How To Become An Early Morning Person: Your Guide To Waking Up Early And Actually Liking It
This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Selma Dizdarevic. Find her on Instagram at @selmadiizdarevic. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
It’s hard to scroll through social media without coming across a video of an aesthetic early morning routine that almost always features soothing music, sun rays beaming through big windows, 6 AM yoga classes and cute cups of espresso. Even though I love watching morning routines like these, actually having a productive routine in the morning is pretty hard, especially if you’re not naturally prone to waking up early.
After being a chronic night owl for years, one of my resolutions for the new year was to wake up early and actually enjoy it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not always easy, but subtle changes and consistency can help you become a morning person and feel good about it, too! So, feeling ready to change your habits, wake up early in the morning and not hate it? Here are six realistic tips on how to become an early morning person.
Head to bed earlier
If you want to wake up early, a good idea is to go to bed early. Simple, right? Not always. It can be difficult to fall asleep at an earlier time, especially if you’re not used to going to bed until much later. Little things can help, though. For one thing, consider meditating before bed. There are hundreds of nighttime meditation videos on YouTube, ranging from as short as ten minutes to as long as an hour. For the best results, turn off all the harsh lights in your room and eliminate any distractions as you meditate. Tiny adjustments to your environment like these and practicing mindfulness right before bed will help you clear your mind, relax your body and get you ready for a long night of sleep.
Ditch your basic alarm
We all know that the classic iPhone alarm sounds are not the most soothing, and can actually be pretty jarring to wake up to. They might even make you want to turn them off immediately and fall back asleep–an offense I’m guilty of almost every time. Try waking yourself up gently with apps like Sunrise and Sleepwave which have a variety of calming sounds to choose from. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be woken up to the sound of ocean waves and birds chirping?
Practice and be consistent
Train yourself to become a morning person over time by waking up a little earlier each day. For example, if your end goal is to wake up at 5 AM every day (kudos to you, by the way!) then try waking up at 7 the first few days, then move it up to 6:30, 6 and so forth until you reach your target. It’ll be easier for you to wake up early if you’re consistent with it every day, and that means waking up early even on weekends. You don’t have to get up as early as you would on weekdays but still try to maintain some semblance of a morning routine each day. It’ll make it easier for you to get out of bed and become an early morning person little by little.
Wake up with the sun
Another good tip for becoming a morning person is to get as much sunlight as you can. I find that it’s easier to wake up early and actually get out of bed when the sunshine is hitting my face. You can keep your blinds and curtains open while you sleep or consider buying a sunlight lamp. This can help you naturally wake up as early as the sun, so you might not even need an alarm with this one!
Keep your phone out of sight and out of mind
This tip is seriously a game-changer. Before you go to bed, leave your phone or any other distracting electronics outside of the room where you sleep. I keep mine plugged away in the living room throughout the night. Putting your phone away can help you get to bed earlier, and will definitely prevent you from scrolling the whole morning away.
Create a routine you’ll be excited for
This is probably one of my favorite tips on this list because of how effective it is! Create a morning routine that’ll make you look forward to waking up and starting your day. For me, this means wearing cute outfits, going to the gym, preparing a delicious breakfast and drinking a really good cup of coffee. All of these things make me excited to wake up in the morning, even if it is super early. Try it out for yourself! Find the little things that make you feel full and incorporate them into your daily morning routine, and you’ll be sure to become a morning person in no time.
Did you like this article on how to become an early morning person? Do you have any other tips? Let us know in the comments below!