In order to wake up earlier (and not hate it), you need better sleep. That means sleeping earlier in addition to eliminating stress and creating a suitable environment for your body to fall asleep. While it’s inevitable to wake up with grogginess, a well-defined morning plan and simple actions can help you become more alert.
Ease yourself into it:
It takes time for our internal clock to adjust. Be realistic with your goals and take care of yourself. Instead of trying to get up 3 hours before your usual get-up time, try setting your alarm for half an hour earlier each week or, ten minutes earlier every day. It may take you a little longer to reach your preferred wake-up time, but you’ll be much more likely to stick with your new habit if you ease yourself into it, rather than taking the plunge right from the get-go.
Get enough sleep:
If you start cutting hours off your morning sleep time without compensating for it, you’re quickly going to find yourself exhausted. Not getting enough sleep is a recipe for disaster.
To avoid this, figure out how much sleep per night is optimal for you. Generally, for most people, 7–8 hours is a good amount. Once you’ve figured out your optimal sleep time, set your bedtime accordingly. To form a new habit, you’ve got to be able to live with it long-term. So, getting enough sleep every day should be a priority.
Let there be light:
When you first wake up, open up those curtains and let daylight into the room, even if the sun isn’t shining. Daylight signals to your body that it is time to wake up and stimulates the production of the happiness hormone serotonin. It is also much gentler than the glaring bathroom light. In winter, a daylight lamp or a light alarm clock will help you through dark hours.
Have yourself a ‘Miracle Morning’:
What does a ‘miracle morning’ look like? The answer is entirely personal to you, but most sources state that you should include some meditation, exercise, journaling and learning. The trick is to be excited to get up out of bed to start your day. Make your ‘Miracle morning’ something personal to you that will have you jumping out of bed as soon as you open your eyes.
5 ‘Miracle Morning’ Top Tips
- Get enough sleep! If you want to wake up at 5am, going to bed at 2am is a sure-fire way to fail. Only you know how much sleep you need to wake up refreshed – make sure you get it.
- Keep your ‘miracle morning’ flexible. Life happens.
- Don’t jump in too quickly. Try waking up 15 minutes early for a week, then work your way to your ideal wake-up time.
- Don’t give up! And don’t feel bad if you miss a day or two. Just get back to it and keep moving forward.
- Switch it up. Keep your routine fresh and exciting so that you look forward to jumping out of bed in the morning.
Finally, being a morning person doesn’t apply to just the mornings. You’ll want to energize yourself throughout the day and destress before the evening. Once you have your body on a steady routine, you’ll reap the benefits of being an early riser and be more excited about your mornings.