There was just no way for me NOT to share THIS POST from Jezebel. It confirms (with actual scientific studies) a theory I have struggled with for a long time. Basically, that morning people are happier than people like me. I have written about this a few times that I can remember, particularly in a recent post about circadian rhythms and as evidenced by the fact that one of my "label" options for posts is "I'm really not a morning person".
It's clear to me that morning people are happier because I have always lived with such creatures. My mother wakes up at like 4:30 in the morning to go to work. When I make any plans to meet up with her on the weekends, she always wants to get going way earlier than I ever even see the numbers on the clock with an AM next to them. And she is one of the cheeriest individuals I know. After living with my mother, I somehow married a morning preferring person, too! He is one of those weirdos who doesn't even need an alarm clock. He can need to wake up at 6am one day and 730 the next and somehow his body just internalizes that fact and wakes him up on time. Meanwhile, if left to my own devices, I would sleep until soap operas were starting. The only benefit is that I can also stay up pretty late so I get to learn about all sorts of exciting infomercial products. (I still really want to try Pajama Jeans). He, too, is one of those people who others universally describe as "nice" and "happy". I'm pretty sure those are not the top two words that come to mind when people have to describe me. Something akin to cantankerous might be a better fit for me.
This article also gives a really simple, logical answer for why morning people are happier. If you are already going to be awake, you don't mind going to work as much as those of us who would rather be sleeping. Perfect answer. Ya, if you are all bright eyed and bushy tailed at 730, why not go get stuff done? Me, on the other hand...I don't want to get things done until about 11 am so those 9 am meetings are a bit more challenging.
Anyway, I get really excited about this topic because I really feel like I should start a night owl equality movement. NOEM. We can pronounce it like "gnome" because the Travelocity gnome is a big hit and that movie from the 60s or 70s, "the gnomemobile" is a classic in my book. Who's with me?
Showing posts with label I am not a morning person. Show all posts
Showing posts with label I am not a morning person. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
6 Reasons Why Today is Not My Day
Today is not my day. Let me give you a list of evidence to prove my point:
1. While driving through downtown (which is really never wise) a man, who I am just assuming has a substance abuse problem, 100% walked in front of my car. While I was moving. I had a green light and we were nowhere near a crosswalk. Unlike other bossy pedestrians, this man truly did not even turn his head a little to see if cars were coming or stopping or any other verbing. He just looked straight ahead and plunged into traffic like a man on a mission.
2. I guess I should backtrack and say that the day started out bad based on the fact that I had to wake up far too early for a dr's appt. It wouldn't be as bad if I wasn't still suffering from the impact of daylight savings stealing an hour of my beloved sleep. So early feels even worse this week. Accordingly, I had morning meetings every day.
3. I had an 8:15 appt with an ear, nose and throat specialist. I got there a little before 8:10 and avoided a creepy guy on the downstairs level of the medical building only to find the office dark and the door locked. So I found a chair and played some Words With Friends because I am adaptable. Around 8:23, I had no more opponents to face so I looked up the number for the doctor's office to see if there was an outgoing message about a death in the family causing all appts to be canceled or something else valid like that. I got an answering service who told me they don't answer the phones until 9. Hmmmm. Then why schedule an appt 45 minutes prior to that? In the midst of that conversation, an employee arrived at work and unlocked the door. I trailed her and poked my head in the office but she must have been turning on the lights in the whole suite so I just stood there doing a virtual hokey pokey with my body in the hall and my melon in the office, not wanting to scare her and having a mental battle with myself as I tried to figure out how to not take my aggression out on this woman but also not apologize for something that they should be apologizing for. She finally appeared and had me sit down while she called the cell phone of the girl who was supposed run some test on me. No answer. Then I heard her talking to a person I later found out was an office manager and overheard "she shouldn't make appointments in the morning if she can't get to them". When they finally got the girl on the phone, I was told she would arrive in another half hour. Really? I didn't make a 9am appt. I would have liked to have slept that additional 45 minutes, too. But I have my own job that they like me to show up for so I left.
4. I'm wearing my skinny jeans but feeling anything but.
5. And then I look at Pinterest for some workout motivation and all I find are dessert recipes that made me start wanting lunch at like 11:11.
6. My office scissors are missing and I really want to trim a split end.
So the moral of the story is that waking up early is bad and I am cranky.
1. While driving through downtown (which is really never wise) a man, who I am just assuming has a substance abuse problem, 100% walked in front of my car. While I was moving. I had a green light and we were nowhere near a crosswalk. Unlike other bossy pedestrians, this man truly did not even turn his head a little to see if cars were coming or stopping or any other verbing. He just looked straight ahead and plunged into traffic like a man on a mission.
2. I guess I should backtrack and say that the day started out bad based on the fact that I had to wake up far too early for a dr's appt. It wouldn't be as bad if I wasn't still suffering from the impact of daylight savings stealing an hour of my beloved sleep. So early feels even worse this week. Accordingly, I had morning meetings every day.
3. I had an 8:15 appt with an ear, nose and throat specialist. I got there a little before 8:10 and avoided a creepy guy on the downstairs level of the medical building only to find the office dark and the door locked. So I found a chair and played some Words With Friends because I am adaptable. Around 8:23, I had no more opponents to face so I looked up the number for the doctor's office to see if there was an outgoing message about a death in the family causing all appts to be canceled or something else valid like that. I got an answering service who told me they don't answer the phones until 9. Hmmmm. Then why schedule an appt 45 minutes prior to that? In the midst of that conversation, an employee arrived at work and unlocked the door. I trailed her and poked my head in the office but she must have been turning on the lights in the whole suite so I just stood there doing a virtual hokey pokey with my body in the hall and my melon in the office, not wanting to scare her and having a mental battle with myself as I tried to figure out how to not take my aggression out on this woman but also not apologize for something that they should be apologizing for. She finally appeared and had me sit down while she called the cell phone of the girl who was supposed run some test on me. No answer. Then I heard her talking to a person I later found out was an office manager and overheard "she shouldn't make appointments in the morning if she can't get to them". When they finally got the girl on the phone, I was told she would arrive in another half hour. Really? I didn't make a 9am appt. I would have liked to have slept that additional 45 minutes, too. But I have my own job that they like me to show up for so I left.
4. I'm wearing my skinny jeans but feeling anything but.
5. And then I look at Pinterest for some workout motivation and all I find are dessert recipes that made me start wanting lunch at like 11:11.
6. My office scissors are missing and I really want to trim a split end.
So the moral of the story is that waking up early is bad and I am cranky.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Further evidence of Circadian Rhythms
rhythm. when is the last time you wrote that word? what a weird word to write. it doesn't feel right at all.
anyway, i know next to nothing about circadian rhythms but i think i believe in them. the basic idea is that our bodies are all different in their wake/sleep/high/low pattern. basically, you are naturally a morning person or a night owl because your body prefers one or the other. not being a morning person in a world that clearly values them and their circadian rhythms over mine, i feel comforted by some research that justifies that i am not more lazy or less motivated than my hubby and/or mother who can wake up at 630am after only 5 hours of sleep and smile at the world. how's that for a run on sentence?
my job start time changes from day to day as does where that day begins. one day recently i had to be in a court 33 miles from home before 9am. scheduling like that hurts my brain and my soul for days in advance and i genuinely feel the residual impact for days in its wake. but what can't be cured must be endured so i woke up extra early, pulled myself together and got in the car for my monster commute. i averaged 28 mph for the first hour and it took another half hour to get the remaining 5 miles. given that at least half of this trip was on the highway, this is just coo-coo pants. along the way, i almost got in a head on collision with an aggressive suv pushing the boundaries of his traffic line in 4 lanes of traffic on a road that really fits 3, saw a man run across the street barefoot while carrying his boots in his hand, and made up at least one new curse word. did i mention i don't drink coffee? so there's nothing that is really a logical fix for these kinds of mornings.
the following day, still tired from the day before, i at least got to sleep in a bit because i was scheduled to work a meeting that would run until like 9pm. i had every intention of making it to an am yoga class but am workouts are kind of like gnomes to me: i have no evidence that they actually exist because i never see them. instead of yoga, i caught a little of the view as i got ready. that is one show i could never be on! their "debates" get really anger filled. at first i thought "why are they so angry so early in the morning?" and then i realized it's probably about their circadian rhythms. maybe elizabeth hasselback or whatever her name is should argue with larry king instead.
anyway, i know next to nothing about circadian rhythms but i think i believe in them. the basic idea is that our bodies are all different in their wake/sleep/high/low pattern. basically, you are naturally a morning person or a night owl because your body prefers one or the other. not being a morning person in a world that clearly values them and their circadian rhythms over mine, i feel comforted by some research that justifies that i am not more lazy or less motivated than my hubby and/or mother who can wake up at 630am after only 5 hours of sleep and smile at the world. how's that for a run on sentence?
my job start time changes from day to day as does where that day begins. one day recently i had to be in a court 33 miles from home before 9am. scheduling like that hurts my brain and my soul for days in advance and i genuinely feel the residual impact for days in its wake. but what can't be cured must be endured so i woke up extra early, pulled myself together and got in the car for my monster commute. i averaged 28 mph for the first hour and it took another half hour to get the remaining 5 miles. given that at least half of this trip was on the highway, this is just coo-coo pants. along the way, i almost got in a head on collision with an aggressive suv pushing the boundaries of his traffic line in 4 lanes of traffic on a road that really fits 3, saw a man run across the street barefoot while carrying his boots in his hand, and made up at least one new curse word. did i mention i don't drink coffee? so there's nothing that is really a logical fix for these kinds of mornings.
the following day, still tired from the day before, i at least got to sleep in a bit because i was scheduled to work a meeting that would run until like 9pm. i had every intention of making it to an am yoga class but am workouts are kind of like gnomes to me: i have no evidence that they actually exist because i never see them. instead of yoga, i caught a little of the view as i got ready. that is one show i could never be on! their "debates" get really anger filled. at first i thought "why are they so angry so early in the morning?" and then i realized it's probably about their circadian rhythms. maybe elizabeth hasselback or whatever her name is should argue with larry king instead.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Hostel or Hostile?
I learned something very important this weekend. Hostel hopping would never have suited me. In fact, it made me quite cranky.
This weekend I hiked Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts with some friends that I normally train for triathlons with in the summer. At the summit, there is a lodge. Bascom lodge, to be exact. We had a bunk room reserved for Saturday night so we could hike up, sleep, then hike down. Somehow I missed the detail about all of us sleeping in one room in the first place, though I did come prepared with my handy travel sound machine. Apparently, when my friend made the reservation she was told that our group of 8 would have the room that could accommodate 10 booked just for us. When we arrived, though, we had two strangers in our room. This meant the sound machine was no longer an option. Additionally, in trying to be considerate of them, we went to bed on their schedule, which was way too early for this night owl.
Trying to get any sleep through the night turned out to be the biggest adventure of the weekend! Without the sound machine, I used my Ipod to listen to ocean waves but when the track ended each hour, it went right into Hawthorne Heights and woke me up. Every hour! There was also a baby (who brings a baby to a hikers lodge??) who cried in the middle of the night in the next room. Plus, with 10 women in bunk beds in one room, every toss and turn came with the requisite creaks, there were lots of bathroom visits through the night and we found out at least two ladies snore and one was rather chatty in her sleep.
Being the light sleeper that I am, this whole scenario did not bode well for me. When I got home last night, I legitimately passed out, face down, on the couch. An hour and a half later, when my phone rang, it was tragically difficult to even lift my head to find it to make it stop. Fast forward to Monday morning, where I now sit on my couch in a zombified state while I should be at work. I feel like I got hit by a bus. (Had to pause to yawn). I think I will go crawl back in bed now.
This weekend I hiked Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts with some friends that I normally train for triathlons with in the summer. At the summit, there is a lodge. Bascom lodge, to be exact. We had a bunk room reserved for Saturday night so we could hike up, sleep, then hike down. Somehow I missed the detail about all of us sleeping in one room in the first place, though I did come prepared with my handy travel sound machine. Apparently, when my friend made the reservation she was told that our group of 8 would have the room that could accommodate 10 booked just for us. When we arrived, though, we had two strangers in our room. This meant the sound machine was no longer an option. Additionally, in trying to be considerate of them, we went to bed on their schedule, which was way too early for this night owl.
Trying to get any sleep through the night turned out to be the biggest adventure of the weekend! Without the sound machine, I used my Ipod to listen to ocean waves but when the track ended each hour, it went right into Hawthorne Heights and woke me up. Every hour! There was also a baby (who brings a baby to a hikers lodge??) who cried in the middle of the night in the next room. Plus, with 10 women in bunk beds in one room, every toss and turn came with the requisite creaks, there were lots of bathroom visits through the night and we found out at least two ladies snore and one was rather chatty in her sleep.
Being the light sleeper that I am, this whole scenario did not bode well for me. When I got home last night, I legitimately passed out, face down, on the couch. An hour and a half later, when my phone rang, it was tragically difficult to even lift my head to find it to make it stop. Fast forward to Monday morning, where I now sit on my couch in a zombified state while I should be at work. I feel like I got hit by a bus. (Had to pause to yawn). I think I will go crawl back in bed now.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
So this is what Saturday morning looks like
And this is what a fridge after vacation looks like. It's deceiving because all the containers are actually food accessories. They all require something else and don't make a meal in and of themselves. I think the biggest tragedy is no milk. I left hubby a voicemail last night to see if he would bring some home but does he listen to voicemails? No. He goes to the movies instead.So I'm sitting here eating Cream of Wheat because it's the only thing in the house that can stand alone. Luckily, Golden Girls surprised me on TV and it's sunny out so those things are working in my favor.
It's way earlier than I should be up if I have no purpose because Iceland is 4 hours ahead so I'm all thrown off. One of the cats has woken me up, coughing up hairballs, both nights I have been home. This morning it was at 5 am. I have to get up and clean and soothe. Then the kitten starts attacking my feet. So I watched a DVRd special on Annie Lebovitz. I am sure I didn't spell that correctly but I think you know who I am talking about: the amazing photographer. When I tried to go back to sleep, I went to turn on the sound machine that I swear by and, lo and behold, the burning smell I noticed when I plugged it into the converter thing for the European plug actually shorted out and killed my sound machine.
So, in addition to the dire need for grocery shopping, I now have an excuse to go to Target for a new sound machine, too. Trouble is, I don't think I can leave the house this early on a Saturday without someone else expecting me to be somewhere based on the sheer principle of it.
Instead, I am going to do the vacation hangover appropriate thing to do: scavenge off what I can find left in the house to sustain my body, watch a little of "the girls", keep my eye mask on the top of my head like a headband, and enjoy the sunshine!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Whiney Wednesday
Today is a drag. I had to wake up at what I consider an insane hour. I won't bother to mention the time because all the mothers will yell at me about how they get up earlier every day. I know. That's why I'm not one of you.
It's raining and nasty outside and I was really proud that I found my rain jacket because I couldn't find it when I went hiking. I drove my usual, long commute to get to court, which I like other than the time it starts. I consider it the theater of the living. I situated my rain jacket proudly and exited my car to walk into court. Instead of walking around the guardrail and taking a long, rainy stroll through the parking lot, I climbed over the guardrail. Ummmm, the wet guardrail. So my head was dry but my pants looked like I had too much to drink and couldn't get to a restroom in time.
Now, I should add that my whole ensemble for the day was already pretty drab. When I go the court against someone I think is a bad guy, I try to be as unmemorable as possible. Frumpy and forgettable is my goal and I think I did well today-two t shirts, a bulky sweater, a big scarf, wide leg pants, a ponytail, no makeup and all blue and brown tones. good?
So, I spent four hours in the theater of the living and got desirable outcomes, thankfully. Then I went and got gas.....$51.00 to fill a Ford Focus!!! That's crazy talk!
With that, I will just say "Wednesday, I have had enough of you for this week."
It's raining and nasty outside and I was really proud that I found my rain jacket because I couldn't find it when I went hiking. I drove my usual, long commute to get to court, which I like other than the time it starts. I consider it the theater of the living. I situated my rain jacket proudly and exited my car to walk into court. Instead of walking around the guardrail and taking a long, rainy stroll through the parking lot, I climbed over the guardrail. Ummmm, the wet guardrail. So my head was dry but my pants looked like I had too much to drink and couldn't get to a restroom in time.
Now, I should add that my whole ensemble for the day was already pretty drab. When I go the court against someone I think is a bad guy, I try to be as unmemorable as possible. Frumpy and forgettable is my goal and I think I did well today-two t shirts, a bulky sweater, a big scarf, wide leg pants, a ponytail, no makeup and all blue and brown tones. good?
So, I spent four hours in the theater of the living and got desirable outcomes, thankfully. Then I went and got gas.....$51.00 to fill a Ford Focus!!! That's crazy talk!
With that, I will just say "Wednesday, I have had enough of you for this week."
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