Between a big project at work and an ice storm, I’ve been working from home more than usual, lately. I typically work from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I was home all last week. Much like the times I’ve worked from home exclusively, my sleep fell into a much better pattern when working from home. I can’t remember the last time I heard the alarm; I woke up between 5:00 and 6:30 on my own, depending on what my body needed
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Today, it’s back to the office, and while I woke up before the alarm as I usually do, there’s a sense of a starting gun going off and then a rush to get ready. The routine is much more “get up and go” than last week. (Well, I do have time to write this blog entry while eating breakfast because I woke up early enough to do so.) On mornings when I have to wake up at a certain time to allow for the preparation that comes with readying myself to head into work, there’s less free time in the morning to ease into the day. I have mornings like today, when I wake up well before the alarm, but as I get back to the in-office routine, there will be a greater sense of hurry in the mornings, and I might even hear the alarm sometime next week.

Slow Starts vs. Fast Starts

Maybe when working from home, the subconscious knows it doesn’t have to leap to action and hit all the morning points to ensure I’m in on time, even if I wake up early. There’s no background thoughts of, “Soon, you must get ready!” and because of that, I rise easier and feel well rested–even with less sleep some days. I’m still lucky: I work close to home. When I think about the times in my life when I was the most exhausted, there was usually a long commute after waking, eating breakfast, showering, and heading out.

When I read articles about how little sleep many people get, I know even on days I go into the office that I’m doing better than most. But there’s a different mindset on mornings I know I’ll have to jump into what passes for traffic on my commute (don’t miss the hour+ long (one-way) commutes of the past)…on those mornings, there’s a much greater sense of hurry. On mornings when I can wake up and not lose time to traffic or other tasks that come with heading into the office, I’m more likely to work longer hours if needed, and I’m much more alert in the work I do.

(All right, instead of another hour to ease into the day, it’s time to get ready for work!)