If you’re not one of the early birds who can effortlessly wake up bright and early in the morning, you most likely find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to crawl out of your bed at that stupid early hour.
However, the benefits of waking up early every single day, including higher energy levels, increasing productivity and good mood might make you rethink your anti-morning attitude and consider waking up a little bit earlier than you’re used to.
Aside from the numerous things you may accomplish during the morning time, you’ll also make this hectic time of the day less stressful by waking up earlier than your current normal.
Being late, missing your bus, spending a ton of money on taxi rides, skipping breakfast, forgetting important things… That’s a typical list of everyday troubles ‘not morning people’ have to deal with.
Besides, your work or school doesn’t want to adjust to your individual sleeping pattern and forces you to get up early in the morning without leaving any chances to sleep in anyway.
That’s why it’s better to train yourself to wake up early consistently, boost your working efficiency and stop being a grumpy zombie who hates mornings and everybody who’s around him during that time.
How to wake up early
- Set a goal. Decide why you’d like to wake up early and make that reason real.
For instance, if you’re going to school, leave one homework task for the morning. Or, choose another thing you need to do every single day and schedule it for the morning time.
Even devoting your mornings to exercising, doing your hobby, taking your pet for a walk, starting your work earlier will help you get over that voice that persuades you to stay in bed just for 5 more minutes. - Go to bed earlier. Might sound simple, but it’s just as difficult to make your body go to sleep early as getting it to wake up earlier in the morning.
But, if you create a suitable atmosphere (block all the lights, put your phone away, turn the TV off and spend some quite time before going to bed), it will be easier for you to fall asleep earlier
Cutting out naps and tiring your body out before going to sleep will help even better. - Stop scrolling through your phone in your bed. Your eyes and brain will be confused by its bright screen and you won’t be able to fall asleep fast.
And, don’t eat big meals right before going to bed. - Create an army of alarms. Set them literally 1 minute apart and choose the most annoying sound ever.
Forget about the ‘Snooze’ button and don’t turn your alarm off unless you get up and leave your bed. - Don’t make abrupt changes. Take a week to move your weak-up time to an hour or 45 minutes earlier than it is right now.
- If you’re having trouble hearing your alarm and tend to sleep through it, get one of those smart alarm systems that goes under your mattress and wakes you up by vibrating and imitating powerful earthquake.
It will literally kick you out of bed. - Use alarm apps that make you get out of bed and move before they finally shut up.
No snoozing or turning off will work with them. They’ll stop screaming and being extremely annoying only if you take a certain number of steps, or take a picture of pre-chosen object far away from your bedroom, etc.
Take those steps to your bathroom and wash your face and neck with cold water to wake up fast. - Make your bed right after waking up not to be tempted to get back in it. Open the blinds and turn the bright lights on.
The sight of a comfy bed with warm blankets and soft pillows will most likely make you give in and crawl into it to close your eyes just for 5 minutes.
However, if you do so, the chances that you’ll fall asleep those 5 minutes will put you in a deeper sleeping cycle are quite high.
And, you’ll not only sleep for more than 5 minutes. You’ll also feel a lot more tired than without that 5-minute cheat. - Create a study well-developed morning routine and stick to it every single day.
Calculate how much time you need to complete each of your morning tasks, create your morning schedule and follow it not to waste your precious time and make your mornings really productive.
This way you’ll turn your morning routine into a habit that takes minimum effort to perform. - Make your mornings easier.
Choose your outfit the night before or create 5-7 outfits to choose from throughout a week. If you iron your clothes, do that beforehand.
Get your breakfast ready in the evening as well.
For instance, a quick smoothie or an oatmeal jar prepared the night before will serve as a great healthy start to your morning. You won’t skip breakfast, but won’t waste morning time to cook it as well.
If you have long hair, wash it in the evening and take a quick refreshing shower in the morning.
Don’t feel like your sleeping pattern will change overnight without any major efforts from your side. However, experts mention that it takes about 21 days for a new habit to develop.
That’s why you have to do your best and stick to waking up early for 3-4 weeks to make it less hard and, eventually, turn it into your everyday routine.
