Mornings—you either love them or you hate them, right? Some people live for getting up at the crack of dawn, getting their morning cup of coffee in, and being as productive as possible in those wee hours of the day. Then there are the people who press snooze seven times, roll out of bed, and barely make it out the door on time.
So, the question is this: Is it possible to go from being a night owl to an early bird? Is there a way to completely flip your mindset and look at your alarm clock as an opportunity for a brand-new day, rather than an obstacle? We think so! Here are some of our tips for how you can ease your way into becoming a morning person.
Go to bed earlier.
It’s a simple concept: If you want to wake up earlier, go to bed earlier. But we get it … it’s easier said than done. In all honesty, most of us are probably in bed at a decent hour, but are we actually trying to go to sleep? The answer is likely no, thanks to those devices we have in our hand 24/7. The majority of us are up for hours scrolling through our news feeds and missing out on precious sleep time by checking in on the lives of others.
Our advice? Put the devices down. In fact, the National Sleep Foundation recommends that you stop using all electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime. You could even charge your phone in a different room of your house to make sure you stay off of it. This will allow you to get the amount of sleep your body needs to hop out of bed feeling rejuvenated the next day!
Exercise first thing in the morning.
We know what you’re thinking: You can’t be serious. Well, yes, we are serious, but just hear us out. Staying warm and cozy in your bed may seem much more tempting, but a 2019 study found that morning workouts improve attention, visual learning, and decision-making throughout the day. So yes, there are some benefits worth jumping out of bed for!
If intense workouts aren’t your style, there are other options! Grab a friend for a morning walk in your neighborhood or get in a quick stretch session before getting ready.
Make a filling breakfast.
Hanger is a real thing, and if you’ve never heard that term before, it basically means being so hungry that you become angry. Most people experience their hanger around 10 a.m., but never fear: Eating a good breakfast is the perfect cure! There are a ton of options when it comes to healthy, filling breakfast foods, but here is an example of our ideal meal:
- Scrambled eggs (nutritious and filled with protein)
- Turkey bacon (tends to be lower in fat than traditional bacon)
- Greek yogurt (high in protein and calcium)
- Fruit (healthy … obviously 😉)
Whoever coined the term, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” wasn’t joking around! Aim for nutrient-dense foods first thing in the morning;, you’ll be thanking yourself when that 10 a.m. hanger doesn’t come.
Become a morning person with habits.
We’re not saying that you’ll ever get to the point where you jump out of bed ready to greet the day, every day. To be honest, we all have those days when staying buried beneath the covers sounds a whole lot better than getting up to face the world. However, adding small, productive habits to your morning can make them seem not so scary after all!
Once you’ve established your morning routine, help yourself out even more by creating night time habits! Read our blog post here, “Three Evening Habits for Success” for some tips!
