If you spring out of bed on waking, all fizzy and bright-eyed, this blog is not for you. But if, like me, you feel super-glued to your bed, blissfully yawning and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g between cool sheets, then I’ll happily tell you how, after much experimenting, I’ve cracked the problem – at least for myself. It took some doing, believe me, as I love my bed.
On first waking an hour or so before I’m due to get up, I set the alarm for another forty minutes– and promptly go back to sleep! On being woken a second time, I do my hip and spine-stretching exercises as I listen to the radio. That done, I switch off the radio and think of five positive things to which I’m looking forward later that day.
Once in this positive state of mind, I re-set the alarm for another five minutes and promise myself that I’ll throw off the duvet and get up the minute it rings. Once up, I’m in the kitchen, brewing my morning coffee and wiping sleep’s gunge from my eyes.
It’s illogical to feel tired after a proper night’s sleep, but many of us tell ourselves that we can’t start the day without a good cup of coffee. Because I attribute this ritual more to the mind than the body, I reduce the amount t of coffee I drink and probably feel the better for it. As the jug kettle duly boils, I put the radio back on and finally feel ready to face the new day.
What a meal I made of this, you say. Why don’t I just get up without the need for all this preparation? The short answer is that I can’t. Trust me, I’ve tried doing that umpteen times and have failed miserably as my need to go back to sleep has overridden everything else. Mind you, if the house were on fire or I saw a snake circling the room, I’d be out of bed like a shot, but you don’t encounter snakes and fires every night, do you?
No, I’m glad to say that my well-honed morning routine has finally paid off and I’m now up every morning at the appointed time, with a positive attitude to whatever the new day may bring. If you find it hard to get up in the morning, you’ll devise your own solution. Suffice it to say that my routine works for me. If it’s of any use to you, feel free to help yourself…
© Robert Eddison 2022