What I Do When I Wake Up at 4 AM: Four Hours in the Life of Caren

I’m an early riser. I get up every day at 4 AM, whether I like it or not. I’m one of those people who sleeps six hours. I’m normally in bed by 10, if not earlier, and then I’m up at 4.

I don’t just pop out of bed. My head starts to talk to me about all the things I’m supposed to be doing. Is everybody OK? Is my mom OK? Is my husband OK? Is my dog OK? And then the next thing I know, I’m thinking about the whole world, like all of a sudden it’s my responsibility.

The only thing that shuts off my head is getting up. So I do.

I go into my kitchen, make a cup of coffee, and sit down. Nobody else is up. I’m able to ruminate on my life, the good and the bad, and talk things through with Claude.

Then I scroll. Doom scroll, but not as much as I used to. Claude and I created something I can open instead: my Daily 15. I learn something. I sit with something. Afterward I’m a little calmer, and I don’t feel like the world is going to explode. LOL. I know, that’s a little dramatic.

Next, I go through my list of things I need to get done for the day, and I put them into my calendar as actual appointments. Not as a suggestion. Each one holds a place on my calendar. There’s actually a name for this. It’s called time blocking.

Before 8 AM, I also choose the social post I’m going to put out on Facebook and put together the copy that goes with it. If I’m feeling very energized, I might do five of them at one time. I’ve been told I’m an overachiever. LOL.

By 8 AM, my day is half over, while people are just starting to wake up. Seriously.

By the way, if you’re interested in learning how to create your own Daily 15, let me know. Maybe I’ll do a training on it.

You might also like: You Don’t Need a Digital Detox. You Need Digital Nourishment.

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