On Taking A Few Minutes Before Getting Out Of Bed.

Posted: January 21st, 2010 | 6 Comments »

In the past week, I have been spending more time in bed. Not all day long, mind you, but rather right after I wake up. For most of my life, I always bounded out of bed the minute my alarm went off or the sun came up. But no more – I have found that by staying in bed for 20-30 minutes after I wake up helps me do some rational thinking without the distractions of the computer, radio, TV, books, or just everyday life. I wake up, stare at the ceiling, and spend some time with my thoughts rather than waking up and running from them.

We rarely get a few minutes to actually think during our days, and I have found this time in the morning invaluable to my mental well-being. Granted, I have the luxury of getting up whenever I feel like it (I don’t even have a clock in my bedroom), but I imagine I would try to have this routine even if I had to get up for work every day. It gives me time to think about what I need to do this week, what blog topics I may feel like writing about, what may have happened yesterday, or what may be eating at me at the time. Without this time, I feel as though I would be ignoring the important stuff while dealing only with the day to day b.s. – and now I feel addicted to this short “break” in the morning.

Now, my bedroom is pretty simple – I have 4 things in it, which helps me to stay relaxed and at ease in the room. I have a bed, 2 side tables, and a dresser. The walls are white, the bedding is white, I have huge windows facing east to get the sun at sunrise, and the floor is nicely carpeted. It’s a pretty serene place, and one that has allowed me to start spending some time with my thoughts.

I recommend you do the same, if you can. It may just change your life.

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6 Comments on “On Taking A Few Minutes Before Getting Out Of Bed.”

1 Jesse said at 11:33 am on January 21st, 2010:
Very nice…I try to do the same thing, followed by a short meditation. Then I deal with the aches and pains caused by hoisting myself.
2 Sara said at 11:55 am on January 21st, 2010:
Can we see what your non-clutter room looks like? I’m trying to get my bedroom to be more like that- white!
3 Charley said at 1:52 pm on January 21st, 2010:
I agree, David, it’d be cool to get some pictures. I wish I had that luxury to stare at the ceiling and do some quiet contemplation each morning. I did it for years before the kids, but now we are usually awoken my a screaming baby or three. I will say though that I haven’t need an alarm clock for about a decade.
4 Wellington Grey said at 7:03 pm on January 21st, 2010:
This is an interesting idea, however it would not work out with my crusade to wake up earlier. I found the #1 enemy to getting up is lingering in bed for even a moment.

Have you ever tried meditation? I’d like to know if you find that it provides you with the same clarity / distraction free environment as your bed.
5 Buffie said at 7:57 am on January 22nd, 2010:
My mornings now usually start with yells for “mommy, mommy” which doesn’t lend itself well to staying in bed. But, back before I answered to mommy I use to keep my journal next to my bed so I could write for a half hour or so when I woke up.
6 Frances said at 7:00 am on February 24th, 2010:
Nope, no good. I just fall asleep again!