3 MINUTE READ
Now I admit I’m quite an extreme morning person. I don’t do eye-rubbing, stretching, adjusting to daylight or yawning. I certainly don’t do lie-ins. The second I’m awake, generally, when dawn breaks and the birds start a’ chirping (we’re talking 4.40am in the summer) I’m like a whippet out of a cage.
I can go from REM sleep to saying the alphabet 
backwards, or tackling my tax return, in about 60 seconds.
They say (who they… probably Google) that morning people are born in the morning and night people at night. Pile of piffle. I was born at 10.20pm and have never knowingly slept after 7.30am since I was 22.
I know that morning people are beyond annoying for non-morning people. but hold a minute JUDGEY-NIGHT-PEOPLE, there are some major pluses to being a lovely lark
- You’re always first in the queue at the post office
- You actually enjoy jet lag – it makes your sleep pattern more normal
- You can catch call-centres two seconds after they open thus avoiding a 40-minute wait while you listen to soft porn music, before speaking to someone who is completely demoralized after hours of people moaning at them all day. Get in first thing and you can renegotiate your car insurance, switch utility provider and have a perfectly pleasant chat with someone at Virgin Media – all before 8.45am.
- While your energy is sky-high you can cram in some exercise – ideally a 30-minute walk on a beautiful spring morning, when delivery guys are doing their rounds, joggers are hard at it, strangers mouth a morning and the world is, generally, just peachy.
- You can send out 11 emails before anyone is at their desk and by 9.30am, be tucking into a mid-morning snack and catching up on Facebook while you wait for responses
- When you encounter other morning people you have an immediate bond. I suspect it’s a bit like UKIP-supporters or the Masons you can spot each other everywhere – a colleague replying to your sub-6.30am email – hey, didn’t know you were a morning person, that neighbor taking their bins out at 6.50am – a silent but knowing nod, or that woman with the fancy legging at the 7 am yoga class –Namaste fellow weird morning person. Without a shared word you know the challenges they face in this world of non-morning-people, the derision of night people, waking at dawn and not having had a lie-in since 1986
And the drawbacks?
- Night people hate you.
- You have lunch at 11.30am, dinner at 4.45, your brain turns to mush after 5.30 (you can’t say the alphabet forwards) and you’re ready for bed a 9.30.
- When you go on a weekend break with friends no-one wants to share a room with you because you get up so early – immediately taking you back to 1979 and the humiliation of being last to be picked for the school netball team.
- You’ve never seen Graham Norton Live.
THE END
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When I was in practice I would awaken at 3:15am to exercise. This gave me a chance to start the day on a positive note, have time to make breakfast and lunch, shower, sit and read to clear my mind before seeing patients and get to work. I have since retired and NO LONGER awaken this early, but do get up and start the day at a reasonably early hour and look forward to every waking moment!
Love the humor in your post. Itadds a smile to my face! 🙂
Author
Oh thanks for your kind comments. An early start really does make a difference. Delighted to hear your enjoying the blog. Jill .
Author
Thanks for much for your comment and kind words.
3.15 a little early even for me…but getting up early really does make a difference. Delighted to hear you are enjoyed the post. I’ll check our your blog. Jill
How can you be my friend? I really hate morning people. We’re not sharing a room in October 🙂 Pxxx
Author
I am getting worse! You’re right – perfect time for us to catch up is c. 2pm !! PS Louise snores – that’s worse 🙂 x
I find early emails don’t get a reply til 11ish… you make me laugh! x
Author
Hey Alison thanks for that. Jx
Haha, this is pretty much me too. go us early birds…we’ll catch those worms 😃
Author
Hi Sarah, thanks. Sometime I do long for a lie in though! Jx
Drawback #1 is too real – I’m forever trying to fight it. Cheers to mornings! 🙂
Author
Hi Kelsey thanks for popping by. I annoy night people 🙂 Yes, hoorhah for mornings and morning people !! Jill
The real advantage being, of course, that while we non-morning people might want to hurt you we’re simply not capable of that degree of coordination in the morning. We’d have to catch you first, and you’re slippery buggers. By the time we’re up and running, you’re fading a bit and blend in with the rest of us. Then you’re tired in the afternoon and we take pity on you, assuming you had an epic night and are suffering a hangover.
Author
Haha – we are a different species. I am useless after 8pm. THanx for popping by Jx
I am a morning person… hubby is a night owl… makes for interesting life!
Author
It’s like two different species trying to co-exist!! X
Total morning person here and I can relate to the hate the night people send my way 😉
Jill, you crack me up. Every. Single. Time.
Author
Hey Shailaja that’s so lovely to hear. Yes Night People do not like us one little bit. We really should agree to only talk to them between 1pm- 3pm and that’s it!! Jx
I am absolutely a morning person… not that I have a choice these days with two littles who seem to think 5am is a perfectly acceptable start to the day! But I always find if I get up late I feel a bit ill, and like the day is wasted.
Author
Hey Amelia I totally agree. If I wake up late (like 8am!!) I feel I am chasing my tail all day. Thanx for taking time to comment. Jill x
I have changed completely from being a n8ght person to a morning person. I rarely see Norton live! Once upon a time I would have been out so would not have seen it then either!!
Author
Morning people rule!! Thanks for popping on x
Ah you’re not missing much with Graham Norton! I wish I was a morning person I’ve never been one. I can’t lie in much these days but I don’t spring out of bed either!
I used to regularly cover Accessorize in the airport with some of my shifts starting at 3:15 and finishing at 8:15 or lunchtime. Going home after being at work when people are just going to work is really bizarre!
Nowadays on the few morning I’ve had to get up before 7am I have found myself to be productive but by 4pm seriously flagging.
Author
Jeez, 3.15am bit too early even for me! That’s night. I’d actually like to bit a bit less morning-y but hard to break the pattern. Thanks for popping on . x
I used to be a night owl, and now my favourite time of the day is between 7-9am… That seems to be the optimum time for productivity.
It’s all downhill from there…
Author
Ha! I am same – do my ‘best’ work before 9am. Shame about rest of the day! jx
Ha we are indeed extreme opposites, but I wish more than anything to be a morning person. I love the idea of being up with the birds, strolling in the early morning stillness and getting so much done before lunchtime. Alas, no I’m a lazy arse that struggles to get up when my bastard alarm goes off at 7am. I yawn through the first hour or so of the morning and of course come the evening and I’m wide awake coming up with my best ideas at 10pm. I’m a nightmare.
Author
Yep sounds like we’re total opposites. Being SO morning-y is a bit of a curse. Wish I had more of a balance – but hard to change your natural body clock! I have NO ideas at 10pm apart from going to sleep! x
From one morning person to another…It’s the best time of the day…But my son who is not a morning person but has to get up to leave for work actually said to me one morning ” Mum, please don’t take this the wrong way…( Is there any other way to take this? ” Don’t talk to me just let me get ready for work” ” Just don’t say a word, nada, nothing just don’t talk” He is not a morning person in any way shape or form and just goes through the motions to get ready for work without talking to anyone at all… What is it we are nice and happy and sunny and just want to chatter…That’s all 🙂 Lovely post which made me smile 🙂
Author
Hahaha Carol, that’s so funny. I know I annoy Not Morning People intensely by being full of beans in the morning. I don’t think you can change your natural time clock. I try and stay up late but it’s impossible 🙂 Thanks for popping on and commenting. Jx
I hope I’m a morning person again after I’m done with my cancer medication June 1st! It wipes me out.
I tend to burn the candle at both ends, but you won’t see me up at dawn’s crack no matter what porn music is playing. 🙂
Author
Hey Susie, my friend had cancer treatment a few years back and she’s back to being an annoying morning person again ! I hope the next three months pass quickly and easily for you and you’re back up with the larks in the summer. Roll on June 2nd!! Thanks for popping on and commenting. JIll x