No one likes waking up in the morning. However, it is something we need to do. We all use alarm clocks to wake up our bodies. There is one part of an alarm clock we tend to abuse; the snooze button. We keep pressing that thing until it’s too late. You’re now running late all because you pressed that button. But even when we just turn it off, sometimes we fall asleep right away. I still sometimes do this which has screwed me over a few times.
One day, I thought of a way to finally get up. My solution was to put my alarm clock in a place that forces me to get out of bed. That means I have to actually get out of bed just to turn off my alarm. You might think that I’m torturing myself. And you’re right, it is torture. I have to hear the sound of my alarm at 5 in the morning for a bit. But it’s something I got used to over time.
I started doing this during 9th grade. This was a time when I was forced to wake up early so I can go to my jazz band rehearsal at 7 AM. Not a great age to start waking up early like this but I did it anyways. It started affecting me every day since I would wake up around 5 AM. It can be the weekend and I would wake up at 5. It also affects me during the breaks to the point where vacations felt useless. Thankfully it got better over time and there were days during last summer when I would wake up at 6-8. I’m not the type to wake up super late on days off but sometimes I wish I can just do that. Some people see waking up early as a weird thing to do. However, it made me realize how much I like them. It allows me to cook breakfast, clean up, and plan for my day before it even starts.
Waking up early and not being able to go back to sleep on the weekend is just pure pain
— حسن (@H45__K) November 19, 2022
I’ve even used mornings to finish up on homework. I would not recommend doing that. That was something I learned a long time ago. I would make sure to finish it the night before so my morning isn’t so stressful. I will still study for tests early in the morning. Sometimes the last few days aren’t enough and I need to look at my notes on the day of an exam. It might not guarantee an A but it does take some of the stress off.
Another thing I would use my mornings for is playing video games. Games put my mind at ease but also wakes it up. Getting something to activate my brain is necessary for me to get through my day and having something that plays with my hand-eye coordination helps a lot. Besides, who doesn’t like having a little fun in the morning? Wouldn’t you like to start off your day with something fun rather than being reminded that you need to be serious on a day that doesn’t feel important?
It also gives me sufficient time to eat breakfast in the morning. This is why I hated lunch breaks during elementary school. Only getting 20 minutes to eat blows and you can’t enjoy your food properly. The same can apply to breakfast if you’re rushing. However, waking up early lets me enjoy breakfast every day, regardless of what I’m having. It even gives me time to sip a cup of tea. You can’t get that when you wake up late. I can even watch TV while having breakfast on those days since there’s no need for urgency.
Cleaning in the morning is satisfying since it gives you a victory early on. Something simple as making your bed is pretty effective. I can also wash dishes or do laundry before my day starts since it gives me less I have to do in a day. Your brain likes tasks like this since it makes you more organized during the day. No need for having to do big cleanings in your home if you just do a little bit every day.
The biggest benefit this has for me is the ability to be by myself for a good amount of time. I have to be surrounded by people almost every day and having at least 2-3 hours of alone time beforehand helps me out. There’s no one to bother you when you’re still getting up and nothing is in your way. The chances of it being super chaotic everywhere at 6 AM are unlikely which makes it a good environment for your body to get used to being up. Waking up with stress is one of the worst feelings in the world especially if you wake up to chaos.
Watching the sunrise is also something you don’t get just by waking up to it. Some people go out just to see it rise like it’s some special event. I can enjoy it every day just by waking up early. I don’t need to drive out to some special mountain or beach just to see it rise. I can just open my window to see it happen without just sitting there. It’s even better in the winter since the sun goes down super early. You might as well see the sun for the entirety of the day.
Mornings aren’t for everyone. Some people still can’t get around the idea of waking up in the morning. Sometimes staying up late is fun. Sometimes it feels great to just press snooze and sleep for a few more minutes. Some people have to be awake during the night which I get. The world can’t operate if we all wake up and go to bed at the same time. But for those that can wake up early, I would recommend doing it. You will realize how much you can get done just by waking up at 5 AM. Nothing will be in your way since there are fewer people around or stuff going on.