I’ll be honest, I’ve nearly always been a morning person. I’m from a breed of morning people – my mum and my dad are profilic early risers, and I always count my lucky stars that this was a trait that I inherited. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to stay in bed all morning if I could, but being able to tolerate early starts really helps to kick start my day. I think we can all train ourselves to be morning people – it’s a case of adjusting your mindset, body clock, and most of all your routine.
Night Time Routine
A good morning is based on a good evening routine. If you go to bed at midnight, you’re not going to be able to get up at 5am. I try to give myself 7-8 hours sleep every night. I get up at 5.30am three times a week as I like to work out in the morning, and days when I don’t work out, I get up at 6am. In order for me to sustain this and not be walking around like a zombie all day, I need to be in bed by around 10.30pm latest, but I’ll aim for earlier if I can. I don’t set an alarm at the weekend, but my body naturally wakes me up around 7am-8am. Start the new habit, by forcing yourself into bed earlier – even if it’s half an hour earlier each day.
Stop Snoozing
I’ve never been a snoozer and I don’t think it does anyone any favours. Your body is not going to benefit from an additional 5 minutes – if anything it just leaves you feeling even more groggy than when your alarm first went off. Set your alarm, and stick to it. Drag yourself out of bed if you have to, but soon you’ll find that your body adapts to the new way of waking up – and it’s much better I promise!
Get Up Straight Away
As much of a temptation as lying in bed for an extra few minutes can be, I highly recommend getting up straight away. When my alarm goes off in the morning, I turn it off and get straight up. Even if I’m exhausted, I still follow this same routine – and always find that my body will soon adjust after a quick shower or workout. Allowing yourself to lay in bed only just allows your grogginess to stick around, so get up, head into the kitchen and get yourself going with a coffee.
If you wake up a few minutes before your alarm, fight the temptation to go back to sleep. When you wake up naturally it’s because your body is in a lighter sleep stage. Going back to sleep could send you into a deeper sleep stage, making it harder to wake up and start your day.
Exercise In The Morning
I love to work out in the morning – it gets it out of the way and means I’m more likely to eat healthier throughout the day. Morning workouts also increase your metabolism and energy, which results in increased productivity. I’ve never been someone that can successfully exercise late in the day or after work – I’m physically and mentally drained and will nearly always find an excuse. Starting the morning with some form of exercise (even just some simple morning stretches) is a great way to wake yourself up, and set the tone of your day to be the best.
Prep
If you tend to faff in the morning, then I recommend doing some simple prep the night before – it will make your early starts much easier and help you adjust quicker. I always lay my gym clothes out the night before a gym class as I know that hunting for sports bras and leggings at 5.30am is not what I want to be doing. Similarly, depending on what I’m having for breakfast (overnight oats for example) – I’ll typically make it the night before so it’s quick and easy for me to just grab straight from the fridge. The same goes for your outfits – if you can never decide what to wear – take 10 minutes before bed to have a quick think, lay your clothes out and head to bed knowing that your morning will be stress free.
Starting your morning in a relaxed way, no doubt helps to put a positive spin on your day. I know that on the rare occasion that I’m rushing around in the morning – I’m always feeling stressed and negative, whereas when I kickstart my morning with an early start, a workout and breakfast pre-made – I know I’m onto a winner.
Are you a morning person? What are your tips?
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