Many of us hate getting up early. If it wasn’t for our jobs, going to school or having to get up for kids or pets, most of us would likely choose to lie in every day.
However, not everyone behaves like this. In fact, some people get up extra early, not because they have to, but because they want to. Research suggests that there are many benefits to being an early riser including increased concentration and productivity. For example, one study found that early birds tended to get better grades in exams. On top of this, getting up early has been found to be one of the most universal habits shared by billionaires.
In other words, becoming a morning person could be the key to a successful life. But just how do you learn to love early mornings? This post explains a few tips for helping you to change your attitude to early mornings.
Watch your alcohol intake the night before
It’s hard to appreciate mornings if you often wake up with a hangover. A night of heavy drinking will leave you feeling groggy and achy the next day as a result of dehydration and poor sleep quality.
If you want to wake up the next day feeling alert and refreshed, it’s best to drink as little alcohol as possible. Some people may claim to be ‘high-functioning alcoholics’, but no-one is more productive with a hangover.
Make sure you’re getting enough sleep
In order to get up early and feel good, you also need to make sure that you’re getting enough sleep. This means going to bed at a reasonable hour so that you’re getting a minimum of 7 hours sleep (ideally 8 hours) to feel rested.
In other words, if you want to get up at 5am, you need to be going to bed at 10pm to get your 7 hours of sleep in (9pm if you want to get 8 hours of sleep). If you’re a night owl, this will likely seem incredibly early, but it’s unfortunately what your body needs.
On top of getting the right amount of hours, you also need to be getting good quality sleep. If you struggle to get to sleep at night, you may want to consider eating earlier and developing a calming bedtime routine. To ensure that you’re not waking up in the night, make sure that your bed is comfortable and that you’re not too hot or cold.
Allow yourself time to relax in the morning
A lot of people hate mornings because they spend their whole morning rushing around. Allowing yourself time to relax in the morning can give you something to look forward to.
Consider treating yourself to an hour of relaxation time. This could be spent having a long bath. Alternatively, you could watch some TV in bed with some coffee (instead of staying up an hour later to watch another episode of your favourite series, leave it until the morning).
Starting your morning off more relaxed could allow you to approach the entire day feeling more relaxed. All in all, it could help to reduce daily stress in your life.
Prepare as much as you can the evening before
It’s hard to find time to relax in the morning if you’ve got a lengthy busy morning routine. So that you don’t have to get up an hour earlier, consider what tasks you can do the evening before to save time.
This could include sorting out which clothing to wear in advance (including ironing it if necessary). If you need to prepare packed lunches for yourself or for your kids, you could also do this the night before. If you don’t get too sweaty in the night, you could even consider showering/bathing in the evening instead of the morning.
Upgrade your breakfast
A good breakfast will help set you up for the day. Make sure that your breakfast is something that you look forward to as this will encourage you to enjoy mornings.
Allowing yourself more time in the morning could allow you to try options beyond cereal and toast. Try to occasionally treat yourself to foods like pancakes or bacon and eggs. If you prefer something simple like toast or cereal, consider experimenting with different toppings and cereals.
It could also be worth upgrading your coffee. Instead of relying on instant coffee, consider buying fresh beans and looking into the best coffee grinders for home use. This will allow you to enjoy barista-level coffee from the comfort of your own home. You could also consider buying yourself a juicer to enjoy freshly squeezed fruit.
Get a small amount of exercise in
The morning is a great time to do some exercise as it can help you to feel energised and alert so that you’re more ready to take on the day ahead. Some people go jogging for an hour or head to the gym for a workout, but you don’t have to put yourself through an intense workout – simply doing 10 minutes of exercise could be all that’s needed to get you ready for the day.
You could do some static exercises in your bedroom or you could plan out an entire HIIT workout. There may even be a way of working some exercise into your commute such as cycling to the train station or simply taking a brisk walk to work.
Make sure your job is ultimately fulfilling
If you’ve got an unfulfilling job, you’re likely to spend your whole morning dreading going to work. It doesn’t matter what you do to alter your morning routine – you’ll still hate getting up in the morning if you hate your job.
Not everyone is able to find a job that they love, however you should try to find a job that makes you feel somewhat content. Consider whether it’s time to look for something else if the idea of going to work fills you with dread.