The 5am Club: Yes. You. Can!

 

I want to put a huge disclaimer at the top of the post - If you are a mom who is struggling to achieve a healthy amount of sleep, then this post is not intended for you. I say this in the most loving and respectful way possible. The truth is, there are so many ways to exercise self care and the subject matter in this post is only one of them. 

As a mother of a now-18 month old toddler, I am well aware of how lucky I am that we've arrived at this stage, that my daughter, and myself as a result, are both getting a full night of rest. Please do not feel badly if your stage of life looks different than mine. I hope to never spread shame or judgment, only to share my experience in the hope that someone in a similar situation to myself needs to hear it. Always to motivate or encourage, never to preach. 💓

The 5AM Club

Over the years, I have always cycled in and out of a morning ritual. While my loved ones will be the first to tell you that I am no morning person (beware of me before that first cup of coffee), I do tend to find that I am at my most productive in the mornings. 

Of course, that first year after having a baby the idea of willingly sacrificing sleep was laughable. But as my daughter inched closer to the 18 month mark and we had finally gotten to that blessed restful night of sleep, I began to feel that perhaps I was ready to reclaim some of my time. 

Proactive Instead of Reactive

I used to lay in bed, savoring each minute of my head on my pillow until I heard my daughter on the baby monitor. Then I'd groggily get up and get her, responding to each of her needs before my phone began pinging from work emails, the dogs needed to out, I was called into a meeting, and so on and so forth. I realized that I didn't like the feeling of my day happening to me. What I desperately wanted was to lay a path for myself, to choose my priorities and my intentions instead of getting sucked into whatever was smacking me in the face at any given moment. 

Reclaim Control

I decided that whatever amount of time I was up before my daughter was my time to do with as I pleased. If I wanted to use that time for my body, that my choice. If I needed some extra time to finish a work project, that was my time to control. It was remarkable how that small shift in perspective really changed things for me.

An Act of Self-Discipline

Naturally, changing your schedule requires things to move around a bit. If I was to get up at 5 and I still wanted a full 8 hours of sleep, I'd need to be closing my eyes at 9. When you factor in all the little bed time rituals, not to mention household chores I like to get done in the evening, that doesn't give much wiggle room. There were plenty of nights where I didn't make it to bed on time, and yet I still dragged my booty out of bed when the alarm clock went off. I decided that, for me, those mornings were important to show myself that I could do it, that I could get up at the time that I wanted to regardless of the circumstances. Because there are always going to be reasons to delay my goals and sometimes the only way to make it happen is through force of will. 

You Won't Be Perfect

Granted just as soon as I began waking up at 5am, my daughter decided to stay up past her bedtime. This of course, pushed mine later than scheduled as a result. That morning, there was no prying my exhausted body from the bed at 5am. It just wasn't going to happen. But when 6am rolled around, I decided to get up and claim whatever remaining time I had. This was important to me, because I could have told myself "You've already blown the morning, so what? Stay in bed." Rather, I decided I wasn't going to be so black and white. That any time I gave to myself, was a gift to myself. And I wasn't going to squander that gift because it wasn't perfect. 

Some Ideas for Your 5AM Ritual

Of course, whatever time you choose to wake up is dependent on your family's schedule and preferences. On a good day where everything goes according to plan (rare, but it happens), I can get a good 2 hours to myself if I wake up at 5am. 

I like to divide this time up into segments:

2 one-hour blocks

or

4  thirty-minute blocks

The first hour, I like to dedicate to my body. First, I take my coffee in a to-go mug and go for a stroll around the neighborhood. Not only does it feel amazing, but I'm burning calories on an empty stomach - essentially multi-tasking my self-care and exercise goals. Once I get home, I like to do some stretches and then try to give myself about 20 minutes to follow a guided meditation. I've found this practice immensely helpful in maintaining a healthy mindset throughout my day.

The second hour, I like to dedicate to my passions, which I rotate based on the day. One day I may study French, followed by 3 days of blogging, a day of reading, one day chipping away at that piano piece, and maybe give myself a day of doing whatever I feel like. 

If on any of these days, I decide I need to spend the time catching up on work, then I do so. But that is a deliberate choice, and only done if I feel that the work will free up some of my headspace. If it doesn't, then I allow myself to spend the time doing whatever feels good.

 I try to move past the feelings of guilt or obligation and remind myself that I am carving out time for me. Because even the most selfless moms still need to recharge their batteries. Whether it's every day, once a week, or even an hour. Ask yourself, where might I carve out time for me? The 5am club just might be the answer. And if not, that's okay too.

If no one's told you today,

You're doing great, Mama. 💓

I am a blogger mama raising a toddler as I attempt to work from home, keep food on the table, and keep the house intact, all while finding those precious moments of self care. I hope my blog encourages moms to take it all in, to savor our time with out children without forgetting about ourselves in the process. My goal in creating this space is not about productivity, but getting the most out of this life we are lucky to live. Whether that means pursuing your passions or being a happy and present mom. Not to encourage moms to do more, but to support moms in whatever they desire to be.