I am a terrible sleeper. I always have been.
I was the kid at a sleepover who would lie awake for hours after everyone else had gone to sleep. Then, I would be the first to wake, lying there again, for hours, until one of my friends opened their eyes.
I had a lot of time to think.
While I do not like being a finicky sleeper, now I appreciate waking up at an early hour. The older I get, the more I appreciate it.
I live for a beautiful sunrise, often seen from my exercise therapy room.
When my kids were small, I coveted that early wake window. It was a moment of peace before the long hours of serving others. Although, as they started to get up earlier, it became harder to rise before them.
It seemed that the second my feet touched the ground, their little ears perked up, and they knew I was up. I would hear their little feet heading toward our bedroom. Oh, how I miss that sound!
We all have our reasons why waking up and facing the day may feel difficult. For me, each day I must prepare for my physical battle ahead. I cannot remember a day in my life when I did not have to do that.
Rising early gives me a little extra time to wrap my head around the physical difficulties I am going to face while doing my everyday work, chores, and everything in between.
The silence energizes me.
I am also the person who arrives early to an appointment or an event. Part of that is just my nature. The other part is that when I arrive somewhere, I need to mentally prepare and think about the place I am at.
A lot goes into just a trip into a store or an appointment. I think about any obstacles that I may face so I can try to mentally prepare. If it is a place I am familiar with, it helps to review it in my head before getting out of my car.
Some things I think about are flooring, steps, and the weight of doors to name a few. If it is raining, I need to be extra cautious. On windy days, I must decide if I can get inside without losing my balance. It takes extraordinarily little to knock me off balance.
Being an early bird serves me well. I am just like my dad. He is early everywhere he goes. If you too are an early bird, you know that there is a certain anxiety that comes with being late.
Being an early riser provides the predictability and structure for me that helps me thrive. It helps me to reduce stress from having to rush and helps me to better gage my energy stores for the day.
Connecting to a familiar rhythm is comforting to me. It feels safe.
Having a structured routine is key when living with a disability. It takes a mental load off that I do not need to carry, reducing the chaos in my mind.
The consistency of my routine helps me to build necessary confidence, while supporting my desire to stay independent in as many areas of my life as possible.
Last week, I wrote about emotional fitness. This is part of that fitness routine.
While those late to sleep and early to rise sleepovers were not enjoyable, I do think it was all part of preparing me for managing my life with a disability in its own way.
Life has a way of teaching us what we need to know.
Until next time …
Amy Shinneman is a former National Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, disability blogger, freelance writer, wife, and mom of two boys. You can find her blog at humblycourageous.com and reach her on Instagram @ashinneman.