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For those of us that aren’t morning people, the mere thought of getting up earlier than we have to may seem a bit daunting.
However, more and more research continues to point out the many health and wellness benefits of rising earlier. From enhanced levels of productivity, fending off mental illnesses, to reducing stress, waking up earlier may be one of the best methods of self-care that we can utilize.
Not a morning person, though?
Don’t worry-I’ve gathered some of the best tips out there for helping you to wake up earlier, so that you too can enjoy the plethora of benefits that come with rising earlier.
How to Make Yourself Get Up Earlier
1. Start slow. If your goal is to wake up more than 15 minutes earlier than your current rise time, start out slow. For example, if you currently get up at around 8 a.m., but want to get up at 6 a.m., start by pushing your alarm back by 15 minutes. So the first day, set your alarm at 7:45, and the next day at 7:30, then 7:15, and so on until you reach your desired time. Taking steps like these will make the adjustment that much smoother.
2. Don’t snooze. As great as it feels to snooze in, don’t. When you continually tell your brain to wake up, but allow your body more rest, it actually makes it harder to fully wake up, and consequently will make you feel even groggier throughout the morning. So when your alarm goes off and you wake up, get up.
3. Make your room sleep-ready. Your sleeping environment is key not only for a good nights rest, but also for waking up refreshed and ready to go. Ready your room for sleep every night well before you go to bed. Darken the room. Turn off all blue light devices, diffuse essential oil, etc. (For more tips on getting better sleep, check out this article).
4. Simplify your morning. The less effort you’re faced with first thing in the morning, the more likely you are to stick with an earlier rising time. Polish your morning routine, and try to remove a few extra steps the night before. For example, set your coffee pot to automatically brew just before you get up. Have your clothes picked out for the day. Pack your lunch the night before, etc. Having less to do will make your earlier rise less daunting.
5. Create a rewarding morning routine. When you have something to look forward to first thing in the morning, it makes getting up earlier that much easier. Find ways to make your morning rewarding. Maybe it’s doing 15 minutes of yoga straightaway when you wake up. Maybe it’s going for a short walk outside. Or maybe it’s just sipping coffee while reading the paper. Make time for a routine that grounds you for the day ahead.
6. Be consistent. If you really want to make getting up earlier a consistent habit in your life, you have to practice it daily, even on weekends. Try to get up at roughly the same time on the weekend. Trust me, it will make Monday that much easier on you.
