Becoming A Morning Person

“HOW do you wake up so early?” A question I commonly get in my DMs on Instagram! So I finally wrote up this blog post on some of the things that have helped me stick to an early morning routine.

Now let’s be clear.. 1.) I don’t wake up at 4am by choice, I only ever woke up that early because of coaching the early morning F45 classes a few days a week. 5:30am to 6am is more my sweet spot for an ideal wake up time! And 2.) We’re not all morning people, so if you’re a night owl and enjoy sleeping in a little, GREAT! You have to do what works best for you.

Anyway.. waking up early, especially now that it’s darker later in the morning, isn’t easy if I am not doing the proper prep. There’s a lot that goes into me being ready to wake up at an early time including . . . 

ROUTINE:

It took me awhile to find a solid night time routine, but now that I have, it’s been much easier for me to wind down and hold myself accountable to getting into bed at a decent time. This includes a cut off time for work, eating dinner early enough so I’m not getting into bed with a full/uncomfortable stomach, changing into my pj’s, brushing my teeth/doing my skincare routine, making night time tea, and getting in bed about an hour before I want to fall asleep to read a book or watch netflix with Alec.

BEDTIME:

Go to bed EARLY. I aim for at least 7-8 hours of sleep because I know I won’t function well without it. If you’re trying to wake up early after only 4-6 hours of sleep; no wonder it’s not working for you! Being well rested is a huge priority, and while I realize this is a luxury, definitely take inventory of what’s taking up your time/keeping you from getting to bed at a time that will allow for you to get the right amount of sleep!

ALARM:

I discovered this alarm on amazon and it has been a game changer for getting me out of bed early! The clock mimics the sun gradually rising about 30 minutes before your alarm is set to go off.. I usually end up waking up before the alarm because of the light, and it’s a much calmer way to wakeup in comparison to my phone alarm.

PLAN AHEAD:

Have a plan for the morning.. even if you don’t have to physically be anywhere and you just want to do nothing but drink your coffee and read for the first hour.. Set up a plan so you feel you have a purpose for waking up.

SET UP:

Have your coffee mug, water bottle, vitamins/supps or whatever you use/drink first thing in the morning ready to go on the counter. If you’re trying to become a morning workout person, set your clothes/gym bag/etc. out so that it’s all ready to go when you wake up and you have one less excuse not to get up! 

MINDSET:

When you wake up and debate whether or not to hit snooze or reset your alarm for later, just remember how good it felt the last time you successfully woke up early to go to the gym or to journal, have alone time, etc. and how it set such a good tone for the rest of your day! Maybe even journal this feeling in your notes on your phone or on a sticky note by your bedside table so you can read it right when you wake up as a reminder.

The first few mornings are TOUGH, but once you might it past a handful of days waking up early to get your workout in or whatever it is, it’ll get easier and easier! Hope this helps any of you aspiring to wake up a little earlier 🙂

Xo, Nicole