Time is one of the most valuable resources that we have. It’s free, but it can’t be taken back once it’s spent; so we try to be more productive with our day and make sure that we accomplish a lot from the limited time that we have. I consider myself a morning person and one of the things I love to do is start my day early.
I know a lot of people who try to wake up early but they end up going back to old cycles in the long run because they didn’t fit it into their lifestyle. It’s important to remember that waking up early is not just a one day or one week thing but it should be incorporated into a habit or routine otherwise it’s going to be exhausting and tiring in the long run.
Here are some of the tips for waking up earlier:
Going to bed earlier
Remember that the best way to wake up early is to go to bed early. The first couple of times I tried to wake up earlier, I just went to bed at the same time every night; but that meant that I didn’t get the sleep I needed, so I adjusted my sleeping time as well.
Be patient
Developing a good habit takes time so don’t expect or force yourself to suddenly wake up two hours earlier because you saw a Youtube video or you read a great blog about it. Take small steps like sleep and wake up 20 minutes earlier day by day, until you get the hang of it. If 20 minutes is too high then you can settle for just a few minutes, just as long as you are making consciously making the effort to have progress.
Upgrade your alarm clock
One of the reasons why people don’t wake up as early as they need to is because of their alarm clocks. If you have noticed that you can’t wake up to your alarm then you need to change your alarm clock tone. I bought a sunrise lighting alarm clock and it works fantastic. Around 30 minutes before the alarm goes off, it lights up the entire room and produces a horrible ugly sound that I made it a challenge to wake up before the alarm just to avoid hearing the tone.
Find an exciting reason to wake up
The best way to wake up early is to find a tangible reason for you to get out of bed. It doesn’t even have to be anything like a brand new life-changing invention; it could just be a small thing like reading a new book, pursuing a new hobby or taking an e-course of an exciting subject matter. It doesn’t have to be big or grand, what matters is that it makes you excited to start your day.
Accountability
Personally, for me, it helps when I’m accountable for something. It can be as simple as having a mobile application where you write down goals and track your progress. I use the coach.me app, where I track the times I wake up and write notes about them. Since I’m a competitive person, I also like having a competition with someone who is working on the same goal as I am. On the coach.me app, I got to know a person who was also attempting to wake up earlier and I felt happy when I woke up earlier than he did. The first time I went through the process of waking up 2 hours earlier, we made a competition out of it; and around 2 months after that, I consistently woke up around 6am without an alarm clock.
Visualization of your productive day
A tip that really works for me is sitting in bed and visualizing exactly what I’m going to do tomorrow when I wake up. So I just sit in bed and think about the time I want to wake up, visualizing what it looks like on my alarm clock and phone, and just simulating what I’m going to do when I wake up, for example grabbing a glass of water and getting up quickly to take a shower or cuddle my dog. Usually, when I visualize the time that I’m supposed to wake up, I find myself waking up much earlier without needing the assistance of an alarm clock.
Avoid resting too long on your bed
Waking up is one thing and getting out of bed is another. Some people fall prey to the temptation of resting for just a few minutes more even after they have woken up. The best thing to do is set a habit that forces you out of bed like drinking water or going to the restroom.
Hydration
Water not only helps in waking up early, but it also helps in having good bodily function. When you sleep, your body uses a lot of water to cleanse toxins and other substances in your system that why you sometimes wake up with dry throat or lips. Drinking a lot of water before bedtime also forces you to urinate as soon as you wake up, so it avoids extra rest periods.
Good sleeping temperature
One of the things I like to do, which may not be ideal to everyone, is to open the windows to have fresh air during the night. Aside from that, I leave the window open so that I have more access to sunlight and the sunrise. Not everyone is comfortable in doing it but I absolutely love it!
Once you start your days earlier, you realize that you get more things done and your productivity increases day by day. Although you may not be a morning person, you can try to wake up earlier a day at a time until your body clock fully adjusts. It’s important to note that this is not just a change in habit but a change to a healthier lifestyle as well since waking up earlier can lead to having a sound mind and body.
