The Clarity of Being a Morning Person: Defining Your Internal Alarm Clock
Despite fluctuations in sleep patterns, there is one constant in my life—my body wakes up around 6:30 am every morning. This consistency is a testament to my inner clock, or what I like to think of as my personal internal alarm clock. Even when I only get a few hours of sleep, I am always in a great mood when I wake up, and this period is synonymous with maximum energy and productivity.
In fact, I find that the clearest sign of my morning person status is when my eyes are usually open and ready before my phone’s alarm goes off. Around 4:30 am, my body naturally starts to wind down, aligning with the onset of the day's early morning hours. This alignment is particularly pronounced when it comes to creative activities such as writing, where my mind and body are usually at their peak around 3 am.
From 5 AM to 3 PM: A Morning Routine
During my working days, my routine was established and consisted of waking up at 5 AM, working from 5 AM to 3 PM, and returning home. It was a lifestyle that aligned with traditional morning routines, and I embraced the early mornings, even if they meant battling traffic. However, since retirement, my mornings have changed. I now wake up around 8:00 am or 9:00 am, which means I am no longer a morning person by traditional definitions.
The concept of being a morning person is, in a sense, relative. If your normal waking hour is 11 AM, but you get up ready to go and feel motivated straight away, you are a morning person, albeit not in the traditional sense. However, this isn't the case for me. No matter the time I wake up, I still require about an hour to get dressed and another hour to be completely ready to leave the house. This process can be quite lengthy, as my working days were often from noon to 10 PM.
A Morning Person is One Who Functions in the Morning
So, how do you define a morning person? If you can wake up and function effectively in the morning, and you do it on purpose, then you are a morning person. Personally, I do not fit this mold. While I do enjoy the morning, especially when no one else is awake or during early snow mornings or by the crack of dawn while camping, I would prefer to sleep till 9 AM. But that's not a choice I can make every day, so I endeavor to enjoy being ready by 7 AM instead.
Pop Out of Bed Like a Piece of Toast
The clearest sign of a morning person is someone who wakes up naturally before the sun rises, like a piece of toast out of the toaster. Such individuals feel no pain and have the energy to tackle the day. However, by 6:00 PM, it becomes challenging to find the motivation to do anything. Tonight, I face the challenge of making some turkey stuffing, and we’ll need to use a friend’s oven as ours is occupied.
Conclusion
In the grand scheme of things, being a morning person is not just about waking up early, but about being able to function and feel productive in the morning. While it is a personal preference and can vary according to individual habits, the clarity of a morning person is found in their ability to connect with the morning's energy, whether it be 5 AM or 11 AM. So, the next time you find yourself waking up before the sun and feeling energized, consider yourself a morning person, even if you do not rise with the dawn.