Are you an early riser? Or are you like the majority of people who find getting up early especially when it’s still dark particularly hard? Even though we all have heard the sayings, “The early bird gets the worm” or “If you win the morning, you win the day”, we still tend to choose staying in our cozy beds as long as we can.
You might want to reconsider though. Start your day off with a victory. Getting up early and out of bed the first time the alarm goes off and following a healthy morning routine gives you time to set your priorities for the day before the chaos begins, have breakfast, get a workout in, have more energy, and feel less stress. For me, it is my “me” time before the rest of the house gets up.
But getting up early is a struggle for many of us. So, here are a few tips:
- Commit to a wake-up time. 5:00 AM is a good time. Most Americans get up between 6:30 and 7:00 so that means you have one to two hours before your phone starts buzzing.
- Get up when your alarm goes off. No snoozing. If you need to, use the countdown method: “5,4,3,2,1” — out of bed!!
- Stay consistent. Get up at the same time every day or close to it. On the weekend, get up 1-2 hours earlier than the rest of the house.
- Go to bed earlier – chances are you are up late watching mindless TV or scrolling social media. Sleep instead.
- Put your alarm clock on the other side of the room. That way, you have to get out of bed to turn it off.
- Brush your teeth – do this first thing. There is just something about brushing your teeth that signals your brain that it’s time to start your day.
- Enjoy yourself. Create a morning routine that gives you joy. Maybe it’s having a cup of coffee while reading, listening to music you love, taking your dog for a walk, creating a to-do list (for us list makers), or working out.
- Stay away from the TV, computer and phone as long as you can. This is time for YOU. Make it as stress free as you can.
- Know there will be days when you just can’t get up early. Let it go and start again the next day. Over time, those days you can’t get up will be fewer and fewer.
- Reward yourself – set a goal such as “get up at 5:00 and complete my morning routine for 21 days in a row” and then reward yourself with something you enjoy.
Here is my challenge for you. This next week, every day, set your alarm earlier by 10 minutes so that by the end of the week, you are getting up an hour earlier. Take that time to make your to-do list, pray or meditate, sit quietly and watch the sunrise, or read. As you get up earlier and earlier each day, you can add on to that morning routine. In a future blog, I will share some morning routine ideas that work for many successful people. Until then – Happy Mornings!😊