Rise and shine!

It’s dark.

The clock is insistent it’s time to get up.

Eventually I drag myself out of bed. Unwillingly.

I sit on the edge hunched over. The weight of my arms dragging me down.

I force myself to move.

Reluctantly I realise my day has started.

 

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I’m not a morning person. It takes me time to feel fully awake and even more time before I’ll engage in conversation.

In the summer, sunlight and warmth feels good and a few moments to appreciate it helps to kick-start me into the day.

But right now…

 

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It’s dark.

The clock is insistent it’s time to get up.

Eventually I drag myself out of bed. Unwillingly.

I sit on the edge hunched over. The weight of my arms dragging me down.

I carefully unwind my back and stretch.

I take a couple of deep breaths.

I move.

Slowly, but more decisively.

 

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In the winter I find it harder to wake up and feel enthused or energetic. If I’ve dragged myself out of bed, the day can often feel the same. I drag myself into work, from meeting to meeting, back to my desk. I force myself into my work. And by the time I’m finishing it’s dark again, and I’m feeling exhausted. The days drag. Winter drags on.

This is not good for me. This is not good for the people I work with.

 

So now I’m taking moments out of my day. First thing as I wake up, when I first realise that the sky is brightening with daylight, perhaps a glimpse of sunlight streaming through a window. Those moments where I can very briefly stop, take a slow breath, focus on something that makes me feel more positive, glad to awake to experience it.

It doesn’t always work. Sometimes I wake up and the dread of the day sits on me. Sometimes I wake up, I fluster about all that I have to do and I rush around, not stopping for those moments and end up piling through my day.

When I do stop, I can often put myself in a calmer frame of mind. Rather than drag myself or crash through my day, the pause helps me take a step back, helps me get into a more positive mind set. I feel in a better position to help others and I feel better at the end of the day, more ready for whatever tomorrow might bring.