Hi there, here are my 10 TIPS FOR WAKING UP EARLY. All have helped me and are all easy, doable, and affordable (no cost). So, let’s break a bad habit and create a healthy one. Remember, the early bird gets the worm.
1. Even though sleeping in can be more appealing, SKIP THE SNOOZE BUTTON. Be sure to leave your alarm on the opposite side of your bedroom, to ensure that you will get out of bed when your alarm goes off. Once you’re up out of bed, it’s more likely that you will stay up and get moving. Make it a habit to not crawl back into bed. Make your bed instead, then head straight for the bathroom or for the coffee pot if you’re a coffee drinker. Again, this will become habit and get easier with time. Just stay clear from those negative and tempting thoughts that try to pull you back into bed and reck your day. The benefits will eventually outweigh the thought of sleeping in. For more see my 13 BENEFITS OF WAKING UP EARLY blog post.
2. MAKE GRADUAL CHANGES & GO TO BED AT A GOOD TIME: Set an earlier wake time, 15 minutes earlier each morning to start. Do the same for bedtime. You will have better success making gradual changes rather than changing all at once. Plan for at least 7 hours to at the most 9 hours of sleep each night. So, if I set my goal to wake up at 5:30 a.m., and I go to bed at 9:00 p.m., that gives 30 minutes to wind down, and 8 hours to sleep. Although I would rather not wake any earlier than 6:00 a.m., waking at 5:30 a.m. would allow me enough time to get dressed, pack lunches, take my dog for a run, drink my morning tea in a relaxed state, and be early to work.
Do what works for you. See my 20 TIPS FOR GOOD SLEEP blog post, for ideas that may help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
3. Open your curtains or blinds to let in MORNING BRIGHT LIGHT. Natural bright light increases serotonin in your body and helps wake you up. If it’s still dark when you wake, try bright light therapy. Bright light therapy involves sitting in front of a lamp or light that emits bright light, which tricks your brain into feeling more alert. Light exposure shuts melatonin production off and tells your brain that’s it’s time to wake up. So, sit in natural or near artificial bright light while drinking your favorite morning tea.
4. MORNING EXCERCISE: Another wake me up happiness booster that feeds your fuel tank. Find your happy routine that gets you moving in the morning as opposed to at night. This will also help you sleep at night.
5. Take a cold shower. I know it sounds awful, but cold water wakes you up as warm and hot water relaxes you.
6. PROVIDING AN INCENTIVE for any challenge will help with motivation, dedication, and success. So set a goal and give yourself a week or two to adjust. Then treat yourself to something that makes you happy once you succeed. Each day will get easier and remember that consistency is key to keep your circadian rhythm or biological body clock in check.
7. USE YOUR SENSES TO CONNECT and practice morning mindfulness.
-Find your morning happy smell.
-Look at something that makes you smile.
-Taste something that makes you feel happy. Healthy carbohydrates that are not likely to spike blood sugar include steel-oats, whole gran brain flakes, whole grain bread, and most fruits and vegetables. Unhealthy high sugar foods can actually make you feel more tired causing cause brain fog. High protein foods can boost your mood.
-Listen to something positive that gets you energized and ready to start your day.
-Wear something that makes you comfortable and confident.
8. STAY AWAY FROM YOUR PHONE. For many people, this will likely be a challenge. It has become a bad habit that we need to look at our phones as soon as we wake up. We can certainly check the weather and check for any important missed calls, but do we really need to spend more time on our phones. Stop connecting with your phone and connect with life. Save your morning time for getting ready for your day and for making mindful connections.
9. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Be confident in your ability to make positive changes and succeed in them. Tell yourself that you can do this. If you want it bad enough, you will succeed.
10. Waking up at the same time on the weekends as during the week is recommended to keep your biological clock in sync. If you sleep in, plan for no more than 1 hour. Think about how daylight savings affects us.
Challenge Checklist:
1) Does it make me happy?
2) Does it serve me?
-Remind yourself why each challenge is important to you and how the benefits will make your life better.
-Be proud of yourself for wanting to create good habits for yourself.
