Waking Up Earlier
Waking up earlier than normal is a simple solution to find some extra time in your day.
I spend anywhere from 3-4 hours per day engaging in spiritual practices as a modern monastic. As someone who has multiple responsibilities as a husband, father, and employee, it can be hard to find time throughout the day to actually do this. I seem to be on a never-ending quest to be more creative with how I use my time and with finding space in my day for the spiritual goals that I've set for myself. I'll probably keep adjusting my routines and schedules until the day I die. And that's OK. I've come to accept this reality as I live in a modern world.
One of the simplest (and perhaps hardest) things you can do to find more time is this: wake up earlier. Waking up earlier than normal is a simple solution to find some extra time in your day. Many people have discovered the benefits of waking up earlier and having some time to oneself before everybody else in the house is up. But although this is a simple idea, it's actually hard to implement. The reason it's hard to do? I really like sleeping. And I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this love for slumber. So, waking up earlier than usual can be a challenging task for many. I've been trying it for a few months now. Here are some things that have helped me with this practice.
First, I try to go to bed earlier so that I can get enough sleep. I'm not advocating for sacrificing sleep so that one can wake up earlier and pray. Sacrificing sleep should be a last resort. We should take care of our physical and mental health, which requires that we get proper amounts of rest. If we want to wake up earlier, we will have to sleep earlier. If we don't, we'll wake up very tired. And we won't be able to sustain this practice for the long haul.
Second, I'm gracious to myself. If there are occasions when I don't wake up at the time I want, I don't beat myself up about it. I'm gracious to myself. And I just keep trying and trying. Don't get bogged down if there are days when you're not able to wake up at the time you said you would. Just be gracious with yourself and try again the next morning.
Third, I give myself permission to not do this every single day. It's not actually my goal to wake up early every single day. Instead, I've set a goal for myself that's a little bit more manageable: I will wake up early five times a week. This allows me to select two days a week where I give myself a break and where I give myself permission to sleep in (I really look forward to these days!). This really helps keep things manageable as I know that I can have a break at some point during the week. I don't feel like I'm forcing myself to do this every single day without stopping.
Fourth, I set my alarm earlier than usual to give myself a chance to "snooze." I really like snoozing. Who doesn't? So, I built this into my habit. I'm not the type who can get up right away when the alarm rings. I take this into consideration. I set my alarm earlier than when I actually want to wake up and allow myself to snooze. Some of you might be able to get up right away when the alarm hits. Good for you. I, on the other hand, am not able to yet. And so, I take this into consideration and work around it.
Lastly, I have a plan (which I'll discuss in the next blog post) in terms of what I'm actually going to do when I wake up earlier. I don't leave myself guessing at what I should be doing when I wake up. I have something prepared so that I can get into it as soon as possible and make the most of being awake at such an early hour.
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
