Help me be a morning person - just this once!
November 4, 2013 8:17 AM Subscribe
Big job interviews tomorrow - starting way earlier than my brain usually does. Help?
I'm working on not defining myself in absolutes, but I think just about everyone who knows me would agree that I'm not a morning person. Tomorrow I have a series of job interviews totaling four hours, beginning at 7:45 a.m., with an on-demand writing exercise at 8:15. Unfortunately my brain usually doesn't kick into gear until 9:30ish.
So, I'd be grateful if you would share your best hacks to help me get up and at 'em! bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! and rock the hell out of the morning.
Bonus points if you can also help me fend off a cold (feeling that vague throat ticket and kind of tired behind the eyes) and also suggest a breakfast that will keep me from getting shaky by mid-morning. No dietary restrictions.
Morning people: Go!
I'm working on not defining myself in absolutes, but I think just about everyone who knows me would agree that I'm not a morning person. Tomorrow I have a series of job interviews totaling four hours, beginning at 7:45 a.m., with an on-demand writing exercise at 8:15. Unfortunately my brain usually doesn't kick into gear until 9:30ish.
So, I'd be grateful if you would share your best hacks to help me get up and at 'em! bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! and rock the hell out of the morning.
Bonus points if you can also help me fend off a cold (feeling that vague throat ticket and kind of tired behind the eyes) and also suggest a breakfast that will keep me from getting shaky by mid-morning. No dietary restrictions.
Morning people: Go!
Fortunately, the DST transition will help you in this: tomorrow's 8:30 is last Tuesday's 9:30. Try getting to bed earlier; even if you don't fall asleep as quickly as usual, you'll be able to wake up earlier and get more rest from it. When your alarm goes off, get up and make your bed. Now you're up and you've already accomplished something, so you can start your day.
Don't up your caffeine or sugar intake more than a little -- if you normally drink coffee, maybe make it a large instead of a regular, but don't guzzle down three Super Grande Mochas if you don't typically do that.
Get some power bars (or granola, or something you can stash in your purse or whatever). If you start getting shaky, go to the bathroom and eat half of one. Breaking the activity will help you refocus just as much as the calories.
posted by Etrigan at 8:29 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Don't up your caffeine or sugar intake more than a little -- if you normally drink coffee, maybe make it a large instead of a regular, but don't guzzle down three Super Grande Mochas if you don't typically do that.
Get some power bars (or granola, or something you can stash in your purse or whatever). If you start getting shaky, go to the bathroom and eat half of one. Breaking the activity will help you refocus just as much as the calories.
posted by Etrigan at 8:29 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Generally my advice would be to exercise depending on your normal routine. 30-45 minutes of cardio should get you going.
This may not be a good idea if you're not feeling well.
posted by bitdamaged at 8:30 AM on November 4, 2013
This may not be a good idea if you're not feeling well.
posted by bitdamaged at 8:30 AM on November 4, 2013
Light is key here. If you can, get outside in the sunshine in the morning/early afternoon TODAY. When you go home tonight, keep the lights dim and limit your screen time to try to shift your sleeping time earlier. Tomorrow morning, schedule yourself 15 extra minutes to take a brisk walk in the early-morning sunlight before you go in for your interview.
Breakfast: I'd personally go with something protein-y like yogurt + nuts and sausages. Maybe a little fruit. Definitely avoid heavy carbs like toast or sugary cereals.
posted by Bardolph at 8:30 AM on November 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
Breakfast: I'd personally go with something protein-y like yogurt + nuts and sausages. Maybe a little fruit. Definitely avoid heavy carbs like toast or sugary cereals.
posted by Bardolph at 8:30 AM on November 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
Take 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 as soon as you wake up.
posted by vegartanipla at 8:36 AM on November 4, 2013
posted by vegartanipla at 8:36 AM on November 4, 2013
OK I cycle through being a morning and noon person, but used to be a morning person pretty hardcore, and getting back to it.
Obviously, you want to get to sleep earlier than usual. Since you already have an established sleeping pattern, this will be harder; I suggest you go exercise REALLY hard a few hours before sleep. Running is probably your best bet though, you don't want to wake up with sore muscles.
Wake up well before you actually leave the house and do morning preparation and breakfast in a calm tempo. Since you're not used to this, prepare your clothes etc. before sleep, stressing in the morning won't do you any good in this scenario.
A cold shower will give you a nice blood rush right away.
Breakfast should be relatively big, and protein based. It might sound crazy but it worked like magic for me; chicken breast, rice and some greek yogurt, and then an apple or something for on the way. It might look like overkill for breakfast, but trust me on this, it's great and in general it's good to get most calories for the day before 14 o'clock. You should avoid stuff like cereal; you don't want to spike your blood sugar and feel bloated for the next four hours. I'd advise against coffee as well, but that can depend.
posted by ahtlast93 at 8:38 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Obviously, you want to get to sleep earlier than usual. Since you already have an established sleeping pattern, this will be harder; I suggest you go exercise REALLY hard a few hours before sleep. Running is probably your best bet though, you don't want to wake up with sore muscles.
Wake up well before you actually leave the house and do morning preparation and breakfast in a calm tempo. Since you're not used to this, prepare your clothes etc. before sleep, stressing in the morning won't do you any good in this scenario.
A cold shower will give you a nice blood rush right away.
Breakfast should be relatively big, and protein based. It might sound crazy but it worked like magic for me; chicken breast, rice and some greek yogurt, and then an apple or something for on the way. It might look like overkill for breakfast, but trust me on this, it's great and in general it's good to get most calories for the day before 14 o'clock. You should avoid stuff like cereal; you don't want to spike your blood sugar and feel bloated for the next four hours. I'd advise against coffee as well, but that can depend.
posted by ahtlast93 at 8:38 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
For me, the biggest factor in how alert I feel (aside from getting enough sleep) is how long I've been awake, not necessarily the time on the clock. So when I have to do something like this, the key is making sure I get up early enough to have plenty of time to wake up before I have to be somewhere. It's tempting to sleep as late as possible to maximize my rest, but I always regret it when I do that. I just have to force myself to go to bed early enough to get a reasonable amount of sleep, and then get up with plenty of time to spare in the morning.
Another thing that may be a personal quirk: when I have a really important event in the morning, I get paranoid about sleeping through the alarm, or setting it wrong, or something like that. So sometimes I'll wake up repeatedly throughout the night to look at the clock, which isn't conducive to good rest. What I've found helps me there is setting multiple alarms. It lets me subconsciously relax a bit, and I definitely sleep better when I know there are backup alarms set.
posted by primethyme at 9:16 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Another thing that may be a personal quirk: when I have a really important event in the morning, I get paranoid about sleeping through the alarm, or setting it wrong, or something like that. So sometimes I'll wake up repeatedly throughout the night to look at the clock, which isn't conducive to good rest. What I've found helps me there is setting multiple alarms. It lets me subconsciously relax a bit, and I definitely sleep better when I know there are backup alarms set.
posted by primethyme at 9:16 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Get up really early. Take a shower and get dressed. Then walk or drive to a good coffee shop. Spend at least 45 minutes to an hour pounding coffee and eating a decent sized breakfast. The key is to have been awake and functioning for several hours before you have to be on and a little wired from all the caffeine and sugar. I'd be to the coffee shop no later than 6:30, but probably be like 6:00. If you can get a 15 minute brisk walk in all the better. Review your resume and other relevant material so it's fresh when you walk in.
I've had many early morning interviews and exams that were make or break and I'm NOT a morning person. You only have to get to noon and then you can collapse so burning out early shouldn't be an issue. This has always worked extremely well for me.
Also pack a protein bar and a candy bar in case you start to crash early. If it's really bad you can alway ask for a five minute bathroom break and inhale it in the hallway.
It's not a recipe for health, but it has worked for me when I've really had to make a few hours count.
posted by whoaali at 9:34 AM on November 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
I've had many early morning interviews and exams that were make or break and I'm NOT a morning person. You only have to get to noon and then you can collapse so burning out early shouldn't be an issue. This has always worked extremely well for me.
Also pack a protein bar and a candy bar in case you start to crash early. If it's really bad you can alway ask for a five minute bathroom break and inhale it in the hallway.
It's not a recipe for health, but it has worked for me when I've really had to make a few hours count.
posted by whoaali at 9:34 AM on November 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
I've found that taking a magnesium supplement in the morning helps me to stay awake and alert far better than caffeine or Red Bull-like beverages ever did.
So does getting to bed earlier, but more often than not I'm unable to get to bed before about 10:30 or 11:00p. I'm still aiming for 9:30 or earlier, so I can get to work at a reasonable hour and therefore get home at a reasonable hour.
posted by tckma at 9:36 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
So does getting to bed earlier, but more often than not I'm unable to get to bed before about 10:30 or 11:00p. I'm still aiming for 9:30 or earlier, so I can get to work at a reasonable hour and therefore get home at a reasonable hour.
posted by tckma at 9:36 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
I second those here saying to wake up much earlier then you have to. I find that it usually takes me about 2 hours of being awake to be fully functional in the morning. So definitely set that alarm for early...I'd recommend getting up at 5am for you. Maybe do some light cardio if possible first thing in the morning but more important is to take a nice shower....hot or cold will work...you just wanna get the body to wake up with the water. Then eat a nice size breakfast. I recommend Eggs as they give you some good energy. For sure power up on some caffeine but not too much more then normal. If you don't normally drink caffeine then I say drink some....but go easy as you don't want to be shaky for the morning. Basically the goal is that by your 7:45 start, you wanna feel like you've already been up and you've settled past the morning sleepiness. It'll suck when you get up but once you're up and running, the extra hours should play to your advantage. Good luck!
posted by ljs30 at 9:58 AM on November 4, 2013
posted by ljs30 at 9:58 AM on November 4, 2013
Wake up much earlier, go to a diner, get a hugemungous omlette breakfast, eat it, voila!
I think some slight (healthy level) nervousness / anxiety about the interviews will also jolt your brain into more-than-normal morning awake-ness.
posted by WeekendJen at 10:52 AM on November 4, 2013
I think some slight (healthy level) nervousness / anxiety about the interviews will also jolt your brain into more-than-normal morning awake-ness.
posted by WeekendJen at 10:52 AM on November 4, 2013
Starting last week, get up at the time you need to.
posted by kindall at 11:01 AM on November 4, 2013
posted by kindall at 11:01 AM on November 4, 2013
Morning person here. Alarm typically goes off at 5, and I'm at my desk by 0730 after a run at the gym.
Pack it in earlyish, but don't go crazy. Get yourself totally squared away for tomorrow, then retire an hour early and read, or take a pen and paper to bed and just let your mind wander forward to the day ahead of you.
Get up, get blood pumping. Doesn't matter how or how much you hate it. Bring kickin' music. Run, bike, jog, walk, cartwheel.
Eat a moderately-sized, protein-heavy breakfast. Do NOT stuff yourself to the gills. Normal on the coffee.
Bring a water bottle. Sip on it. The recommendation for a protein bar in case of the late-morning hungries is good.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 1:03 PM on November 4, 2013
Pack it in earlyish, but don't go crazy. Get yourself totally squared away for tomorrow, then retire an hour early and read, or take a pen and paper to bed and just let your mind wander forward to the day ahead of you.
Get up, get blood pumping. Doesn't matter how or how much you hate it. Bring kickin' music. Run, bike, jog, walk, cartwheel.
Eat a moderately-sized, protein-heavy breakfast. Do NOT stuff yourself to the gills. Normal on the coffee.
Bring a water bottle. Sip on it. The recommendation for a protein bar in case of the late-morning hungries is good.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 1:03 PM on November 4, 2013
Wow -- with respect, I think some of the advice you're getting here is pretty bad. It's a bad idea to dramatically modify your routines immediately before any event in which you need to perform, espcially intellectually. (I say this as night owl who travels across mutliple timezones to speak publicly a lot, often at what are to me ungodly hours.) Don't dramatically shift your routine -- you'll risk being totally ruined and performing badly as a result.
Basically, you need to decide if you function better with little sleep, or if you need a near-normal amount of sleep.
If the former, then just get up super-early -- like 4AM or thereabouts. Turn on all possible lights at 4AM, shower and go about your normal routine, just earlier than you usually do. Drink a normal amount of coffee. Eat as much as you normally would, just do it earlier. Go for a walk and get some sun. Try to expose yourself to people -- make some phone calls, or talk with your partner. If you do this, then 8AM will feel like noon to you, and you should do okay. You will be tired afterwards, but so what.
If you don't function well on little sleep, then split the difference. Try to go to bed an hour or two earlier than normal (if you drink alcohol, have a drink or two to help you sleep) and get up whenever you need to in order to make your appointments. Maybe drink a little extra coffee and eat a little more than usual, but don't go overboard. Try not to stress out the night before -- if you do, you risk insomnia. Remind yourself that 90% of what the hiring panel will conclude about you is based on your CV, general demeanour, appearance, etc. You are what you are, and you're probably not going to be discernably all that different, just because you're tired.
In either case, assume you won't be at your best the next day, and do as much advance prep as possible. Lay out your clothes, bag, keys, etc., the night before. Plan out your routes and aim to arrive early in case things go wrong. Yes to carrying water and a little food. Take taxis instead of public transportation, and that kind of thing, to the extent you can. On the day of the interviews, ignore everything else -- just focus on powering through.
That's my best advice. Good luck!
posted by Susan PG at 1:29 PM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Basically, you need to decide if you function better with little sleep, or if you need a near-normal amount of sleep.
If the former, then just get up super-early -- like 4AM or thereabouts. Turn on all possible lights at 4AM, shower and go about your normal routine, just earlier than you usually do. Drink a normal amount of coffee. Eat as much as you normally would, just do it earlier. Go for a walk and get some sun. Try to expose yourself to people -- make some phone calls, or talk with your partner. If you do this, then 8AM will feel like noon to you, and you should do okay. You will be tired afterwards, but so what.
If you don't function well on little sleep, then split the difference. Try to go to bed an hour or two earlier than normal (if you drink alcohol, have a drink or two to help you sleep) and get up whenever you need to in order to make your appointments. Maybe drink a little extra coffee and eat a little more than usual, but don't go overboard. Try not to stress out the night before -- if you do, you risk insomnia. Remind yourself that 90% of what the hiring panel will conclude about you is based on your CV, general demeanour, appearance, etc. You are what you are, and you're probably not going to be discernably all that different, just because you're tired.
In either case, assume you won't be at your best the next day, and do as much advance prep as possible. Lay out your clothes, bag, keys, etc., the night before. Plan out your routes and aim to arrive early in case things go wrong. Yes to carrying water and a little food. Take taxis instead of public transportation, and that kind of thing, to the extent you can. On the day of the interviews, ignore everything else -- just focus on powering through.
That's my best advice. Good luck!
posted by Susan PG at 1:29 PM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you all for the good advice. My interview day went very well. I arrived calm, caffeinated and on time (thanks to an easy commute that was a big added bonus!). Now that I know it's manageable, the idea of starting this early every day (at my new job, fingers crossed) isn't so daunting.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:40 PM on November 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:40 PM on November 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
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