Early morning is my favorite time of day. And though I have been a so-called "morning person' all of my life I still don't always understand the allure of it. I get up with ease and in a short period of time (with the help of strong coffee, THAN YOU!) I am productive. The funny thing is I often do not really feel well physically. But I'm often too busy to care or to tell...
I do think this preference for early rising pre-dates my entry into the working world but I know that 20 plus years working around a factory environment certainly encouraged and solidified that habit of getting up and getting going. I don't know how much influence my sleeping difficulties have had because I am often up but feel like someone has beaten me in the back, legs and head with a baseball bat! Not a great feeling obviously but it has not been a detriment to my beginning each day early so far.
I think I have always found something appealing about the "twilight times" of the day....they are almost magical, really. Dawn and dusk are two favorite times so the on-coming of nightfall and the call of a new day really excite something deep inside me...and that has always been the case, as far back as I can remember.
In a good way, this penchant for early rising was a benefit to me in my recovery. One of the things I found quite helpful in my own transformation from active addict/alcoholic to contributing member of society (and the Human Race) was to get a day to day routine established and follow it religiously, even if you are un-employed. There was something about getting up and taking care of my daily responsibilities that really started to instil a work ethic and a sense of responsibility. I recommend this to new comers to recovery who have asked me for suggestions. Of course all people are different but general irresponsibility seems to be a rather common trait among practising addict/alcoholics. let's face it, it is nearly impossible to be responsible when you are drunk and/or high all the time.
I have found from experience that setting this kind of daily schedule helps gives some definition and sense of purpose to the day. I was not capable of working when I sobered up...Ihad WAY too much free time on my hands for my own good so making plans and setting a schedule were awesome ideas for me. I really think I would have drank at some point id I hadn't forced myself into a daily routine.
And that has continued to this day. I know, getting up early, setting a schedule and sticking to a routine hardly seems like a big deal but when you are turning your own world completely upside down, the little things often make the difference. in my particular case, they most certainly did.
Now I'm off to town to begin this journey I call "my day"!
