Oh those morning people, how we long to be them. You all know who I'm talking about. The ones that wake up at 5AM everyday and start off their morning with the biggest smile on their face and all the motivation in the world. Those people seem unstoppable, am I right? Well, one of my goals this year is to start waking up earlier on the regular.
Why wake up early?
Productivity: You get so much more done early in the morning because there are less distractions.
Mental Health: Creating a relaxing morning routine reduces stress my eliminating the messy rushed/running late type of mornings.
Exercise: Working out is obviously really important for your physical and mental well being. You are less likely to miss a workout if you get it done early in the morning.
Routine: As humans we naturally perform better when given a routine. Putting effort into cultivating a routine that you are proud of will give you more motivation to tackle your busy day.
Success: You have more uninterrupted time to focus on your goals in the morning.
Happiness: It is known that night owls have a higher risk of suffering from depression. People who wake up earlier are generally happier!
Pretty much waking up earlier makes your more successful and happier which is enough of a reason for me to want to make it a daily habit!
How to be a morning person:
1. Establish a nightly routine
Set yourself up for success with your nightly routine. Here are a few things you can incorporate into your nightly routine:
Lay out your workout clothes/ gym bag for the next day
Plan your schedule for the next day
Set your alarm
Get to bed early
Prepare your breakfast (check out my overnight oats recipe)
Here is an example of my ideal nightly routine:
7:00pm Eat dinner
7:45pm Take care of my animals (clean, feed, play, walk)
8:15pm Shower + Me time (Facials, manicures, meditate, stretch, or bubble baths)
8:50pm Set my alarm + turn my phone on do not disturb + get in bed
9:00pm Sip on tea while writing out my schedule for the next day
9:30pm Lights out!
2. Set an alarm with intention
I believe that the type of alarm you choose to wake up to has the power to change your whole day. Personally, I have been using an iHome alarm that wakes me up with some relaxing Jack Johnson music. Waking up to "Banana Pancakes" puts me in a wayyyyy better mood than waking up to an annoying alarm. I keep it set up on the opposite side of my room where it is simultaneously charging my phone. This helps so much to NOT become best friends with the snooze button in the morning. It forces me to actually get out of bed to turn off the alarm, and keeps me from using my phone in bed.
3. Turn off your electronics!
Not only is there a plethora of studies proving that blue light is bad for your sleep, but it is also too easy to get sucked into the internet in the late hours. You get into bed with your phone or ipad at 9:30pm innocently check some emails, and the next thing you know it's 1am and you have 12 tabs open as your morning routine goes out the window. Simply give yourself a rule, no electronics after a certain time. This is a work in progress for me. Lately I have been cutting myself off around 9pm, and my goal is to work myself up to 8pm!
4. Get a better nights sleep
Along with cutting out electronics a few hours before bed time, you should also consider eating an earlier dinner, at least 3 hours before you go to bed. Eating earlier allows your body to actually rest and not focus on digesting food, which will allow you to be more well rested and wake up easier and happier!
5. Create an efficient morning routine
Fail to plan, plan to fail! In the early morning my brain is not ready to take on the world. So having a written down plan is crucial! Here is an example of my ideal morning routine.
5:30am Wake up + get dressed in workout clothes
5:40am Walk my dog while drinking 32oz of water
6:10am Coffee time! + Review my schedule for the day
6:30am Go for a run + Yoga! (my ebook is perfect for a morning stretching routine)
7:30am Make a smoothie + shower + get ready for the day
8:00am Start working!
I choose to get my run done early in the morning because if given the chance I will find 100 reasons no to do it. Getting it done before I even have time to think of an excuse is key for me! Also, drinking water first thing is so great for your health! For the most part, I try to stick to the same morning routine. Even if I fail at waking up early, I try to still go through my list to get in the habit of forming this routine. I always feel so much more accomplished, healthy, and happy when I do wake up early and get through my morning routine.
Here are some other great ideas you could incorporate into your morning routine:
Meditate: Starting your day with positive thoughts is an awesome way to stay inspired.
Hit the gym or take a class: If it is too hard for you to be self motivated to workout in the morning then following along in a class might be a better option for you.
Read: Never stop learning. I spend at least 10 minutes every day researching topics I am interested in.
Don’t forget to check off your list as you have accomplished each item! Checking items off a schedule tends to motivate people to keep going!
Do you have any tips for how to be a morning person?! Comment below!
