Monday at 6:00 a.m. is not a time. It is a personal attack.
Especially when you’re on AM shift, your body feels like it was assembled by an underpaid intern, and you have Parkinson’s disease reminding you that even getting out of bed can feel like a full-time job. Grabe, some people wake up and choose violence. My body wakes up and chooses lag.
And yet, there I was. Alarm ringing. Brain buffering. Limbs negotiating. Very pogi, very brave, very sleepy.
The 6:00 A.M. Version of Me Is Not My Best Work
If you’ve ever had to start your day before the sun has fully decided to show up, alam mo yun? There’s something deeply offensive about fluorescent lights at that hour. Everything feels too bright, too loud, too early.
Monday is my week start on AM shift, so the whole day already has that “let’s survive first, be productive later” energy. I wish I could say I spring out of bed like the leading man in a teleserye. In reality, I move more like a phone on 5% battery trying to open three apps at once.
That’s the thing people don’t always see about living with Parkinson’s disease. It’s not just one dramatic moment. It’s the small daily negotiations. The stiffness. The slower gait. The low energy. The mental pep talk before basic tasks. Sometimes the hardest part is not the work itself. It’s the build-up before the work even begins.
Some mornings, my body says, “Bestie, absolutely not.” And I have to gently reply, “Hay nako, we have bills.”
By 9:00 A.M., The Energy Dip Hits Different
Now let’s talk about 9:00 a.m. — because wow, what a character. By then, I can really feel the gait changes and low energy creeping in. It’s like my body clock and my condition have a secret group chat, and both of them decided I don’t deserve smooth movement before mid-morning.
Walking can feel heavier. Not impossible, but definitely more deliberate. Every step asks for a little more attention. Every movement feels less automatic. If you know, you know. If you don’t know, imagine your body running on weak Wi-Fi while everyone else seems to have fiber internet. Petmalu for them. Love that for them.
And the low energy? Naku. That one is sneaky. It’s not just being sleepy. It’s a deeper kind of drain, like somebody quietly removed the batteries from your motivation, your focus, and half your muscle coordination just for fun.
Have you ever looked fine on the outside but internally felt like your system needed a restart? That’s what it can feel like sometimes.
The Pill Routine That Helps Me Push Through
By this point, I know what I need to do: take my pills.
I joke about needing a “dopamine boost,” but honestly, that’s the real deal. Medication is a huge part of how I manage my day. It’s not magic, and it’s definitely not an instant transformation where background music suddenly plays and I start walking in slow motion like an action hero. But it helps. And on difficult mornings, help is everything.
There’s always that moment of waiting too. You take the meds, then you wait for your body to catch up. You hope the stiffness eases. You hope your steps feel more natural. You hope your energy rises enough to carry you through the next few hours without feeling like you’re dragging an invisible refrigerator behind you.
That waiting period can be frustrating. But over time, you learn your rhythm. You learn your body’s weird little timing quirks. You learn that survival is sometimes a science experiment mixed with patience and a lot of inner monologue.
My morning routine is basically: wake up, question my life choices, take my meds, and wait for the plot twist.
The Part People Don’t Always Understand
I think one of the hardest things about having Parkinson’s disease is that people may not always see the effort behind normal-looking moments.
If I make it through a shift, if I keep up with the day, if I manage to move around without making a big fuss about it, it can look ordinary from the outside. But inside? That can already be a win. A big one.
And I’ve learned to respect those wins more.
Because honestly, there’s no trophy for pretending everything is easy. There’s no extra prize for acting like low energy doesn’t affect you. Real life is real life. Some days are smooth. Some days are a bit sabog. Some days I feel like I’m handling things well, and some days I feel like I deserve applause just for putting on socks without drama.
Kayo, do you also have those days when the simplest task feels suspiciously difficult? Why is adulting like this?
What Helps Me on These Mornings
I’m still figuring things out as I go, but here are a few things that help me deal with a Monday AM shift with Parkinson’s:
- Giving myself extra time in the morning so I’m not rushing while my body is still warming up
- Taking my medication on time because timing really matters
- Paying attention to my gait and energy levels instead of pretending I’m fine when I’m clearly not
- Keeping expectations realistic — not every Monday needs to be a productivity masterclass
- Finding humor where I can because if I don’t laugh, I might just stare dramatically into the distance
Simple? Yes. Easy? Not always.
But that’s the thing about managing a condition like this while trying to live a normal life. You build your own system. You learn what supports you. You stop romanticizing the struggle and start respecting the adjustments.
Small Wins Count, Kahit Mukhang Ordinary
I’ve become the kind of guy who celebrates little things more now. Not in a dramatic “cue the inspirational soundtrack” way. More like, “Nice, I got through that rough patch. Solid. Deserve ko ng good coffee.”
Because small wins are still wins.
Getting through the low-energy stretch. Taking my pills on time. Not letting frustration ruin the whole day. Showing up even when my body is being extra. Those things matter.
And if you’re dealing with your own version of a hard morning — whether it’s a health issue, stress, homesickness, burnout, or just plain Monday-ness — I hope you give yourself more credit too.
Sometimes strength looks less like “crushing it” and more like “I showed up anyway.”
My Honest Monday Mood
If I’m being completely honest? I still don’t like early Monday shifts. I don’t think I ever will. My dream is still to wake up naturally, fully energized, with clear skin and unlimited brunch options. But for now, reality is 6:00 a.m., a careful walk, a medication schedule, and doing my best with the body I have.
And you know what? That still counts as a good life.
Not perfect. Not effortless. But real.
So here’s to all of us doing our best before 9:00 a.m. Here’s to the men trying to stay strong without pretending everything is easy. Here’s to finding humor in the hard parts, because sometimes that’s what keeps the whole thing bearable.
If this sounds familiar, drop a comment — are you a morning person, or are you also spiritually unavailable before sunrise? And if you’re managing a health condition too, what’s one thing that helps you get through the day? Baka may matutunan tayo from each other.
