Time for yourself is important! Even if it’s in the morning, drinking your coffee while your family’s still asleep.
Let’s be honest: life is full of things we’ve gotta do. Full of lists, full of expectations, full of people who need us. From the moment the alarm goes off (or the toddler climbs into bed at 5 AM), we’re “on.” Get the kids ready for school, make breakfast, pack lunches, answer work emails, clean the kitchen, fold that pile of laundry that’s been on the couch for three days… you know the drill.
We’re women, and we wear a lot of hats — mother, partner, friend, employee, boss, chef, cleaner, event planner, emotional support human. If you’re like me, you try to give 110% to everything and everyone, trying to prove that you’re doing a good job, that you’re capable, that you can handle it all.
But here’s the thing: we all get the same 24 hours.
And it’s up to us how we use them.
So, where are you in your day?
For years, I’ve been juggling — family, work, responsibilities, trying to be present and available for everyone while also trying not to forget myself in the process. The only way I’ve truly been able to “steal” time for me — for my health, my strength, my sanity — has been by waking up before the world does.
Yep, that magical, peaceful early morning hour. Photographers call it “the magic hour,” and so do I.
I know, I know — “I’m not a morning person.”, “I don’t get enough sleep.”, “I hit snooze three times before I could open one eye.”. Believe me, I’ve said it all too. But once I committed to going to bed at a reasonable hour and waking up even just an hour earlier than everyone else in the house… everything changed. I have also convinced my husband that “early to bed, early to rise”, as the great Benjamin Franklin opined, will help make you “healthy, wealthy, and wise”.
That early hour? It’s mine.
There’s no one banging on the bathroom door.
No one is asking for breakfast or socks.
Just silence, a soft sunrise, and the birds (who are surprisingly loud when the world is still).
I drink my water, take my supplements, enjoy my protein coffee (honestly, the best pre-workout if you’re not into eating first thing), and then… I move, I sweat, I zone out in my workout. Then I tune into my body, focus on the music, the breath, the burn — and yes, sometimes I dance between sets. Sometimes, I listen to a podcast or watch an episode of something but it should always be uplifting and not too heavy.
This is my time. My hour of power.
And after it? I feel amazing. Energized. Grounded. Strong.
I’m a better partner. A more patient mom (even with the mood swings of a four-and-a-half-year-old). I’m more focused at work. More present in conversations. It’s like that one hour fills my tank for the rest of the day.
Here’s what I’ve learned: when you prioritize yourself — even just a little — you show up better for everything else. And no, it doesn’t have to be perfect. You don’t need fancy equipment or an hour-long routine. A quick walk, a 15-minute stretch, a few deep breaths, or a DellaRise bodyweight workout in your pajamas — it all counts.
Stress will always be there — the to-do lists, the bills, the “what’s for dinner? No, not that again!” conversations. But not all stress is bad. The right kind of stress — like exercise — builds you up. It makes you more resilient, more positive, more confident. And when you feel good about yourself, you naturally start attracting “better” into your life.
So next time you’re halfway through a late-evening Netflix binge, just pause and ask: Would I feel better tomorrow if I went to bed now and gave myself that hour in the morning instead?
You deserve that time.
You are worth showing up for.
And if you’re not going to prioritize yourself… who will?
With love and strength,
DellaRise
