Getting up earlier on a morning is something a lot of people struggle with.
It’s something that should be easy when we’re used to waking up early for work etc.
In an ideal world, you’d jump out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off, in the shower and ready to start your day without worrying about rushing out the door.
But it’s not always that simple, not if you’re not used to it, and not if you don’t have a routine.
Here’s some simple changes you can make to wake up earlier so you can get MORE done without cursing at the alarm clock.
Tips To Wake Up Earlier:
Firstly, don’t rely on yourself.
It might sound strange, but those mornings where you wonder why you snoozed without even waking up, or you kept hitting snooze on your alarm for “another 10 minutes”?…
Well if you’re not used to getting up early, your body will struggle to do so.
So, we need to be clever and make some simple changes, to set us up to succeed.
One of the first things I did, and still do, is I put my phone alarm on a chest of drawers away from the bed.
Why?
Because I realised that when I could reach my alarm clock while still lying in bed, I was more likely to hit snooze.
There’s no question about it, I would hit snooze every time.
Put your alarm across the room, make it loud and choose an annoying sound, then your only option is to get out of bed to turn it off…
Then whatever you do, don’t go back to bed!
My next tip – wake yourself up!
We all know the toughest part of waking up earlier than normal is the ‘fogginess’ we experience first thing.
The kind that makes you want to sleep, sleep and sleep some more!
The first thing I do (after walking across the room to turn my alarm off), is splash my face with cold water, then do a simple stretching routine.
If stretching isn’t for you, another great idea is to use the time you have to go for a brisk 10 minute walk.
Getting your body moving is one of the simplest ways to wake yourself up and get yourself ready for the day.
If I don’t, I definitely feel slower and take longer to do everything I need to do.
Now, let’s talk coffee.
A lot of people say it’s bad for you, but only if you drink too much – here’s how you turn caffeine into your friend…
If you find yourself using coffee to stay awake later, get through the afternoon ‘slump’ and you have a cup every hour while you’re at your desk…
Switch to using it as part of your morning routine instead.
Have a cup in the morning after drinking a glass of water, and use caffeine to give you focus.
Be careful not to drink too much that it doesn’t do the job it’s supposed to – keeping you alert!
I usually stop drinking it my midday.
My final tip for you – build a morning routine around something you look forward to doing.
Here’s A Morning Routine That Works For Me:
– Wake up early, between 5:30 and 6:00 am
– Drink an entire glass of fresh water with lemon (I always make sure there’s a big jug of it ready in the fridge)
– Splash my face with cold water to wake me up
– Spend 5 minutes stretching my entire body
– Go for a walk, run or workout in the gym
– Grab a hot coffee, and red
Then I’m set up for the day!
There’s something special about being awake early and knowing that you’re improving the quality of your life, able to get MORE done and have more time to do what you enjoy…
Instead of being in a rush everyday like most of us are!
Whatever becomes a part of your morning routine, the key is to be consistent so it becomes a habit you do without thinking.
You’ll feel happier and more energetic.
You’ll get through your to-do list a lot quicker.
You’ll have more time to spend with family and friends.
And you’ll feel more motivated to get up and go.
The best part – you’ll achieve all of this just by making small changes to the first couple of hours to your day.
So, there you have it, that’s my routine, what’s yours?
If you’ve transitioned from a night-owl to an early bird, what was your favourite change you made?
Here’s to waking up earlier and getting more done!
