She had always woke up with the urge to get things done. The alarm on her phone slowly increasing in volume in the familiar chimes and bells; she reached up on the headboard to silence it before Chris would be awoken.
Being a morning person, Dr. Lynn Keegan did some of her best work in those first hours of the day. She could focus on things as she pleased without the distractions. Real peace and quiet. Roommates, significant others, disturbing neighbors; her living situations were typically too loud and distracting during the more common waking hours. Her more strict morning routines began in college to complete school and hold down a crap job. Parts of her routine had changed many times to suit her over the years. Her current routine was different in many ways but no less focused than before.
Getting things done early also meant her anxiety was less of an issue the rest of the day. It kept her level and more confident, helping with anxious thoughts. She was always considered smart, but Lynn didn’t think that was her best asset. She joked that her super-power was just turning her anxiety into something constructive. She felt hyper-aware with it sometimes, and if it kept from being overwhelming or coming up at inappropriate times; it could be used for decent attempts at novel and original thoughts or connections. Academia does not necessarily embrace that, but she was able to get some of them in while mostly following the typical grind-formula associate with doctorates.