How To Become A Morning Person
Has your snooze button became your best friend/worst enemy? If so, here is a simple guide on how to become an early riser and like it!
How to know if you are not a morning person:
Do you cringe when you hear your alarm tone as someone else’s ringtone?
Do you set aside a few minutes for “Try not to be grumpy” time after waking up?
Is your first thought in the morning “uhhhg” or “ehhhhh”?
Does a smiling face anytime before 8am invoke anger?
If you run out of coffee do you consider the day to be off to a rough start and that you would be better off to try again tomorrow morning?
If you have answered “yes” to one or more of the above questions you might not be a morning person. I know this because I am not a morning person and I wrote these questions. I answered yes to each one. Even so, I know that all is not lost. If us non-morning people can make a plan, I’m sure that we can trick ourselves into loving the sunrise each morning.
Having accumulated a few excellent articles on how best to become a morning person, I have outlined these steps as well as a plan for integrating them into my daily life. Let’s give it a go shall we?
According to this Entrepreneur post anyone can become a morning person. By following these five simple steps you can create a habit that can transform you into a sunrise-loving go-getter!
- Set your early-rising intentions before bed.
- Move the alarm clock across the room to avoid sleepy snooze button slapping.
- Brush your teeth as soon as your alarm rings.
- Drink a full glass of water directly after brushing your teeth.
- Get dressed in your workout clothes and work up a sweat.
The theory goes that if you can take these steps for a few days you can transform yourself into a morning person. I must admit, this sounds a little too easy so here are some pointers from CNN, just in case you aren’t completely convinced:
- Napping is not your friend.
It might sound tempting, but if you are struggling to fall asleep at bedtime it’s best to skip the midday snooze.
- Create a routine.
By going to bed and getting up at the same time every day you allow your body to get used to what you expect from it each day.
- Eat smart.
We are at our best when we are feeding our bodies the vitamins and minerals needed each day. Less sugar, more vegetables, you know the drill, and be sure that you are watching out for caffeine, especially late in the day.
- Exercize.
Give your body a reason to be tired! It’s hard for your body to need rest without having utilized your muscles. Just a stretch before bed can go a long way for quality zzz’s.
- Prepare for the next day.
Pre-sleep anxiety can really take a toll on our sleep performance. By setting out clothes, lunch and so on you can rest knowing that you have a head start on the next day.
- Try an app.
Check out this post for a few options on how to tackle the mornings. They might not all work for you, but you will never know unless you try it out.
- Just get up!
As motivation, here are a few quotes from brilliant morning people throughout history. With a solid sleeping pattern and those few extra early morning hours, who knows what you can accomplish!
You will face many defeats in your life, but never let yourself be defeated. -Maya Angelou
Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise. -Victor Hugo
It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. –Charles Darwin
Laziness travels so slowly, that Poverty soon overtakes him. –Benjamin Franklin
Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy. –Tchaikovsky
The most important thing in life is to stop saying ‘I wish’ and start saying ‘I will.’ –Charles Dickens
I must admit, I’m beginning to see a pattern. Here’s to early morning risers! Happy waking!