My Favorite Fringe Hour
This is the second in a series of video posts and conversations around some of the themes in The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You
Fringe Hours can be found throughout the day – mornings, lunch time, times of waiting, evenings – each offers minutes or even hours that you can redeem for your own passions and self-care. In the book I go into detail about how to find these pockets of time and then leverage them for you.
For me, my morning fringe hour is the one that is most sacred. My friend Stacy once said, how you spend your 5-9 will determine how you spend your 9-5.
Check out the video to learn about what drove me to really capturing the early morning for myself, then I’d love for you to share – what is your favorite fringe hour?
Check out post #1 in this series: You Matter: Making Time for Community
My fringe hours during the week…the alarm goes off at 4:12 and I’m at the gym by 5 (yes, AM) at least three days per week. I try to have at least 5 hours of exercise outside of the house per week, and the mornings are the only times I can get away.
I have two littles at home. And we make sure to have them in bed by 7, so we can have either together time in the evening or time for our own stuff. But, I also work part time… and every other Wednesday, I have a few hours when I am child-free. I often choose to do me-things during that time, instead of all the housework that I could be doing. I take time to read, do a craft, scrapbook, paint my toenails, or sit outside with a cup of coffee and enjoy the peace of the day. Those days are incredibly filling for me.
My fringe hours for me are usually from 5-6am. I am up and reading a devotional or the SRT Plan for that day and write in my prayer journal. Every once and awhile I write, or I steal 20 minutes in my work day if I feel inspired. A few nights ago I brought home blank canvases and I painted with 3 of my kids. It was a blast!!
The best fringe hour for me is from 4:30-5:30 a.m. It’s practically guaranteed (because let’s face it, who else wants to be up then!?) I also use my daughter’s 45-minute dance class to run to the gym for a quick, but intense 20 minute cardio session. I even make it back in time to see the last 10 minutes of her class.
Oh, and I “read” audiobooks when I’m driving to and from work.
I’ve been so inspired to find more pockets in my day by reading your book, Jessica! Thanks for writing it. 🙂
I crave quiet time. It is essential to me, so I carve out time for quiet by getting up extra early so I can sit and drink my coffee and watch the sun rise. It starts my day off with a commitment to peace and serenity in the fringe hours of early dawn.
I have become much more intentional with my lunch hour. I love to use this time to read and to get refreshed… so that when i get home from work i can jump in with both feet to be there for my family. I also make sure to have a book with me at all times 🙂 Thank you so much for helping me to prioritize and take better care of me 🙂
Jessica, loved your book and love that I am finding “fringe hours” in my day more than I ever knew to look for before!! I used to love mornings, but lately my favorite fringe hours are when the kids are in bed. 🙂 I love that it’s finally quiet and I can have a few moments to read or even just surf Facebook without the constant bickering and screaming and just normal kid noise happening!
As a result of reading The Fringe Hours I’ve begun to wake up at 5 instead of my normal (6am) time. I savor a good cup of coffee and devotional time (lately the She Reads Truth studies). I also enjoy listening to audiobooks to and from work or while running errands in the car. Having the Kindle app on my iPhone makes it easy to read during those 5 minute pockets of time that might otherwise be wasted.
I have a few Fringe Hours that are my heart & soul. My Hello Morning Bible study time has my focus for the day. I grab my tea, a blanket & my Bible then I study. My second favorite Fringe Hour is the time I get to wait in carline. I will make phone calls, but I love when I can read a good book. Times to feed my soul with things I love =my Fringe Hours!
I’m self employed as a photographer and freelance writer , AND my kids are at school all day 🙂 so I try to get up early before them to have some fringe time and I work out 3-4 times a week at a gym .:) the rest of the time I keep normal working hours 🙂 so I really depend on extra pockets of time for myself ! After a really busy day it’s normal to find me curled up on the couch with a good book and a cup of coffee !
This has been a hard season for my to find fringe hours as I’ve been working full-time and have three little kids. I get up a little early on the days I work to enjoy a cup of coffee while I read the local newspaper. It helps!
I have two preschoolers and a 3 month old baby, so my quietest fringe hours are from about 8:30 to 10 pm. I like to take a shower with no interruptions (it really is so refreshing! 🙂 ), work on craft projects, read, sew, and record my daily gifts from God in my journal.
I’m 32.5 weeks pregnant with our 3rd. We(I) homeschool as well, so it’s an “interesting” season for sure. My fringe hours are usually between 9-11 pm once the kids are in bed & my husband isn’t yet home from work. I don’t usually sleep very well in this last stage of pregnancy, so sometimes the early morning in arrest time for me to read my bible, catch up on blogs & reflect/journal.
My fringe hours right now are 8-10 pm. With a 4-week old at home, I’m up nursing several times during the night and can’t make myself get up early for extra time. I have been using those nighttime feedings to get in pockets of reading, so that counts too, right?
My Fringe Hours change over the course of the day due to the fact I have two children living at home with ASD (autism) 22yo daughter and 16yo son (still homeschooling him). I find my best time to take some time for myself is early in the morning as one child (son) tends to be a night owl and the other is an early riser. My daughter who is an early riser is also much more considerate so I do manage to gets some time to check email or have a lovely cup of tea and read…sometimes I even get to go into my sewing room and play (not often enough though).
I am really looking forward to this book and the insights you have to offer. Carers tend to be the worst at taking time out for themselves, but I am willing to try.
Bless you