My eyelids fluttered, I felt oh so dreamy and relaxed.
I kept them closed as I lengthened my body, enjoying the feeling of my toes skimming the clean, crisp sheets.
I could hear the birds tweeting and chirping outside my window, almost as if they were introducing the day with their chatter.
I felt so alive, restored and rested I guessed it must be time to get up, time to get going.
I hesitated, before glancing over to the clock, convinced the alarm was ready to go any minute and to my utter delight I still had 20 minutes. 20 whole minutes for me to spend in the unique beauty of the beginnings of a day.
I reached out, my hand caressing the warm glow of the morning sun streaming in to my room.
I smiled briefly, knowing the reason I was awake, the careful decision I made to bestow myself with the very simple and rejuvenating gift of an early and regular bedtime.
You see I am a night owl, often tapping away on the keyboard into the wee hours of the morning. Alone, in the quiet dark house, I lose track of time and rob myself of precious hours of rest. The next day my alarm interrupts my deep, restorative slumber, leaving my head heavy on the pillow and my eyes sore and scratchy.
Not today, today I have 20 glorious minutes to do as I please. 20 glorious minutes to indulge my own desires, 20 glorious minutes to begin my day, 20 glorious minutes to enjoy in my revitalised state.
So began my list of 20 things to do when you wake 20 minutes before your alarm.
- Remain in bed lost deep in thought
- Sit outside and enjoy a morning cup of tea with nature
- Take a bath
- Read your book in bed
- Watch a morning news show
- Grab your camera and take some photos of your home basking in the glorious morning glow
- Listen to a podcast
- Meditate
- Write in your journal
- Repaint your nails
- Go for a walk around the block
- Send a Good Morning text or email to your Mum, your sister, your bestie for no other reason than to brighten their day
- Roll over and lose yourself in an embrace with your significant other
- Lie very still and imagine the birds are indeed chatting with you
- Write a card to a friend and let them know that you are missing them
- Flick around on Instagram, Flickr or Pinterest and enjoy all the pretty pictures
- Straighten your hair instead of waiting for the weekend
- Put on a face mask and exfoliate your body
- Sit in the warmth of the sun streaming into your home and soak in its incredible energy
- Watch your children as they sleep.
Let’s keep this list growing.
Leave me comment and tell me what would you do with 20 minutes all to yourself in the morning.
I so wish I could do #2. Lately the mornings are still dark and so cold (and rainy/snowy) when I wake up at the first sound from my son.
It would be such a delight to wake up before him. And when I do, I love to take a book or magazine onto the deck, weather permitting.
Tamara for many years I awoke to my sons face at 5am, yes years. My kids are 9 and 7 now and sleep until 7am, even later while on school holidays and it is such a treat to get that little time back in the morning. It will come.
20 extra minutes. A cup of coffee before my kids gets up for school, a few minutes reading blogs so I don’t feel so far behind at night, writing, working on my SEO for my blog. Spending some time with God should be on the top of that list..
What lovely suggestions, I always need more time to lose myself in some blog reading too and with a nice cuppa perfect.
20 extra minutes…
I’d make breakfast for my husband and enjoy some peach tea. Or read a book or scripture on the couch, curled up under a warm blanket.
I could always clean, but there’s something about taking 20 minutes of silence to meditate and pray that makes the day so much better.
Thank you for reminding me to take that time.
Kim peach tea sounds delicious and I agree 20 minutes of silence to start the day is a whole lot better than cleaning.
No. 4 read a book in bed would be wonderful. I’d also like to add: eat a treat that you would normally have to share if the family were awake.
Nicole I love it, the sneaky treat all to yourself is on the list.
what great suggestions babe…I do enjoy the weekends where I can sleep till 6 instead of getting up at 5 and ready for work. Though I mostly wake up at 5:30 and just enjoy laying in bed thinking and relaxing…or sipping my coffee.
I always go to bed early…I usedto be a morning person…now I’m always tired, LOL
Happy Saturday Sharefest
That delicious feeling as we lay in bed relaxing, that is what weekends are for.
Thrilled you stopped by.
So wonderful! I”m more of a middle of the day person. That part of the day is spent working. Boo! I don’t stay up late and I never use an alarm. I get up when I get up. If I have to skip a shower that day to get to work so be it.
Carla a middle of the day person, that fascinates me. For some reason I had always considered people to be only morning or night. No alarm to get up sounds very appealing too.
My answer will always be to lie in bed a bit longer. Knowing I don’t have to get up yet is glorious in and of itself.
Thanks for the reminder that I need to get back to work on my sleep schedule. It’s so easy to get lost in those late night hours when the house is quiet. But I do pay for it the next day.
Happy Sharefest.
Those late nights are certainly enticing and like you I do pay for it the next day. I remind myself now of that glorious feeling as I wake early and that gets me off to bed. Good Luck
I very rarely get 20 minutes in the morning, I’m usually scrambling out of bed at the sound of the alarm. My erratic sleep pattern is the cause for this. On weekends when I have no plans, I wake up leisurely, grab a book and begin to read…I do this until my stomach begins to growl. It is the best feeling in the world.
Tami how decadent, reading until your hunger takes over. That is what weekends are for, enjoy.
I love waking up early but I rarely do! I love just getting up , having a coffee and sitting outside, listening to the silence. Just having that spare moment of relaxation sets you up for a great day.
Grace it is so true, enjoying the morning silence, just before our energies rise for the day, seems to set us up for a great day.
I have a lady I pass every morning on my way to work. She is sitting on her back deck with a cup of coffee enjoying a newspaper or a book. Every morning. I have to say, that makes me SO jealous! It’s dumb because I could do that if I wanted to, but instead I choose to spend my morning time dawdling around checking Email and fussing around with other things. #SITSSharefest
Hi Adrian, maybe plan one or two mornings each week to start with that relaxing cuppa before diving into your email. Great way to start the day
I am a night owl too but I am working on changing that. I’ve been trying to go to bed before midnight (baby steps here) but I am waking up earlier and getting a lot done! I think I am more productive early in the morning than late at night.
Michelle I am finding the same, those early morning hours are glorious.