Why I Wake Up at 5am

Why I wake up at 5am is part of my blog about self-care.

I used to feel like I don’t have enough time in the morning because of my previous alarm time. I remember setting it up around 6:45 am and then I need to get up as soon as possible to prepare my pack lunch for work and eat breakfast. This setup made me feel like I’m rushing out of bed whenever I hear my alarm aside from I have to hurry fixing and folding my sheets. I could barely give my self another Five minutes to stay or snooze the alarm unless I’m feeling really really tired and sleepy.

Why I Wake Up at 5am

I read an article about choosing the right alarm if you want to have a calm wake up so I’ve decided to follow it. I chose a more subtle alarm tone that will make me feel relax waking up and not the feeling of jumping up out of bed. Also I have decided to change my alarm time to give me an ample time to feel the moment everytime I’m waking up and stretch a bit in bed. I notice the change and how relaxing it is for me to be able to breath, stretch my back and my arms before getting up and folding the sheets.

After a few months of having this routine I knew I could do more and better, so I have decided to set the alarm at 05:00 am the reason is I have decided to fully embrace running or training in the morning because of the current situation with Covid-19. I used to be a night runner on weekdays unless I have something at night then I have to run in the morning and also I am a morning runner during the weekends.

Given the current situation where most people are working from home I notice the sudden spike of runners in the nearby park connectors and with that I am left with a decision to embrace running in the morning where there are a number of less than Ten runners / walkers. After doing it for a few weeks my body clock has adapted and sometimes I don’t need to wait to hear the alarm as I’m even earlier.

It made me feel happier and more accomplish in the sense that first I didn’t procrastinate about waking up early, I was able to run which really felt good knowing that many are still in bed sleeping. I have this extra time to appreciate and watch the unfolding of the sunrise and read while enjoying a cup of coffee or hot chocolate after eating breakfast.

This is the kind of little luxury and freedom I do not want to neglect before going to work. Beginning my day practicing gratitude and appreciation. Whether I just did a morning run or work out I am in control of my time and when the night comes I use it to cook my meal for the next day, read something and rest.

Maybe you would ask what time do I sleep at night when it comes to my sleeping time I try to be diligent to finish everything that I do by 9:00 or 9:30 pm and that includes having dinner, cooking another meal, and working on my website or laundry.

I also like to prepare my clothes the following day and by the time its 10:00 pm I am already laying down in my bed and ready to sleep.

What is your morning routine or what changes have you adapted because of the Covid-19. If you’ve been practicing this I want to know your why’s I would like to read your comments. For other self-care articles check here.