This morning, I found myself Google searching for tips on how to make it through the day with practically no sleep. I woke up at 2am and could not fall back asleep and was pretty calm about it all — until after I took a shower and felt the wave of fogginess and panic about completing a long day at work set in. Disappointing, I found it to be, to learn that one of the main tips provided was to “Take a nap, if possible.”
I have been striving to become some semblance of a Morning Person, since moving home to Georgia. My years in New York City left me thinking that people who start their days early were of a different breed and that I could not possibly be one. I, of course, had mornings in NY when I had to be up early, but not on a regular basis. I primarily worked and socialized evenings (sometimes later than intended). Some mornings are harder than others these days; today was certainly one of them!
One reason I despise being in a foul mood and/or sleep deprived is that I often find others around me to have a hard time just letting it be. During my first cup of coffee, I contemplated ways to act happy — involving fake smiles, keeping to myself as much as possible, immediately asking how others are doing first, etc… — but, it seemed pointless today. I headed out the door for work and saw myself as an apathetic farmer, prodding the sweet cow inside me into a slaughterhouse. I believe we just have to ride these thoughts and feelings out sometimes. Asking myself to quickly get rid of the fogginess and to be happy felt like asking someone with a stomach ache to eat a tray of oysters.
Two hours, two cups of coffee, two sodas, a plethora of stretches, and about a dozen splashes of cold water to the face later finally left me feeling somewhat like myself again. I even picked up my cell phone and found something particularly funny and laughed. Feeling normal always feels so special after a period of feeling strange.
One thing I am discovering as an MPIT (Morning Person in Training) is that we have to fight through, even when the day feels so drawn out and unending and the minute hand even seems to wiggle back and forth like a hostile jerk. Hopefully, tomorrow, I will be the star of the morning at the office. Or maybe just a little less whiny about it all. I have a journey ahead of me before I will be able to say that I love mornings, but I am finding tricks and drinking tons of caffeine for now. Maybe that’s what it’s all about.
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