Waking up early morning can be quite a challenge for a lot of us but it’s not something you can’t do. We all love to binge on Netflix till late or scroll through our phone till late at night or even have that extra hour of sleep. But waking up early morning has it’s own benefits like you can be very productive and get a lot of things done in a day.
I use to be someone who would wake up at 9:30 and then I realised that till the time I did my routine work it used to be almost time for lunch. I was not able to do a lot of things that I would plan and would feel lethargic. Gradually I got into a habit of waking up at 6 AM and now I am loving it.
HERE ARE SOME EASY REALISTIC TIPS THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW TO BE A MORNING PERSON-
1. SET YOUR GOAL OR MOTIVATION- Ask yourself as to why do you want to wake up early. You must have some motivation or goal as to why do you want to do this. It can be working out, meditation, stretching, going for a walk, reading a book, writing a journal, planning your day, planning your meals, having some extra time to yourself. Setting a goal will give you an incentive to wake up early. So set your goal and work towards it.
2. GET INSPIRATION FROM OTHERS- Is there anyone in your family who wakes up early? Or in your neighbourhood? Have you seen someone and you wished you could also do something like that? Taking inspiration from others really helps. If there is someone in your family or a friend who wakes up early, ask them about their routine and what difference has waking up early morning made to them?
If you don’t know anyone then you can wake up early morning one day and see around, you will be surprised to see so many people walking, going for a run, appreciating the nature, sitting in the park. These sights will surely inspire you.
3. RESET YOUR NIGHT ROUTINE- Sleeping late and waking up early, does it work? It might for a week but it’s not a sustainable habit. It’s very important to have at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Sleep is very important for healthy living. Your mood depends on it. So if you want to wake up early you have to make few changes in your night time routine like eating on time, avoiding your gadgets in bed. It will not be easy and will take time so have patience. You cannot create a habit in one day!
4. START SLOWLY- It feels tempting to jump into a new routine right away. But that leads to burnout and is not good for the long run. So start by waking up 30 mins before you usually wake up and then slowly glide your way up. This way your body will not feel sleep deprived and out of energy and will also get used to the new routine that you are trying to achieve. For instance, if you usually wake up by 8:30, set your alarm for 8, follow this for few days then set for 7:30 and so on. Remember you need to be consistent.
5. AVOID CAFFEINE AT NIGHT- We all love our coffee. But it can wreck one’s sleep cycle. It’s best to avoid caffeine after 6pm. This way your body will have time to shut down for your night routine and you will be able to sleep well at night. You can certainly enjoy your coffee when you wake up in the morning. So consider that to be a treat, or something you look forward to when you wake up.
6. GET SOME SUNLIGHT- Best thing about waking up early morning is able to see the sunrise. It is a splendid sight. You certainly don’t want to miss it. When I wake up early morning I look forward to the fresh rays of sun. It gives you an instant energy. Basking in the sun early morning is an instant mood lifter and will make you fresh plus you will get your dose of Vitamin-D. This is the best time to soak in some sun without getting a sunburn.
7. DO NOT TAKE STRESS- Everyone in today’s world experiences stress, irrespective of age. Stress has become a part and parcel of your life. Sometimes it’s okay to take some stress but it should not make you incapable of doing your daily work. Stress can impact your sleep. Even overthinking can. After a long day, it’s natural to think about something that might have happened that day and that it’s bothering you. But we must go to our bed keeping all these thoughts out from our mind. To ease yourself you can listen to music or even do a night time meditation which will help you relax your thoughts and give a good night sleep.
8. BE CONSISTENT BUT DON’T BE HARD ON YOURSELF- It takes time to achieve a particular thing, same is the case with a habit, it takes time to form a habit. Even if it’s waking up early morning, you cant expect that you will instantly get into a habit. It takes time, it’s your consistency which matters. But on some days it’s good to not be hard on yourself, maybe you had a very long day at work or school, maybe you were out till late, or maybe you are just tired and want some extra sleep. It’s best to take a break and sleep a little extra.
