There are some mornings when waking up feels impossible, and the sound of your alarm is the last thing you want to hear. Some people doom scroll before finally dragging themselves out of bed, while others snooze their alarm. But not Brandi Ragan, who has captured attention online for her very early morning routine which starts at 3 a.m.
Every morning, seventh-grade science teacher Brandi Ragan heads to work at around 6:30 a.m. That may seem early, but by that time, Ragan has already been awake for over three hours and accomplished more than most.
Indeed, Ragan, 29, of Iowa, has an alarm that goes off at 3:10 every weekday morning. She told Newsweek that waking up that early “was a struggle at first,” but it’s been her routine for the last five years and now it’s habit.
In order to get up so early, Ragan goes to sleep at around 7:30 in the evening.
“I get up as soon as my alarm goes off,” Ragan said. “Somedays I try to go back to sleep, but once I’m up I’m awake, so I usually end up getting up anyway.”
After getting out of bed, Ragan starts her day by brushing her teeth and getting ready for the gym. By 3:35 a.m., she’s out of the door and on her way to the 24-hour gym nearby. Starting early allows Ragan to work out for a full hour before heading home, showering and getting ready for school.
“I like to go to the gym, take my time getting ready, and make my breakfast. I get up early so I can spend time on things I enjoy. I enjoy taking my time in the morning and having a soft start. My mornings are my productive time,” Ragan continued.
If that wasn’t productive enough, Ragan even has time to do her laundry and start the dishwasher before leaving for work.
Ragan has a home gym, but it doesn’t have all the equipment required for her specific workout regime, so she prefers traveling to another. However, there are certain mornings when the home gym is sufficient, and on those days, she can sleep until four am.
What Are the Benefits of Waking Up Early?
While some people can’t fathom the idea of starting the day so early, Ragan believes this routine has been monumental for her well-being. If she didn’t have chance to work out and get ready in her own time each morning, Ragan says she’d feel rushed and sluggish.
She said: “I have so much less stress, I have more energy and I’m more productive during the day. Having that time in the morning just for me makes me a better teacher.”
According to The Sleep Foundation, anxiety and depression levels are reduced among those who wake up early, and they may also show improved performance compared to people who sleep and wake later.
The Social Media Response
Ragan documents life as a teacher on social media (@msbrandiragan on TikTok) and her 3 a.m. routine has certainly captured attention. Many of her videos about waking up at three have gone viral, with one even generating over 1.7 million views and more than 75,700 likes at the time of writing.
Having seen so much negative discourse about teaching, it felt important for Ragan to share the positives. She also wants to show how she manages to juggle everything and ensure she maintains a healthy work-life balance.
“Some people hate my morning routines, some people think they are motivating,” Ragan told Newsweek. “Many people just don’t understand why I work out so early in the morning. I’m not telling people they need to do what I do, but I just want to show how teachers have lives outside of school and motivate others to live a healthy active lifestyle.
“Starting early helps me because I’m most productive in the morning. Even if I don’t go to the gym, I still try to get up early so I can have some me time. As a teacher, I’m with people for 8 hours, so it’s important to have some time just for myself.”
Since the videos went viral, plenty of TikTok users have taken to the comments to share their reactions to her impressive regime.
One comment reads: “I wake up at 6:20 and leave at 6:30, we are not the same. Good for you though.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “You lost me at 3:15 a.m.”
While one commenter joked: “I would need a 2-hour nap at 7 a.m. after a morning like this.”
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