Why I always hit SNOOZE button

For years I’ve listened to the mantra “Don’t hit the snooze button!” and learned that the discipline of getting up and at em with the first alarm has served me well. However mid 2020 when getting up to my alarm didn’t seem so important, I found myself reevaluating my habits. Why am I getting up so early? Is sleep more important? With the world on pause does it even matter? After a solid three weeks of snooze buttons, feeling lethargic and stressed, I realized my routine and self-discipline absolutely do matter. In fact, they have become such a part of who I am and that when I am not in that alignment, I start the day feeling unfulfilled and ultimately disappointed in myself. In that time, I also realized the importance of meditation in my daily routine, the value of taking a step back and not filling every moment. Allowing time for reflection before my day began helped me hone my focus and set my intention. I found that setting my intention was powerful and despite being pulled in numerous directions by internal and external complications, that I was able to remain calm, bring that peace to the people around me and become even more efficient and accomplish more. Spending an hour in meditation isn’t always practical as a busy working mother. It seemed overwhelming to “lose” that time in my day and I realized that meditation shouldn’t be stressful. Most new things, I break down to their simplest form, schedule a 15-minute time block and get started. Why wouldn’t I do this with meditation? So, I began the practice of hitting snooze! By incorporating my existing habit of waking up with my alarm just 15 minutes earlier than usual, I was able to create stress free time for meditation and reflection that seemed manageable. By hitting snooze, I didn’t look at my phone and get caught up in texts or emails. I didn’t start looking at my calendar and planning my day. That 15 minutes became my time to lay in the dark, appreciate the quiet and take a few minutes just for me. Ma Jaya said, “Quiet the mind, and the soul will speak.” What will your soul say to you if you choose to make the time and listen?