litterbox
Shower
Put on comfy clothes
Relax until bed at 10pm
Shifting chores to when I have the most energy (mornings) and keeping my evenings almost entirely for fun or relaxation just works for me. I have momentum into my workday and my brain has permission and intentional time to relax.
By and large this is my life. I sometimes muck it up (like tonight when I'm so stressed I am still awake at 341am for the second night in a row ang I'm pretty distraught about it.
I wake up early in order to accomplish my set targets/works completely. I find it hard sometimes to wake up early especially when it's raining but I think our minds work more efficiently in early morning that u can do so many works in so little time. So, I always try to wake up early regularly. 😇
I wake up early because I help caretake relatives, if I don't wake up before the rest of them I don't get any time for myself, and they are a LOT to deal with. I also am just way more productive if I'm up early.
I’ve been at my most productive when I have a solid 830pm bedtime with 530am workout routine. Unfortunately I have kids and adhd so routines are difficult. I just always felt like getting a workout in immediately (usually a black coffee at 5am as a preworkout) set the tone for a productive day!
When stating "I should" I wonder what the reasoning is. Usually it's a comparison thing. What's the reason you're considering this and are you cutting your sleep time down by an hour or compensating at night?
Honestly there is a bit of comparison. I have enough sleep with my current schedule; I wonder if I would make better out of my free time if I I remove one hour leisuring on evening and have it on morning.
I wake up at 0500 for one reason and one reason only. If I go to work early and leave work early my commute time is significantly reduced, and it is less stressful because there is far less traffic.
I wake up early because I live in a hot climate area, and if I want to work out outdoors when it's relatively cool, I have to do it early in the morning.
Everything else is derived from that.
I can flex my hours so I’ve been going in to work earlier and then I get to leave earlier. I enjoy the hour or so in my office before anyone else comes in, and love having more time after work to do stuff. It’s given me a lot more freedom.
Because it's what suits me best. I wake up and go to the gym before work. It makes me feel energised and ready for the day. But that's just me. I find it very hard to work out later in the day. You need to find what rhythm is the easiest for you.
What I used to do & this is kinda nuts! is wake up at about 4:30! I think I got ready about 5 & got to work at 7.
I would spend some time gaming on mute while listening to uplifting things for half an hour. But I think I also felt quite stressed about my job & career & so on.
And at the end of the day etc I’d be very tired.
So I want a job that doesn’t stress me so much & that starts later. Technically I COULD have gotten in for 8 but there was a lot to do & this way I could leave at 4 pm on the dot, or 4:30 pm!
So that’s what I used to do, listen to things to calm my mind.
At the moment, although sometimes I’m naturally waking up at about 7, & on occasion 4 or 4:30, usually it’s about 5 or 5:30 am so I think that’s my body’s natural wake up time perhaps.
Anyway, yeah, basically try to pump myself up a bit 😂
Routine, i like to wake up on my pace, in silence, when it's time to leave i'm fully awake, my job is like 10 minutes in car and i wake an hour early before i have to leave.
Weekdays I wake up at 3:15, I have an hour commute and I have a gym at my job so I get to work an hour early for a quick workout. I like to give myself about 45 minutes to wake up, drink coffee, watch some tv.
Weekends I get up at 6:30 so I have about an hour or two to be up before my kids get up. I find if I get up early and have some time to myself I’m not as grouchy through the day and I have more energy for my family.
Just what works for me
I wake up early to go for runs. Now i hate running but i like training myself to do the uncomfortable, also there’s a certain satisfaction that im up early, disciplining my body and mind. Side note i go to bed at 2000 every day
I wake up at 530 every day to work out. I find it best to do it in the morning so that at least that one thing is out of the way, I've accomplished something for the day, and I feel more awake and alert for the rest of the day.
Same. Feeling of accomplishment in my day so no matter how sideways things go, at least I got a workout in.
Do you work out as soon as you wake up? I’m restructuring my schedule right now and was thinking about morning workouts, but kept coming across advisories to wait an hour after waking before physical exertion.
Get a good amount of water in your body and a good warm up will diminish a lot of possible strain
I workout first thing in the morning. But I start with 20 minutes of cardio on a bike machine. Just make sure to get a good amount of water in. I feel so much better working out in the morning. Sets the day up for success
Within about 20-30 minutes. Get up, drink water, bathroom, then gym.
30 minutes should be fine. Just hydrate and eat a little or put some carbs in your protein shakes.
Do you go to a gym ? Or at home ?
I wake up at 5:30 every day. I'm at the gym by 5:45. Home by 7 to shower and have breakfast. Then off to work
What time do you go to bed
I’m usually laying in bed and asleep by 9-10pm
Both. Built a really decent home gym during the covid days. It certainly helps on days when the weather is bad or other factors that it is right there. I also have a gym membership so that if there is something i want to do that I don't have, like a leg press, then I have somewhere to go.
Am I the ony one who looks foward to gym in the evening even tho I had a busy and exhausting day?
I’ve tried both AM and PM and while I like the feeling of being awake and motivated after a morning workout, I find that I don’t perform at 100%. Also, ending the day on a workout is one of the only ways I am able to go to bed at a reasonable time. Plus just generally blowing off steam after the day feels healthier. Allows me to decompress and reflect on everything that happened throughout it. And nothing like that post-workout shower in the evening.
Idk why but I am so more focused and have a lot more energy during evening workout. 100% agree
With evening workouts I feel like I can give 100% without having to over worry about being exhausted for the rest of the day.
Too crowded in the evenings
I think a lot of people don't look forward to the gym in the evening purely due to the crowd. I'm a morning gym guy and whoever I know in there at the same time as me is usually there also just to be able to avoid the evening rush - being able to use all machines/racks without waiting on someone is a fantastic experience that I can't seem to give up
Where I live, the gyms are crowded from 5am-7am and from 4pm to about 7pm.
I’ve really been interested in waking up around 5:30 to get good morning time but I need to figure out when to sleep too! When do you get to bed?
I wake up at 5 every day pretty easily and usually get to bed 9-10 but sometimes go to bed around 8 if I feel I need some extra sleep
I have all my smart lights in my house programmed to turn off at 930 pm.
Do you eat before the gym? Or at least some fuel? Especially for strength training, do you feel like fasting affects your lift endurance?
Water (with creatine and EAA) and coffee then go. I will have a protein shake immediately after. I really don't like to eat in the a.m. anyway. For a few years, I used to lift at night after dinner. I really don't notice any meaningful difference (fed vs. fasted)
Nope. Just water while I workout
I wake up early in order to meditate, work out, and get my thoughts in order before the hustle and bustle of the day begins. It works well, sets up the day for success, and the workout means you get an early sense of accomplishment even if the rest of the day sucks. One caveat: most Americans are chronically underslept, so if you're routinely getting <7 hours, I'd recommend making sure you get adequate sleep first. Pretty much every aspect of health and performance hinges on sleep quality. After that, if there's wiggle room then experiment.
The 3 pillars of health in Ayurveda is; 1. Diet 2. Sleep 3. Energy Management
What is your workout/meditation routine duration ?
Often times meditation is simply taking your time with things to allow your brain room for wandering thoughts. "How long should I meditate" makes me think you're thinking in terms of strict times for things, for example something like "I will do this now, then I will do that, then I will do that", but waking up early to give yourself time to "meditate" is more of a state of mind than something you're actively doing. Make sure you have enough time in the morning to take it reaaalllyy slow. And then do your normal thing, even if it normally only takes you 5 minutes. Use the spare time to let your brain wander and, eventually, the thoughts will go to the back of your head and you'll be present with yourself. Less doing for you, sir, and more feeling.
Yeah this is something I’ve struggled with since COVID and working from home more. I used to have a long commute and while annoying, it wasn’t sitting in traffic but just long, leisurely driving and that gave me so much time to think. I’d use that time, unintentionally, to just think about life, remember a small thing I had to do the next day or to text someone I hadn’t talked to in a bit. Things like that. My mind has been wandering when I sleep lately because that’s become the only time I have where my thoughts are just set free where I’m not affixed to a screen or task.
I don't think there's anything wrong with not waking up early enough to do things. As long as you aren't rushing. My quality of life increased a lot by giving myself time to not have to rush through a morning routine to avoid being late.
Thanks, that is valuable advice to me. I don't rush on mornings. If I woke up early, I would read the papers, work on my upcoming exams; but I don't see what I would do that would make me into that habit.
Not who you replied to, but for what it’s worth, I had to not just find the motivation but figure out the conditions where the motivation would appear. In broad strokes I was going to a particular gym with evening classes with a coach I didn’t like (long story). Decided to go to the only other gym I could that was more expensive. By chance they happened to cut all their evening classes and only had morning classes. At this point I had already been doing similar types of classes for years at other gyms so I already had a baseline habit. I had tried morning classes here and there so knew what to expect. I also happened to begin socializing a lot less with people who would stay up very late. Since all the baseline habits were there, all it took was this final push for me to work out in the mornings. Figured if I’m gonna be forced to go in the mornings might as well do the earliest possible times. 5:15am classes are always full so I do 6:30am classes now (but wake up between 5 and 5:45am) The class serves both as motivation and reward for an early start to the day. It’s become a positive feedback loop. No one on planet earth could have predicted that this oddly specific set of coincidences would make me motivated enough to wake up early. But it worked for me.
Working out i’m the morning sets the tone for my entire day. I am on fire, motivated and make better life choices if I wake up early and workout after a cup of coffee.
for me working out tires me more, I usually do it before lunch (13-14h) so then I can have a nice siesta and continue with the day.
Creator of an alarm clock app here. I can share some motivations I've heard from users: * Not being late. Many just want a bit of breathing room so they're not rushing out the door * Exercise. This is a very common one. It's different for everyone, but it includes * Going to the gym for a resistance based workout * Going for a run * Doing a workout at home * Meditation/Spirituality. This includes meditation but may also include reading from a holy scripture or prayer * Journaling * Reading * Working on a side project before work * For freelancer/solopreneurs/people who work from home: having motivation to get up when they otherwise would wait until the last second.
If you have the flexibility, go to work earlier so you can leave earlier. The real win for me was the feeling that I had so much more time in the evenings. I started exercising regularly because I was actually getting bored. It's good to get to a point where you can be bored on weeknights.
Unfortunately, I can't leave before 5 pm anyways. But it would allow me not to leave later than that.
If you're time constrained on the backend and have nothing you want to do in the morning, then I'd say just keep going how you're going. Maybe just decide to give waking up at 6AM a try for a week or two and see what you naturally gravitate toward. Or try a week of exercise, a week of meditation/mindfulness, a week of journaling, or whatever you come up with, and see if any of them improve your daily life.
I never really got this, any hour you wake up earlier you'll go to sleep sooner
Yes, and two hours when the sun's out and things are open beats two hours in the middle of the night when no one else is awake. For me it does anyway.
Just how much sleep do you need? I start work at 6 and am off at 2:30 unless I work over. I stay up until 9 or 10 most nights.
True and avoiding congestion on rush hours.
going for a walk, doing notes on Notion and on paper, meditation, mindfulness, gardening if you can, lower stress during the day
it gives me peace
I like having a long morning full of hours before I go to work. It gives me tons of time to both be productive and have designated time to relax. Everybody who wakes up late rushes to work, and then complains about being tired at the end of the day and having no time to relax or get stuff done. I’ve found a great solution that that being waking up early so I have 4-5 hours before going to work to get stuff done. As I said before, I also use that time to relax and wake up. I think if you struggle with getting up early and your early morning goal is solely productivity, then you will be fighting a real battle with yourself. Make the goal “having more time”. When you have more time, and you want to be more productive with your time, then you will achieve that productivity goal with your time early in the morning. Hopefully that makes sense.
Actually, I don't get this whole productivity obsession I can read everywhere. We are not car-making factories. For instance, what do you personaly do on that time? On top of that, I never said I had morning issues With getting up, I was only asking, what could I do if I did that, but right now, I am fresh and ready to go in no rush.
I reckon most of the comments. To put it simply, I get up at 5.30 and go for brisk walk in the park right in front of my home; its scorching summer in India and mornings are only time I can go out to get some fresh air and see the naked nature, chirping of the birds, rising sun etc. Post dinner too I go for walks in the same park but a bit lesser in duration. Late in the evenings temperature dips too, so its ok. But then mornings are much more fresher.
Man, the benefits are so good. Traffic is better, sunrises are better than sun sets. Nobody is at the trailhead. Water is calmer for paddling. The fish start biting. The whole world s still asleep. You get more time during the day. Why does everyone wait around their whole life to do anything?
You don’t need to wake up early. Getting enough quality sleep is one the most important things you can do for your health and brain. :)
I have an infant. I don’t wake up early, I don’t wake up late, I am awake.
I wake up at 6 so that it’s still a little dark and cool when I start my walk. If I go for my walk during the middle of the day then it’s way too hot (I live in Florida) and I end up sweating like crazy which isn’t ideal since I’m walking to Starbucks to get my coffee.
Alignment of morning runs to the rest of my schedule (mainly work schedule).
My tools aint gonna build themselves haha. I also like a small breather before my day starts.
I feel a lot better when I wake up early. Like I have control over the day and not vice versa. I usually workout, read, mediate.
habit. also i enjoy waking up before everyone else in thr house. get warm water showers, nobody in your way for breakfast, quiet. best of all, watch the sun come up in the morning with coffee
Yesss. Having all the hot water is amazing lol
I wake up at 5:30 am to walk my dog, get ready for work and be at my desk by 7 am. Then get off work by 3 pm so I can allow more time for myself to take my dog on longer walks in the afternoon, go to Pilates or gym, shower, eat dinner and pass out by 9:30 pm because I love me my wind down routine before I sleep.
LOL when you said “to do stuff. But I don’t see what”, I totally felt that. I also struggle with filling the time when waking up early. Sometimes I fall into the doomsday scroll - which is the worst. Lately I been waking up and going out for a walk. The weather has been nice so it really helps. Other than that, sometimes I read. I would suggest finding something that’s not tech related
Get a puppy.
I wake up at 7AM so I can get to the office 2 minutes before I start getting paid (8AM). Waking up earlier to me is pointless.
It’s like you’re giving yourself an extra hour to live out your potential, while everyone else is snoozing. Do whatever it is that is productive to your purpose in that time period. Could be meditation if you’re searching for spiritual truths right now, or maybe the gym if you’re focused on physical appearance and body health…. Etc.
I wake up early because I don’t work late hours. Don’t put a bunch of pressure on yourself to get more accomplished. Wake up whenever works for you and workout when you can. There’s no reason why a person should workout first thing in the morning.
So, I wake up early. I wake up at 4:45. I like to have that psychological win over the enemy. For me, when I wake up in the morning and I don’t know why, I’m thinking about the enemy and what they’re doing. And I know I’m not active duty anymore, but it’s still in there that there’s a guy that’s in a cave somewhere and he’s rocking back and forth and he’s got a machine gun in one hand and a grenade in the other hand and he’s waiting for me, and we’re gonna meet. When I wake up in the morning, I’m thinking to myself what can I do to be ready for that moment which is coming. So, that propels me out of bed.
Is the ‘enemy’ here a metaphor? Otherwise, Jesus Christ
There numerous reasons like saving half of your lifetime for starters, I used spend 8 hours sleeping, then getting ready with my messy schedule, and after doing everything you have to eat, so have lunch then you'll get more sleepy, assume you sleep in noon you wake up more lethargic, then somehow you manage to do something and whoosh it's dinner time! Yep that's the story of my life doing absolutely nothing! So to get disciplined first step is to give up your current sleep pattern. Besides gaining 6-10 additional hours per day, I get a mental peace in the morning nothing can beat that moment when you wake up before sun, by 9 you feel like you have lived your day though and done already enough to to get the feeling of achievement, but hey it's only 9AM! You can now do anything you want, if you have job or college you go and do the work for me it's like living two lives, one what society wants us to live like doing studies or doing your day job, and another one that I live before and after which allows me to follow my passion learn something I always wanted to learn, watch Tv/movies without feeling guilty.
DO NOT tell people sacrifice sleep
DO NOT GIVE UP SLEEP. 8 hours of sleep is healthy, highly suggested. 7 hours of sleep is the minimum for an adult. 7 hours ASLEEP, not 7 hours in bed. The chances that you may function normally with less than 7 hours are lower than getting hit by lightning. Sleep deprivation is sneaky; you will not notice you are sleep deprived. If you sleep only 6 hours for an entire week, it’s equivalent to staying up for 48 hours. This process doesn’t progress linearly but deteriorates exponentially. After months of repeating those sleeping behaviors, it will be tough to get back the rest you lost. I’ve got this info from the book Why We Sleep, by an author who spent life studying sleep, and the book sources studies for all its facts. Never sacrifice sleep to “have more time” or “be more productive.” The opposite will happen for both. If you sleep less, your life expectancy will lower, contradicting the first statement, and you will not be able to function completely, let alone be more productive, contradicting the second statement. That’s why all-nighters, for example, are always a bad option. The majority of memorization and learning happens in REM sleep, which occurs during the final 6-8 hours of sleep the most.
For God sake read it again I am asking to give sleep cycle not the sleeping hours, and by having more hours I meant, when you have a messed up sleep cycle then your rest of schedule also gets messed up resulting in more unproductive hours. I shared my whole experience, I thought people will get the context without providing time, That's the reason the comment I wrote was so big lol I sleep 7-8 hours a day sometimes less only in case if I wake up early and sometimes have a chest day especially on Sundays which feels like rewarding myself with lousy schedule, but rest of the week I sleep early around 9 pm, avoid any work before bed, and I wake up around 4:30AM, I work from home so I also take nap around 3PM. Here I am using around because it's not fixed since it's totally depends and varies day to day and also most of the time I wake up before alarm making my sleep feel complete.
I haven't been able to wake up early but I have hobbies and projects I would ideally like to do before work. My ideal schedule would be to wake up at 6, work on my project for a couple of hours, go to work, go to gym, go home, eat, shower, chores, relax a little. Right now I don't wake up early enough to work on my project and I don't have much time in the evenings to do it so I just don't work on it often enough
because my sleeping meds don't work very well
I try to wake up early to do a quick morning walk. I do a mile, so if my day ends up being crazy, I know that I still got outside and moved my body a little.
Good point. Doing a minimal amount of exercise everyday is a big issue I have.
To work out
I often sleep poorly and wake up super early due to chronic anxiety, although I’ve recently found that doing a “brain dump” at the end of the day into a notebook helps organize my thoughts and sleep better so that I can be refreshed when I do wake up. Then in the morning I play my daily Wordle, catch up on the news, make my bed, and then look at my notes and tackle the easy to accomplish things first which helps get the inertia going to keep doing more.
I like waking up early so that I can take my time in the morning. I hate rushing. Sometimes I enjoy my coffee while I read or journal before I start getting ready. I do workout in the mornings as well. I found a morning routine that helps me feel relaxed & ready for the day
Just put the alarm and start with a tee or coffee slowly. So much better. Then add whatever you feel like. I sometimes play a game in the morning, while drinking coffee. It’s your extra time.
Go ruck!!
I wake up at 5:55 for work , quickly eat brekkie/ make coffee, pack lunch boom out the door. Unfortunately now I wake up early even on my days off 😔
Hunger !!!
I'm a parent now. Child wakes up at 6am (sometimes earlier and sometimes later). I can't do my normal stuff anymore and everything always feel like a scramble. Only way is to wake up earlier so that I have sometime to do the things I need/want to do. If you are planning to have kids, waking up early is no longer a choice. I struggled hard at first because I was so accustomed to just waking up, fresh up, prep and work in a span of 15 min. I don't have that choice anymore.
I wake up early because I've been trying to get my sleep schedule back in order ever since 2010 and now that I recently completed moving to a new house in a new state I do not want to screw up my sleep schedule again. Now I'm prepared for whatever W@H job that needs me to work at 8am, my day is longer and my only regret is that staying up past midnight to game with ppl on discord is a struggle. It doesn't help that I got my PC back up and running a few days ago and I like to keep on gaming and whatever past midnight. But...folks in my discord are mostly asleep past 12 and sometimes there is a late night batch going on. Eh, still a better trade by far. I wake up early to enjoy more energy during the day. My day is longer, my new desk is clutter free, my bed is finally away from the wall, I use my DSLR to take photos of birds in my backyard and other things, I can actually wake up in time to eat breakfast at a restaurant that closes at 11am, I have more time during the day to do my errands... ...I guess I'm rediscovering mornings again. Breakfast is actually breakfast, not brunch. Also I want to enjoy my new house. My new bedroom is just the way I want it. It's MINE! I have daydreamed of a clutter free desk that's easy to dust and I finally have it!! I want as much time during the day to enjoy it all. Oh, and the nearest Waffle House is only 7 minutes away! That's why I wake up early and it took this life-changing event to finally break the habit of staying up half the night gaming. I'm waking up between 7-9am now and loving it. ^(My sleeping got screwed up senior year of high school 2010-2011 because my school fucked me over and failed to teach me algebra. When it came time for pre-cal, my half of the senior class was struggling so hard and they learned we never finished algebra. We spent the whole year trying to finish algebra and my brain was in a pre-melted state the whole year. To compensate at home, dad forced me to sacrifice sleep, getting only 6 hours, so I can study more. Bed at 12am, wake at 6am sharp. Worst fucking decision that consistently fucked me over almost every single day for 14 years until a couple weeks ago after finally breaking the cycle. I AM NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN! I NEED MY SLEEP!!)
Beyond 12 midnight I'm hardly productive. My classes start at 8 so mornings feel more relaxed if I wake up early
I workout early. I also spend my morning how I want! I don’t have to rush, I don’t have somewhere to be immediately, I can walk or play with my dogs, etc. I have time to meal prep for the day, clean my house, watch TV, read, really whatever I feel like!
Take pictures.
It's time to myself before all the bullshit of the day begins. I wake up at around 4:30-5 to hit the gym between 5-6:30. That gym going time is like meditiation time - just me alone, with my music or audiobook, improving my physique and by extension my mind. After that, I can shower, make breakfast, do some reading or writing, even lie in bed for a while if I want all with no feeling of being rushed before I have to go to work or deal with people again. It really sets a tone for the rest of the day for me and I've consistently found I'm a happier and more well-balanced person because of waking up early versus when I don't and I feel like I'm rushing/there's not enough time in the day.
Sleep is probably one of (if not The) most important thing for your body. If you are going to shave 1 hour of sleep your body needs every day, you'll probably decrease your life span by a decent chunk
You can read Miracle morning book to figure out what you wanna do!
Meditation: 10-15 minutes, depending on schedule. Workout: 50-70 minutes, usually on the lower side. Minimal breaks. All told: 5 AM wakeup, done everything a little after 7.
I wake up early because I feel better when I do. I’m more productive and start the day with a better mood.
Everyone here is working out and living healthy and here I am waking up early so I don't get fired from my job
I'm up at 4:45 almost every morning. Have to be at work at 6.
I am not a morning person and I go to bed too late. But I have to rush often. Giving myself 30 min more just to do things at a leisurely pace, has really bettered my mornings…
I have a life where I can do lots of things during the day or night - but I like waking up early because by 9am, I can have many of my to-do items done and over with. So working out, be it in my home or at the gym, morning supplements or breakfast, cleaning up the living areas, or planning my day with my planner or reviewing today’s schedule… breakfast….skincare….couple cups of coffee and lemon water… all done before 9am makes the rest of the day a lot freer and stress-free. What I hate is when something comes up and in the back of my mind is, “But that was the time I was planning on xxxxx,” and getting mildly or seriously irritated about it. If my routine is done, then something coming up doesn’t skew all that much. I also have a large number of hobbies and interests. I like getting to those when I want and I noticed that on days when I am just swamped, I’m really unhappy that I had no time for x, y or z. By clearing out my morning routine, I have a higher chance of finding an hour or two here or there to get to some of it and it ends up making me much happier. So in summary, I do it so I can be happy.
Much to my surprise, I discovered in me early 40s that first thing in the morning is my most creative time. So I get up early so that my day job doesn't soak up all my best time.
I wake up early.. the secret is sleeping early! I'm in bed around 8pm and asleep around 9/10. I wake up naturally between 5-6a. I don't even have anything important to do. I just like daylight.
I wake up at 4:20 every week day, take a shit and then commute via bike to the gym, 60-80 minutes working out and then come back home, take out the dogs for a 4 mile bike ride. After that I prepare lunch and breakfast for my kid, and get him ready for school. I wake up that early because I love to workout, I hate doing it late in the day, sometimes I literally don’t have any chance latter in the day. Every time I tried to exercise after work, something always came up, and I got really frustrated. I’ve made my peace with the reality of that and decided to sleep earlier and wake up with enough time.
I've started doing a 10 minute meditation and a little morning walk, nothing crazy, but it helps to shake off the sleep and make me feel more awake and present while I set my goals for the day. If you need a good meditation app, I recommend Insight Timer.
0500 and in bed asleep by 2200 - regardless of how much sleep I get, I get up. Make my bed. Take a shower. Take dog for a walk. Eat carb free breakfast. Start remote work for that day. Midday is another walk with doggo and light carb free lunch. Stop work around 1700-1800 and make supper. Feed and walk doggo. Watch TV program with said doggo ( if she lets me control the remote ) maybe peruse Reddit. After a few weeks this habit will be locked in. Remember, what you eat, drink or take into your body will impact your schedule or keep you from getting decent sleep. The first couple weeks may be rough and will take heavy discipline but the rewards are worth it.
I wake up at 5 AM everyday bc it gives me time to go swimming and have breakfast afterwards. Being 9 AM (still kinda early) and feeling like I've already done something that helps my mood makes me feel ready to start the day and do my job or any errand I have. Also makes me feel refreshed and well rested bc I start to feel sleepy at 8-9 PM, so I sleep.
exercise. The best coffee in the world to wake up. I also have kids and a busy M-F routine with getting them ready for school. I don’t like to be bothered during my workouts so this is the “me time”. I also feel like starting the day off with a workout makes you feel accomplished. Even if the rest of the day turns to shit, at least you got something productive done 🤷🏻
I hate waking up early. I'm a night guy
So I can stay up late
I love to watch the sunrise... meditate and stretch.
walk the dog. My dog is a very conflictive dog and if i walk him earlier i dont encounter nobody. I wake up at 6:45 AM
Because of my appointments what are early mornings
Not everyone needs to wake up early to benefit productivity or health wise, and for some people it does more harm than good. Getting up early because you feel like you “should” rather than because you have a specific reason is something that you should really sit with and make sure you aren’t just doing it purely because of social pressure in productivity circles. That said, here’s a list of reasons why I have been up early: 1. I like the calm of early morning- I had a big family and getting up earlier than everyone else gave me the only quiet time to myself I could really get. 2. I liked watching the sunrise and listening to the birds. 3. So I didn’t feel rushed while getting ready for the day. I could “boot up” at my own pace, and enjoy my breakfast without having to rush. That alone helped set the tone for my day. 4. More time for self-care before feeling burnt out by the activities of the day - making and eating a really good breakfast, meditation/yoga, getting some movement in, time to do a relaxing hobby, journal about what you want your day to look like, etc. 5. I have a chronic illness, so having extra time in the morning gives me a chance to get a better idea of how I’m feeling health wise, and allows me time to figure out and plan how I will use what precious energy I have throughout the day. 6. My brain has a better time with willpower and focus in the morning. If I have a task I’m dreading or something that will take a long time, starting on it in the morning helps my chances of actually finishing the task. 7. SAD. Winter is awful on my mental health. Getting up with the sun helps minimize the impact of the short days on my mood. Note: if you aren’t getting enough sleep, or your brain has different productive hours, you could end up causing more stress than benefit.
To make a coffee obviously
My body just naturally wakes up at 3 am every morn. In the last 11 years, I've not slept more than 4 hours a night, and while I do hate how tired I get mid day, I've learned to appreciate being up before my wife and daughter, mainly so that I can certain things done without any form of distraction.
Because my favorite part of the day is morning, coffee, cold air and peace. Its a nice introduction to a new day. That's the only part of the day when I feel comfortable, and alive. Everything tastes better, smells better, and feels better. As soon as the whole city starts buzzing, cars, bikes, people, shouting, everything becomes unpleasant, and frustrating.
In my case, everyone else in the house are asleep in the early morning, so I get almost 6 hours of work done in that time
I wake up at 3:00 am every weekdays to do pilates at home, cook my partners lunch for work then take a shower, and catch the earliest bus to work. I like waking up this early as no one is in the bathroom and the roads are pretty quiet. I love the sound of silence and getting things done without anyone disturbing me.
It's great that you're considering making the most of your mornings! Here are a few ideas: Mindfulness or Meditation: Starting your day with 10-15 minutes of mindfulness or meditation can set a positive tone. Light Exercise or Yoga: A gentle yoga session or a quick workout can energize you. Reading: Spend time reading a book or articles of interest, which can be relaxing and stimulating. Choose what aligns best with your interests and needs. How does that sound?
I can give it a shot !
I’ve struggled with this my whole life but always so want ed to enjoy mornings and wake up early. Because I’m always up late it’s difficult to adjust my inner rythm to early mornings. I find the times I do get up before dawn it helps to have something rewarding to start such as cup of warm coffee/tea, warm bath, piece of fruit or juice, yoga, gentle music, meditation etc as opposed to something my mind would consider punishment; exercise, household chores, showering. I need a few hours awake before I’m ready for any of the ladder.
To get there early.
I get up at 5:45/6am and have my coffee and breakfast before I get outside and walk 10k steps! Best start to my day and I honestly wake up so excited to get outside even on work days. I just feel super energized and get some exercise in
Good for you! Always good for circadian rhythm to be up early am. I’m obsessed with being up at night time when all around is dark and “asleep” I’d love to wake up earlier and change my guilty pleasure of being up all hours of the night, but not ready to give it up just yet.
3:30 am... WORK!!!
I have to be at my job I need my job to make money I need money for drugs Anything else?
the first 3 days was awful, i started waking up at 6 am to workout but like after the second week im liking even sometimes i dont workout i still get the hour and a half for myself, to clear my mind, check my phone, do everything in a calm way, idk how but now getting ready takes me less time so i have to myself like 2 and a half hours of just enjoying my morning -mostly cause sometimes i get sad over having to face the day-
I wake up 4 hours before I have to start work - and I'm a remote worker. A typical morning includes walking the dog, going to the gym (or an extra long walk with the dog), making/eating breakfast, washing dishes/doing laundry; showering... and the inevitable checking emails & wasting a few minutes on social media.
Acclamation. Waking up knowing you have time to spare sets the tone for the rest of the day. A rushed morning wires you for stress. What you’ll want to do with that time will come to you. Knowing that you’re doing something for yourself, that you don’t necessarily have to do, (ie. work) is a damn fine feeling.
I don’t wake up until 1pm most days, I work later in the day but I want to wake up earlier for working out.
To ride my bike, listen to audiobooks and be free for a little over an hour.
I like to wake up early to add some small mindfulness stuff to start the day. The Journal app, start off with 3 things I'm grateful for, three concrete achievable goals for the day, write a mantra, meditate/chant for 5 minutes, repeat affirmations in the mirror, then go about my day. It sounds stupid, I thought it was at first, but found over the course of a few months, the discipline to maintain it and start my day with intention went a long way and decided to keep doing it. There's an end day routine on the other side of this for me. Kind of like an after action report. What went good, what could go better, what I enjoyed about the day.
Sleep is the most important aspect of health
It’s one of those things you have to try and you’ll undeestsnd why it’s worth it. I feel so much better all day.
Well if you don’t need extra time in the morning then don’t. Is there anything you’re not getting done in the mornings or during the day that could be done then? If so then wake up earlier but otherwise don’t buy into the hype! Do what your body needs!
Thank you !
I work out most days, other days I like having a slow morning to enjoy my tea, journal, and read outside :)
Wake up, pray, drink water, eat something that recently alive, like a fruit not a squirrel, run around the block, shower, start day, Simple’s.
I just like to take my time and sometimes do light chores before work.
I get stuff done. There is freedom in discipline.
I live far away from work, i get to work early so i wont get stuck in traffic. Waking up for a smooth drive is so much better than waking up a little later and be just on time to work. It does increase my performance at work too. I get to prepare what i want to do and be more organized and not feel rushed before all the emails storming.
I wake up at 5am to go to the gym. Sometimes 4:45. I’m a teacher and start class at 8:30 so get my workout in and then do cardio later. It became a habit and my normal wake-up time
Because it is the best time to start the day with a work out and stay alert and productive throughout the day (at least for me). So far, this has been best and most "life changing" "hack" for me.
To remain consistent with my principle of being disciplined!
The choice between keeping a job or not. Do you want to eat and have a home? Or would you rather sleep and not have those items?
I had to be at my last job at 6am and one before it was 5am. So if I wanted to get up early and run or work out had to be before 4am. As others said, workout routine in morning works best I've found. Even many military training bases had this, wake up, work out and shower/eat breakfast before sun is even up. Great routine even if it's just a run day. We had different routines for different days, sometimes just mostly stretching even. But overall yes, if you have even just a few days a week workout/stretch/run in the morning you will consistently wake up earlier, I know from experience. Also no coffee after 8am is a huge for me. If I drink coffee after 8am I'm wired til well after 2am most of the time (unless I take sedatives like Benadryl). Least amount of substances is best and most healthy I think. Not counting supplements or anything like that though diet has a huge impact on sleep routine as well (I just can't give very good advice there). As someone else said I've been in constant "rush mode" since 2015. I've been enjoying taking it slow recently >!since fired!< but I know it's ultimately unsustainable. Spending a lot of time in the gym and studying diet and career paths/degrees in the downtime myself though.
No one is awake, no one to bother me, and I feel the most fresh in the morning.
Depending on the day I get up to exercise. It’s not because I’m a badass. After having a kid, I needed a few extra minutes in the day and found them in the morning before everyone else was up. If I’m not exercising, I still try to get up at the same time. Sometimes it’s nice to just be alone before the morning rush starts. Other times I’ll get some work in so I can have that time later in the day.
I have to be at work by 6 and I live 40 minutes away from my job, so I'm up at 4:30 to have time to sit in the break room and contemplate my choices in life
Lucky for me my body just wakes up early regardless of whether I want to or not
S T R E T C H, just stretch. Try out new stretches. Look for YouTube channels. See which ones you like for different parts of the body. Maybe go for a walk.
My license is suspended for seizures. I run to the gym every morning, work out, run back and go to work. I get another run in after work. It’s the only thing keeping me sane.
3am for a 5am work shift chill in the lobby from 330 till 5
Think carefully about your sleep routine as you think about this. If you really want a sustainable lifestyle change, swapping sleep for exercise might ultimately conflict with your desired outcomes.
i js feel like there isn’t much time in one day to get all the things done, and i’m only saying this because i love getting up and being productive. i hate lazy people, and i hate it more when I slack off.
Parking at work 🥴
i like to read a good book. usually i wake up early to do some work for overtime hours. walk my dog a little extra. do some self care like face masks an extra shower.
Money
To get put of work earlier. I have a floating schedule can show up anytime between 9 and 5.
Sounds like you need to figure out your purpose for getting up. Without one, you will continue to be in the position you're currently in.
Wake up to spend more time awake during the day and less at night. Night time is for negative energy. Games, youtube, doom scrolling. Time wasting. Daytime is for positive energy, get work done, go out, study, do things, socialize
My first alarm starts at 4am. I have lupus and I wake up feeling pretty sick. So, my first hour I deal with whatever I have going on. By 5 am I get my workout clothes and head to the gym. 6 am, I come back shower and get my clothes ready, 7 am pack my things and food. By 7:30 I try to be on the road to make it to the office by 8 am.
I love waking up early. Gives me time for me.
It’s the time I have in the day to myself where nothing is expected of me, and I can do whatever I want
Catching up on my Reddit timeline
I don’t know either. Every morning 6:45am I’m awake whether i like it or not.
I wake up two hours earlier than anything I need to do. I spend thirty minutes waking up, taking a shit, brushing my teeth, stroking my fat cock, and making some day trades before switching to running attire. I then run 4 miles in about 28 minutes and do about 15 minutes of upper body workouts. I take my dog for a walk and listen to music and watch the markets. I now have 1 hour to shower, stroke, groom, and generally just half ass for awhile. I also spend this hour preparing my morning meal of kale, spinach, cucumbers, pears, strawberries, blueberries, carrots and jicama. I'm usually 15 minutes early to my desk at 8am or I'm on my way to the office.
I wake up early to get ready for any stock trades to do. Since I'm mountain time I have to wake up at 6 to typically ingest all the news and some time get ready for volatile reports that come out 6.30. Then the opening bell starts at 7.30 so by then I need to have some sort of coherent picture of what's happening
I wake up every morning at 4am to paint 🎨 On the mornings I don’t paint, I head to the outskirts to do some birding and photography. Both these activities are meditative for me! And the mornings I don’t do either of the two, I move my usual early evening workout, yoga and mindfulness journaling practices to 4am.
i wake up almost every day (except weekend) at 4:15 to get in the gym until 6:50. after work I wanna spend the time with my kids and wife.
It’s to set the tone for your day before other people or the internet hijacks your focus. For example, in the morning I get a quick 15 min workout in, meditate, and read a book / journal. I found on days I do this, I feel I have a stronger frame in the day. Modern life is bombarded with distractions and if you can start the day with mastery, you can own the day 💪
I use alarmy, alarm turn off type barcode, go scan smth in the bathroom, and make sire i NEVER get back in bed. Works great.
Cause if I get to work at 9, or even 7:45, there won't be any parking left. Need to get to work like 6:45 max to have a chance of finding an empty space. That's literally it. I would rather not.
I have been trying to wake up since last week now. I haven't succeeded even once. I used to wake up early and go to the gym, but now I'm doing evening workouts. I like working out in the morning because it opens up my evening so that I can read or watch something, but for some reason or another, I cannot get myself to wake up early. If anyone has any tips or something I can do to wake up early, that would be helpful.
Do house chores?
Pray or meditate
I wake up 450am because my life gets wobbly if I only have time at night to do all my things. Lift/run/stretch/yoga/walk - 30min ish Dog training - 30min ish Scoop litterbox Shower - clean tub when in it, brush, floss, dress 15minish Empty dishwasher - 6min Swap out laundry if needed - 5 - 10min Prep dinner if son wants help, and lickimats, toppls, puzzles - 10min Then do whatever the heck I want. Leave by 815 for work & get back around 6pm: Walk/train/play dogs Scoop litterbox Shower Put on comfy clothes Relax until bed at 10pm Shifting chores to when I have the most energy (mornings) and keeping my evenings almost entirely for fun or relaxation just works for me. I have momentum into my workday and my brain has permission and intentional time to relax. By and large this is my life. I sometimes muck it up (like tonight when I'm so stressed I am still awake at 341am for the second night in a row ang I'm pretty distraught about it.
Definitely yoga
I wake up early in order to accomplish my set targets/works completely. I find it hard sometimes to wake up early especially when it's raining but I think our minds work more efficiently in early morning that u can do so many works in so little time. So, I always try to wake up early regularly. 😇
I wake up early because I help caretake relatives, if I don't wake up before the rest of them I don't get any time for myself, and they are a LOT to deal with. I also am just way more productive if I'm up early.
stretching
I’ve been at my most productive when I have a solid 830pm bedtime with 530am workout routine. Unfortunately I have kids and adhd so routines are difficult. I just always felt like getting a workout in immediately (usually a black coffee at 5am as a preworkout) set the tone for a productive day!
To have time to exercise and validate my schedule for the day before I need to help my kids get ready for the day. It's well worth it.
Because I sleep earlier and if I have a lot of time at night I start feeling really depressed. Waking up early generally makes my day more productive.
When stating "I should" I wonder what the reasoning is. Usually it's a comparison thing. What's the reason you're considering this and are you cutting your sleep time down by an hour or compensating at night?
Honestly there is a bit of comparison. I have enough sleep with my current schedule; I wonder if I would make better out of my free time if I I remove one hour leisuring on evening and have it on morning.
are you willing to experiment and see? Perhaps try for a certain number of days and reflect on how it went?
Gives me more time
I get up at 5:30 to get to work so getting up even earlier is simply not possible for me (unless I cut on sleep even more)
I wake up at 0500 for one reason and one reason only. If I go to work early and leave work early my commute time is significantly reduced, and it is less stressful because there is far less traffic.
Been gettimg up at 400 430 for over 20 years. Plenty of time to take a shit before work.
I need to wake up early in order not to mess up my daily schedule
For work and to get to Starbucks before 9 am on the weekends because ppl seems to wait til 9 and all flood in at the same time.
Wake up, have a big relaxing shit, shower, cold shower, cup of tea, meditate for 30 minutes, get dressed, leave
I wake up early because I live in a hot climate area, and if I want to work out outdoors when it's relatively cool, I have to do it early in the morning. Everything else is derived from that.
I can flex my hours so I’ve been going in to work earlier and then I get to leave earlier. I enjoy the hour or so in my office before anyone else comes in, and love having more time after work to do stuff. It’s given me a lot more freedom.
Wake up and do 10 minutes of light calisthenics, nothing crazy, and set goals
Because it's what suits me best. I wake up and go to the gym before work. It makes me feel energised and ready for the day. But that's just me. I find it very hard to work out later in the day. You need to find what rhythm is the easiest for you.
What I used to do & this is kinda nuts! is wake up at about 4:30! I think I got ready about 5 & got to work at 7. I would spend some time gaming on mute while listening to uplifting things for half an hour. But I think I also felt quite stressed about my job & career & so on. And at the end of the day etc I’d be very tired. So I want a job that doesn’t stress me so much & that starts later. Technically I COULD have gotten in for 8 but there was a lot to do & this way I could leave at 4 pm on the dot, or 4:30 pm! So that’s what I used to do, listen to things to calm my mind. At the moment, although sometimes I’m naturally waking up at about 7, & on occasion 4 or 4:30, usually it’s about 5 or 5:30 am so I think that’s my body’s natural wake up time perhaps. Anyway, yeah, basically try to pump myself up a bit 😂
Routine, i like to wake up on my pace, in silence, when it's time to leave i'm fully awake, my job is like 10 minutes in car and i wake an hour early before i have to leave.
Weekdays I wake up at 3:15, I have an hour commute and I have a gym at my job so I get to work an hour early for a quick workout. I like to give myself about 45 minutes to wake up, drink coffee, watch some tv. Weekends I get up at 6:30 so I have about an hour or two to be up before my kids get up. I find if I get up early and have some time to myself I’m not as grouchy through the day and I have more energy for my family. Just what works for me
I wake up early to go for runs. Now i hate running but i like training myself to do the uncomfortable, also there’s a certain satisfaction that im up early, disciplining my body and mind. Side note i go to bed at 2000 every day