Karla Tafra
Struggling to get an earlier start on your day? Here are some back-to-basics changes that might make it easier for you to peel yourself out of bed bright and early.
For most people, it’s not easy to set an alarm for an early hour, especially if it will still be dark outside. Still, studies show that early risers reap numerous benefits, including being more productive and having more mental clarity. It can make your day “longer” because you have more time to accomplish all of your tasks.
It’s no wonder that many highly successful CEOs generally wake up before 6 a.m.
So, if you want to try to become more of a “morning person,” here are some changes that can help you along.
Go to Bed Early
You were expecting this one, right? If you plan to set your alarm for 5 or 6 a.m., you’re going to have to skip those late-night Netflix binges. Try to get in the habit of getting under the covers early enough that your sleep doesn’t suffer.
It won’t be easy at first, but habits are created with consistent repetition and practice. So, set a goal to be in bed every night by 10 p.m., and make it your mission to keep this up for a week. When you feel like you’ve mastered it, add one more week, and then a month. Pretty soon, you’ll be yawning by 9:30 p.m.
Getting enough sleep is crucial for your overall physical and mental health. If you want to start your day while most of your neighbors are still asleep, it’s important to prioritize healthy sleeping habits. This will allow you to reap all the benefits in the long run.
Avoid Caffeine After 3 p.m.
If you often desperately need an afternoon pick-me-up, try having your last cuppa before 3 p.m. This gives your body enough time to metabolize the caffeine and flush it out of your system before you go to bed.
Caffeine is a stimulant. It activates your central nervous system and keeps you alert, which sounds amazing if you just woke up and have to get to work. However, it’s not so amazing if you need to relax and get ready to hit the hay.
Your last cup of java can also disrupt your sleep up to six hours after you drink it. It makes it difficult to fall asleep or can even cause insomnia. Do you really need anything else besides the dreaded sound of that early alarm to mess with your beauty sleep?
Exercise at the Right Time
Some people find that exercising in the morning sets them up for the day. It can boost your productivity, clears your head, and get everything moving and flowing.
However, some prefer evening workouts and claim they help them sleep better. The jury’s still out on which time is best to work out, so, choose a time that works best for you.
If it takes you some time to wake up in the morning, and you can’t get your feet to coordinate that early, exercise on your lunch break or in the evening. See how it affects your sleep. If you don’t have any issues or—better yet—sleep like a baby, by all means, keep it up!
On the other hand, if working out in the evening revs you up and has you staring at the ceiling instead of sleeping, switch to mornings and see if anything improves.
As with anything else, change won’t happen overnight. Your body needs time to adjust and adapt. So, be patient with yourself and take it one step at a time.
Create a Good Morning Routine
It’s important to create a morning routine you actually look forward to. Whether it’s drinking your coffee in front of the fireplace, blasting your favorite song, deciding what to wear, or cooking a healthy breakfast, you need something to make waking up more appealing.
They say the way you start your day determines how you’ll live it, so make sure your first hours are pleasing. It can shine some much-needed positivity on all the hours yet to come.
So, find something that brings you joy and do it every morning—we promise it’ll be worth it!
Stop Snoozing
Raise your hand if you’ve never pressed the snooze button on your alarm. If we were to take a wild guess, there aren’t many hands up right now. We’ve all had those “Just five more minutes, Mom” moments. Of course, mom isn’t around right now to make sure we actually get up and get where we need to go.
Although most people only snooze for about 5 to 10 minutes, it can make you feel groggier and more fatigued than if you’d just gotten up at the first alarm. Whenever you can, get up and start your day at the first alarm rather than pressing the snooze button.
A good way to ensure you’ll actually get up is to put your phone or alarm clock on the other side of the room. This way you’ll have to get up to shut it off, and you won’t be able to reach that oh-so-tempting snooze button.
You Have to Want It
Of course, you have to want to become a morning person for any of this to work. So, ask yourself why you want it. Do you just want to jumpstart your day or be more productive? Do you want to take a 6 a.m. yoga class or have time to eat a proper breakfast? Or do you just want to get up early because Elon Musk does it, and he inspires you?
Whatever your reasons, the most important component to create a successful morning routine is to have a reason to get up in the first place.
So, dig deep and find your “why.” When you do, let it motivate you to get up even when all you want to do is cancel the day and go back to sleep.
Keep it consistent and make a conscious decision every day to get up at that first alarm. You might just discover you’ve been a morning person all along.
