Getting out of bed can be a struggle (but not for me, anymore :)) . Sometimes, the allure of staying in all day can be greater than the urgency of waking up on time, and while it’s been suggested that you may be genetically programmed to be a morning person, it’s possible that only a tenth of the population can reliably wake-up in the morning! Gene-testing compay 23andMe found 15 genes related to “morning people” when testing 90,000 night owls and early birds.
Don’t worry – your genes and willpower don’t completely dictate how you act in the morning. There are ways to help you wake-up quickly and efficiently and to stop you feeling so drowsy. Here are the three things I do to spring out of bed every morning that you can try too.
1. I set my Alarm Clock Across the Room with Pleasant Music
The alarm clock is one of the most common weapons in the wake-up arsenal, but so many people are using them incorrectly. They keep their alarm clocks near their beds where they can easily hit the snooze button! Closing your eyes immediately after waking up sends you right back into a deep sleep, making it all that harder to get out of bed when you need to.
The real trick is to keep your alarm clock set at the right time to wake-up rather than too early, and then to keep it positioned far away from your bed. If you have to physically get out of bed and move somewhere to turn it off, you’ll be up and about, more or less, when the alarm finally stops. This a trick I taught my kids to get use to as well…and it works! Keeping my phone far from my head reduces the temptation to check my phone when I hear a message coming in or to check some silly fact that came across my mind while falling asleep.
Another thing to avoid is the use of loud, blaring noises or annoying music as your alarm tone. While effective in that it does get you out of bed, your body hates the stress of that noise, and will eventually condition itself to wake-up earlier and ruin your sleep patterns. Also, it reinforces negative thoughts that associate morning time with stress and unpleasant experiences.
To remedy this, use pleasant music as your alarm sound. This will give your mornings a lovely start and help you get out of bed without the stress. You can also try alarm apps for your phone that incrementally get louder, starting a few minutes before they’re due to ring. This provides a better transition to wakefulness.
2. I Have a Routine to Look Forward to
One of the best ways to train yourself to wake-up earlier is to have an enjoyable and motivational routine that begins as soon as you get out of bed. It took a while for me to ingrain my routine into my daily rhythms, but once I got into the groove, it worked wonders for my wakefulness in the morning.
After getting the kids off to school, I start with an enjoyable workout before anything else, or you can train just after a light breakfast. Morning workouts have a wide variety of benefits, including warming up your body and boosting your metabolism; giving you more energy for the day. Of course, any regular workout and movement is also good for your overall health.
Reading after breakfast is another favorite habit of mine, whether catching up on the news or a couple of blogs. Reading in the morning jumpstarts the brain into thinking mode immediately and provides another way of waking up.
Finally, making a great wake-up drink is a significant component to starting the morning with plenty of energy. The most popular options are coffee and tea; both are different and offer their own respective health benefits, but be warned: there are also downsides to consuming caffeine, especially in regular, large quantities. If you are going to start your day with coffee of tea, it’s important that you reduce or leave out the cream and sugar when you drink either. Those additives are no good for the body, and the added sugar may contribute to you feeling even drowsier.
For an even healthier option, you should try drinking delicious lemon water
3. I Look at my Daily Reminders and Goals
Having an organized life is great for many things, and one benefit is that you already have your day planned by the time you jump out of bed. Having your daily goals spread out for you lets you instantly see what needs to be done.
You can also manipulate your daily schedule to get you waking up faster. Create morning appointments that have to be met or goals that have to be accomplished early. Doing this promotes a sense of urgency when you wake-up and compels you to get out of bed quickly.
Hold yourself accountable to your goals by asking friends and family to help keep you on track. Inform them of your objectives and recruit anyone who is willing to join you. Accountability works best when there is a mutually beneficial relationship, and it’s extremely encouraging to know that you and your loved ones are building healthy habits together. This is one of the key components of success in my Nutrition Bootcamp.
Lastly, reward yourself with something more than just a feeling of accomplishment. When you complete your tasks or reach your goals, reward yourself with something you really enjoy. Purchase a new outfit, get that bracelet you’ve been yearning for, or celebrate with a special meal.
These are a few of the strategies I use to wake-up in the morning quickly, and they work very well for me. What works for each person will be different, but it’s always important to remember: mornings don’t have to be a struggle!