Early Bird

Most days I wake at 4:30 am so that I can start my day and feel accomplished before I even get to work. Many people say “How do you do that?” or “I am not a morning person. I can’t get up that early!” Truthfully, I have not always been someone that willfully got up hours before having to be at work but I have trained myself to wake up early and now I enjoy it.

To try and encourage more people to start their day off with a bang, so I came up with some reasons for an early wake-up call:

• Breakfast and Lunch: The time before work is not just for coffee, but also for your first meal of the day. This is also when I put together my lunch. I give myself enough time to make breakfast, which normally consists of oatmeal and blueberries, and for lunch, I always try and force myself to make a salad with protein (usually fish or chicken). If I already have a healthy option for breakfast and lunch, I am less likely to look for a quick fix that comes with a side of fries.

• Exercise: If I work out in the morning, not only can I shower before work, but I rarely cancel my workout plans. If you work out at lunch, you not only have to deal with two wardrobe changes, but possible impromptu lunch meetings (another reason why bringing a lunch to work is beneficial). Of course, exercising after work can be postponed due to exhaustion from work and other things that keep you at the office late.

• Punctuality: Running late for work is a common occurrence in most workplaces. With waking up at 4:30, I have time to check the road conditions, take care of any tasks I wasn’t able to take care of the night before, and adjust my leave time if I know my commute will take longer.

• Decreased Interruption: There must be less morning people in the world because this is the time I am the most productive. I can go to the bank before work, get gas, stop by the grocery store, or head to the gym all with less interruption and more peace of mind.

So, even with all the benefits I just provided, you might still be lost on how you are able to become one of these “morning people.” Just for you, I made a list of helpful tips on how to get started!

• Positivity: Think more positively about morning. Just by giving mornings a more positive label, you will tend to look more favorably on that time of the day. If you don’t have anything nice to say about morning yet, you can borrow a nice saying from this website.

• Better Alarm: The classic jarring and obnoxious alarm maybe for some people, but not for me. A hard hitting alarm is like makes me feel like I’m waking up on the wrong side of the bed. It sounds mean and angry! Instead, try waking up to your favorite song, nature sounds, or alarms that get subtly increase their intensity. You don’t need to stick to your current alarm, so find different ways to start your morning with this webite’s collection of alarms.

• Small Steps: You can’t change your sleep cycle in one night. Slowly alter your bed time by ten minutes sooner each night and wake 10 minutes earlier. Within a week’s time you will be going to bed over an hour earlier and waking up an hour before your normal rising time.

• Do something in the morning that you will look forward to making it easier to get out of bed. For me, it is getting my exercising down. Some people enjoy waking up to read the paper, help their kids get ready for school, watch a show, eating a homemade breakfast, a yoga session, or just spending time with your significant other. Whatever your motivation may be, keep it in the forefront of your mind when you wake up. To find a happier morning ritual visit this website.