Waking Early

Post written by Raymund Tamayo

I love to sleep and wake up late. But time came when I decided to wake up early not only for health reasons, but also to get ahead of my day. And I was wonderfully surprised that rising early also reduces so much stress.

I used to wake up late, say, about 7:00 to 7:30 am, so I constantly hurried for work. I hurry to take a shower, skip breakfast, and drive like crazy to work. Add to that the fact that traffic is busiest between 7:30 to 8:00 am (because everyone was going to work). By the time I get to my desk, I am already stressed out.

Looking for a way out in that “rat race”, I resolved to wake up early to avoid hurrying and heavy traffic - and also to enjoy my breakfast and daily quiet time.

I started this habit last July 5, 2010, a day before my birthday. Since then, I was waking up at 5:30 am, and, since having this blog, I plan to wake up even earlier. I’ve realized the benefits of this habit, which I want to share with you:

• Enjoying the morning. Simple. If you wake up early, you can enjoy the whole morning – its beauty and its grace. The peace and quiet of the early hours. Also, for me, the morning is of great significance. It’s the start of a brand new day – a day where I will again have the opportunity to receive God’s joy and share it to my loved ones. I suggest having a morning ritual that includes praying and giving thanks for all the blessings you have received in your life. A great time to meditate and examine your life – what have I been doing? Is this the purpose of my existence?   
• Being more creative and productive. I am not saying that we cannot be creative at night, but there is a different kind of aroma and freshness that inspires me in the morning. I write my blogs in the morning. Morning is the perfect time to get ahead of my “things-to-do” list. I believe that nighttime is meant for rest and relaxation after the body and soul was worn out on all the activities of the day. This way, when evening comes around, I have no work that I need to do, and I can enjoy that time spent with my family.
• Staying healthy. I found out that health-wise, it’s good to be an early riser. But this is only true if you get enough sleep in the night. The body needs rest whether we wake up early or not. That’s why it’s equally important to get enough sleep and not force ourselves to wake up early. Also, in rising early, we can actually have time for breakfast – the most important meal of the day. For me, I realized that I enjoyed breakfast more when I’m at home, feeling every bite of food and sip of coffee, than when I’m hurrying at the office pantry or at my desk.