Matt O’Donnell has been doing the mornings on Philadelphia ABC-owned station WPVI since 2004, so that pretty much makes him an expert on morning routines by now.
He says that when he first got the job he wasn’t a morning person. “’Would this adversely affect my family life? My social life? My TV viewing habits?'” O’Donnell wrote on his blog. “The short answer to all of that is ‘yes.’ But would you believe I have not only grown to accept my vampire-like hours, but also to revel in them? Allow me to explain.'”
First off, I admit it: I’m tired a lot. It is tough to have to wake up when it is still dark out, with the sunrise still many hours away. My sleep patterns are extremely erratic. I miss plenty of events, particularly at night. But I promise you, having this shift is not as bad as it’s cracked up to be, and in many ways it can be extremely advantageous! Here is “How to Wake Up at 2:21am Every Weekday and Maintain Sanity, Health, Positivity, Etc.”
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His tips to get in the swing of things? A little bit of denial, a little bit of napping and a little bit of acceptance can go a long way.
O’Donnell says you should deny yourself the pleasure of hitting the snooze button and try to get enough sleep. When things get out of whack make sure yo take a nap. “Sometimes I even take another nap on Fridays to ‘reset’ my sleep pattern for the weekend.”
Speaking of weekends, O’Donnell says not to worry about keeping up the same sleep schedule on your days off. Go to bed when you’re tired, wake up when you’re done sleeping and “Don’t let your Sundays ruin your Mondays.”
Says O’Donnell, “I stopped worrying, accepted the fact that I would be tired on Monday no matter what I did, and that made my Sundays a lot more enjoyable.”
His last piece of advice is to look at the positive of being up early. “Because there is so much daylight left in the day when I’m finished my shift, I can enjoy the outdoors and be present for my children’s’ activities.”
Click here to read his post.