Okay before we dive in and chat a little bit, this Rebecca Taylor dress is the BEST and I love it and it’s on sale. She sent it to me to wear to her presentation and it’s such a good one. I don’t really do a lot of gifted items these days (Trying not to overwhelm you guys with branded content and if I’m going to partner with a brand, I’d rather have money vs. clothes) but I will always say yes to working with RT as her clothes fit me so well and are always impeccably made. I am her super fan. Also, I get asked constantly on Instagram stories about these sunglasses. They’re the greatest and only $65 – highly recommend. Also, happy Valentine’s Day, friends! xoxo
So anyway, now that we’ve got that very important information out of the way, today we are going to talk about becoming a morning person. Or at least trying to. I like to call myself a morning person in training. MPIT? If we are being honest, I never really understood the allure of becoming a morning person until very recently. The concept of the elusive “morning person” annoying. Who just springs out of bed, ready to tackle the day!? Not I. My bed is awesome and you’d have to pry me out of the sheets to get me up before 7. And besides, staying up late was so much fun. When left to my own devices with nothing to do the next day I can easily stay up til 3 or 4am just watching movies or reading. And like a lot of creatives, I was more inspired at night.
Until 3 years ago (when I left my last day job and started blogging full time), I didn’t have much of a say in the matter. I always held demanding day jobs so I had to be up. I’d be in bed by 11 and up by 7 or so. But once I started blogging full time I would fall into a (rather dangerous) trap of staying up late late late writing, and sleeping til 10. That phase only lasted a little while… I eventually fixed that and started going to bed around midnight and getting up around 8/8:30. I never thought I’d be the person who was on the treadmill by 7:30am but here we are!!! I’ve gotten a lot of questions about it on Instagram so I thought it would be fun to chat about that today.
Outfit Details: Vince Coat (from last year but this one is very similar and half off!) // Rebecca Taylor Dress (c/o, wearing a size 6, also available here and here) // Chanel Purse // Express Tights (the BEST!) // J.Crew Factory Wedges (favs – so comfy!) // Tuckernuck Earrings (sold out but these are so similar!) // Polaroid Sunglasses
So what changed?
I blame the wellness challenge. When we kicked things off in January, I found myself much more tired from a) exercising every day and b) not drinking. So I just wanted to be in bed at the end of a long day. I started making bedtime into something I looked forward to, and with that, found myself getting up earlier.
It’s really all about the gym though. This week’s wellness challenge involves working out in the morning, and I can’t tell you how much better my day is when I’m up at 6:45/7 and start my day at the gym or an early yoga class. That way, your workout is taken care of for the day and you can get ready and just live your life. I realize that this is more of a blogger problem but I used to have this really annoying thing I would do where I’d go straight to my desk in the morning, get ready and have a photo shoot or whatever, work out mid-day, and have to shower and get ready all over again. Stupid, stupid. I hate putting makeup on and I was putting makeup on twice! Not efficient! For the past two and a half weeks, I work out around 7 and am home by 8:30/8:45. It feels awesome to have the workout out of the way. If I want to I can shower and put my pajamas back on or I can get dressed and look like a productive human. (You’d be surprised how frequently I choose real clothes as opposed to sweats!!)
And that is what makes getting to bed (and getting up earlier) easier for me. It isn’t some magical trick, it isn’t that my personality has magically changed (confession: when I was in Charleston this weekend I stayed up late every night as my friend and I both love watching old movies), it’s that I know how much better my day is going to be if I get up early and get to the gym.
So whenever anyone says “I wish I could work out in the mornings!” I laugh, and I laugh hard. Because if this reformed night owl can do it, literally anyone can. I am a monster. I may look put together in the photos but in my heart of hearts, all I want to do is be a lazy slob on my couch until I fall asleep there at 3am and drag myself to bed. But at 36 years old I’ve somehow finally figured out how to adult… or at least, adult a little bit. In bed at 10, lights out by 11, up by 7. I never thought I’d say it, but I really love this routine.
How about you? Are you a morning person? A morning person in training? If so… what gets you out of bed in the morning?
photography by Trent Bailey.
Oh, man, how I’d love to become a morning person! I’m a complete night-owl and sometimes I sleep at 4am… it’s such a bad habit! 🙁
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
You could totally do it!!!
I think I am a little lucky in that I have always been a morning person and definitely agree that there is no better feeling than knocking out your workout first thing.
xo,
Em
http://www.organicallyemily.com
You are definitely lucky!
I’m totally with you! I’m not a morning person by nature, but working out before I head in to work makes sure that I get it done. If I wait until after work, it ends up taking the whole evening and a lot more time out of my day. Plus like you said, getting ready once a day is enough!
I totally agree! Getting ready is MORE THAN enough! 😉
I am THAT elusive morning person & always have been. My wake-up time on the weekdays is 5:30, as is, so getting up earlier than that to work out is nearly impossible, so I work out after work. But on the weekends I’m up and at the gym by 6-6:30 or whenever my body naturally wakes me up. I’ve never been able to sleep in past 7:30-8, so in a way I’m kind of jealous of your sleeping-in abilities.
Great job on being a MPIT!
Good for you!!!!! That’s funny that you’re jealous of my sleeping in abilities, I see it as a flaw. Left to my own devices I would sleep til noon every Saturday and Sunday but I purposely book a 9am yoga class so that I can “sleep in” til 8 and get UP!!!
I can get to the office early – in fact, I’d much rather do that than stay late trying to get everything done – but something about working out in the morning is just so hard, haha. I think I just need some coffee running through my veins before doing anything productive…working on it!!
That’s funny! I don’t want to be anywhere near my desk in the morning but I can motivate to get to the gym… I think it’s because I’m doing something for myself vs. doing something for others/work nonsense.
In the past few months, since starting a new job I can actually arrive to at 9am, I have been LOVING morning workouts! I feel great all day (though starving) but there’s nothing better than getting home and not having to workout.
Though I will say, I’ve always been a morning person. I wake up and I’m the girl that EVERYONE hates but come 8 or 9pm, I am utterly useless! I prefer to get into the office early, have some time to myself and just crank things out.
Welcome to the dark side 😉
It makes such a big difference!!!
I AM A MORNING PERSON!! For 3 or 4 years, I would show up at 7 AM Crossfit, get my workout over with, shower there, and go straight to work. It was the best to have the workout over with, and I felt like I had so much more energy. But … since having kid #1 and then kid #2, it’s all gone to hell. I still go to bed pretty early and get up pretty early, but the workouts have been sacrificed to feeding the babes and getting myself ready! One day I’ll get back …
Good for you!!!! I wish I were naturally a morning person!
I am definitely a morning person! I think this comes from the fact that I am so, so not a night owl, so by default I have to do the things I prioritize in the morning. The main thing for me is workouts- getting up is always hard, but I just remind myself how great it feels to be DONE my workout for the day at 7am, and how much I prefer a morning workout to having to do it at 5:30pm after work. Coming home after work and knowing I have nothing to do and can curl up with a good book until bedtime is my own introverted heaven 🙂
It makes such a difference, you feel so good!!!!
I was just thinking about this topic on my way home from the gym this morning! I used to hate waking up in the morning and loved to sleep in as long as I could – working out in the morning was not an option. My kickboxing gym just started offering 5:45am classes twice a week earlier this year, and I decided to give it a try because it’s so easy for me to make excuses to not go to the gym after work. It was rough the first few classes, but I haven’t missed an early morning class since they started offering them! I love that I’m getting in a good workout before most people are even awake, and dare I say that I now look forward to my Wednesday and Friday 5:45am class?! I’m not sure who I am but I love my early morning workouts, and I agree – if I can do it, anyone can. Great post, Grace!
Angela
Making it to a 5:45am class is amazing!!! I struggle with 7am yoga!
I’m definitely a morning person, although not a talkative, extroverted morning person. I’m usually up sometime between 5:00-6:00 a.m. (most of the time without an alarm), depending on my dogs and my workout schedule. Some days I head right out for a run or bootcamp, other days I love nothing more than to snuggle on the couch with my dogs, some espresso, and a good book. I do tend to go to bed early, but I like it that way, because I much prefer to get up early and get a jump on the day. Even on the weekends, I love getting up and getting my long run done before most people are even awake yet!
Good for you – I wish I were more like you!
I often read your posts and think “we’d be great friend in real life”. I am totally with you on being a MPIT- my natural state was to stay up late and sleep in. Then I moved to go to bed earlier and still sleep in 🙂 Honestly, if I could sleep half the day I’m pretty sure I would!
I’ve started to embrace mornings. I’m trying to be a morning workout person, with mixed success, but am good about getting up on time (the Kiwake app doesn’t let you sleep in!). If I’m not working out I like to take that time to read or savor a quiet breakfast before my kids get up.
We’ll see- that getting out of bed part is the toughest!
Aw I love that!!! I would sleep half the day if I could too.. I love sleep so much and nothing makes me happier than getting a solid ten hours! x
Great topic! I love working out in the morning because it gives me energy and makes me ready to start my day. Next thing I want to try is a workout class and ballroom dancing.
Thanks!!
I am that annoying morning person who LOVES waking up early, but I always have. I never slept past 530 am until I went to college! Nowadays I have to be at work at 7, so I wake up at 4 to meditate, journal, workout – the whole 9 yards. It’s amazing how well my day goes if I start off with my mind right. My boyfriend is a NIGHT OWL, like stays up until 2 am every night and he thinks I am total loony toon!
I’m so impressed by this – 7am is a struggle for me!
I’ve been trying to become a morning person but it’s so hard. Ideally I’d like to be up by 5:45am so I can workout in the mornings before work but I’m just always so tired at that time even when I go to bed early the night before. Right now I’m up by 7 and out the door by 8 for work. Waking up at 7 is still a struggle for me on most days!
7 is a struggle for me as well!!!
I’m a total morning person! Alas, so are my kids so we are all up around at 6 am. My husband leaves for work at 7:15, then I drop off the kids at daycare before heading to the office so getting to the gym in the morning is just not possible. As I was making two dozen heart shaped PB&Js at 6:15 this morning for a class party, I thought: I so wish I was at the gym.
One day they will be older and I can get back to my early morning workouts! It’s a season.
That’s amazing – good for you!!!
Funny but I have always been a morning person! No matter how late I would go to bed, I would be up early and ready to “go” in the morning. I also think that it’s easier to keep up with the consistent training/ better energy levels throughout the day if I start my day by going to the gym or for an hour fast paced walk.
I also think that you get much more out of your day if you start it properly and “early” enough.
https://lartoffashion.com
Good for you – I wish I were more of a morning person by nature!!!
Literal non-morning person here: my natural wake-up time is between 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm. Sure, I feel great when I run a 10k or half marathon that started at some dumb time before the sun was even up. Then when I get home I go back to bed until afternoon like the good Lord intended.
Everyone is different! x