This article is special for those who want to change their routine, but have difficulty obeying the alarm clock.
Why look, even though I love getting up early today, it wasn’t always like this. It’s not always, to tell you the truth. But I used some strategies to be able to become a morning person and I was surprised, because it ended up being much less suffered than I expected . I think these strategies can help you too!
Waking up earlier was one of the most positive changes I’ve ever made in my life, and it helped me be more productive at work and have more time to self-care. So it’s really worth a try. Let’s go to tips?
I know this sounds like coach talk, like “let go of your limiting beliefs”, but it’s a fact: when you’re fully convinced that you’re not the kind of person who can wake up early, then it really gets tough, right?
For a long time I thought I was a more nocturnal person, because I got used to writing until late when I worked in writing. What I didn’t know was that this was simply lack of organization . Because if I planned to start work earlier, I invariably arrived at a better and faster result.
Today I realize that I am a 100% morning person, as I reach my peak of creativity and productivity in the morning , when I manage to wake up very early and have a few hours to myself before starting work.
When you need to get up much earlier than usual for a meeting or to go to the airport, you can, can’t you? So when it’s a goal you’ve set yourself, which isn’t mandatory, why the hell do you hit the snooze button and go back to sleep?
The first few times I woke up very early without being forced, it was painful. I remember only being able to open my eyes fully when I was already brushing my teeth. Then you think “what for, guys”? Hahaha and it’s just that thought that will make you go back to bed and miss the chance to take a big step that day.
So face the suffering and get up anyway. I swear it’s going to hurt like this for a very short time, really. Pretty soon you can wake up completely, and you’ll feel pretty good because you did.
And more: all this suffering happens only in the very first days. By my third or fourth morning, I was waking up much more willing . That fast! But of course having activities that I like in my morning contributed a lot to that. Which brings us to the next item:
If you hate exercising with all your might, maybe starting the day wearing your leggings and heading out to the gym isn’t the best idea ever. Exercise is a good personal development activity for you to do in your mornings, but it’s not the only one and it doesn’t need to be the first.
My first activity of the day, and one that I really love, is making a cup of coffee and sitting on the nicest corner of the sofa to read. I swear to you that it is often the best time of my day!
This often makes me go to sleep excited to wake up and live this moment again, you know? And that makes it much easier to ignore the temptation to hit the snooze button and stay asleep. I get up excited in the morning, and I know my day won’t be so good if I don’t have time to read in my corner. So it’s worth the effort.
If you don’t like to read, your morning activity might be having a nice snack, or playing with your dog, or taking care of the plants, or meditating. Or exercising, oh, some people like it! Haha ha! But find what works for you, and what will get you excited to get up when the alarm goes off. This, for me, is the best tip to wake up early without suffering!
“Okay, this is all beautiful”, you may be thinking, “but sleep is bigger than me.” There are people who just can’t hear the alarm and get up at first .
In this case, it’s worth appealing to those old tricks, like leaving your cell phone at the last volume out of reach in bed. Just by being forced to get up and move, your body is already waking up.
I’ve heard of people who put several alarm clocks around the house, to force themselves to walk away, even turning it off! Haha ha! But that only works if you actually wake up to the sound of the alarm clock, because if your sleep is so heavy that you don’t wake up, I feel sorry for anyone who sleeps in the same house as you!
Another good strategy to wake up your body is to brush your teeth and wash your face, for obvious reasons, and drink a glass of water. Just by hydrating the body, we can make it work, and then it’s easier for him to understand that it’s time to start the day.
There are also people who go straight from bed to shower. If it works for you, send a bullet! I prefer to read on the couch in my pajamas, I think it’s a nicer way to start the day, but each one has its own trick. Try them all!
I think this tip goes for everything in life. If on the first day you miss the hour and wake up later you decide this morning habit thing isn’t for you, then it really isn’t going to be.
Even I, who am very used to waking up early, have my days that just don’t happen. Sometimes we are very stressed and cannot wake up, it happens. And, for women, it can even be a hormonal issue that is making their routine difficult.
Be patient, don’t get frustrated and try again the next day. That simple. It could be that one day it becomes so natural that you never miss another time (they say it does), and it could be that you need an alarm clock and effort every day for the rest of your life.
But hey, as someone who is really loving having more time with me in the mornings, I strongly argue that it’s worth the effort.