As a kid I l-o-v-e-d sleeping in. Nothing beat the feeling of snuggling up under the covers, surrounded by pillows, with the satisfaction of knowing I could lie around and rest to my heart’s content. Well, until my dad walked into my bedroom, flipped on the lights, and yanked the sheets off my body while singing his “Good morning, good morning, to you, to you” song at full volume. I would complain; he’d tell me that I could sleep when I’m dead.
Now, as an adult, I can understand where he’s coming from—not the whole dying part, but the fact that mornings are completely underutilized. While working full-time after the birth of my first child, I swiftly realized how much I could accomplish in the wee hours of daylight, before the rest of the family woke up. I started tweaking my routine every week to figure out how to roll out of bed with a semi-decent attitude and the motivation to stay upright. It’s true you’ll have to ignore all those things that will try to lure you back to the coziness of your bed: the “Just five more minutes” mentality, a soft pillow, a dark room, your partner or anyone else (including pets) still sleeping soundly in that same bed, a quiet house, your pajamas, realizing you don’t really have to get up quite yet, feeling tired, closing your eyes, any hesitation whatsoever.
But if I can do it, anybody can. Here’s how.