How to Be a Morning Person
People aren’t born to be either early birds or night owls. While your sleepy eyes and caffeine-deprived brain might tell you differently — becoming a morning person is more about habit than anything else. And when you have decades of experience built into the habit of waking up late, it’s no wonder you have difficulty rising early. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to break that routine and create a new one. These strategies are tried-and-true tricks for becoming a morning person.
Create a Routine
We know, we know; you’ve probably already heard this one. But it comes up time and time again for good reason. It works. There are things you do already simply because you always do them, like brushing your teeth, washing your face or turning on the morning news. When you build more into your morning schedule, it will be easier to get up because it’s a habit to get those things done.
Do Something You Love
As you create your routine, make sure you build things in that are fun and enjoyable to you. This might be something as simple as sitting down to have coffee or fitting in 20 minutes of reading. No matter what it is, if it’s something you look forward to, it will be easier to wake up to.
Do Something Active
Many experts recommend getting your exercise in first thing in the morning. But if this doesn’t work for you (we see you, commuters), don’t stress. Even doing something small can help wake up your brain. Take your dog for a quick walk or take a short trip to the mailbox. If you’re not ready to step outside just yet, spend some time stretching while you listen to your favorite podcast. There are tons of options — it’s all about what works for you.
Eat Breakfast
The vast majority of Americans agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but less than half of them actually partake in it. Even if you’re one of those people who doesn’t like to eat breakfast, we recommend that you get at least some form of carbohydrates before you walk out the door in the morning. Carbs are your energy and your brainpower, so missing out on them is going to seriously affect your day.
Pay Attention to Your Bedtime Routine
We’re not going to tell you to go to bed at the same time every day. If you’re able to do that, wonderful! But life happens, things come up, and there will be many days that you won’t be able to meet the expectation of falling asleep at the exact same time every single night. What you can do is create a general plan for helping your body wind down. Turn off the television one hour before you want to go to bed, for example. Read a book for 20 minutes. Your body recognizes habits, and if you do these things enough, it will start to realize that it’s time for sleep.
One of the hardest things, of course, about becoming a morning person is that it takes time. But focus on building regular habits and your body will naturally adapt to a new schedule that starts when you want it to.
- Lifestyle Staff
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