Tips for Becoming a Morning Person
By Genevieve Cunningham
Most people fall into one of two categories: Morning people and night owls. Whichever group you fall into, there are some major benefits. Research has shown that night owls tend to be creative and spontaneous which are great traits. But, if you’re looking to be more productive and actually get things done, becoming a morning person might be something to consider. Morning people are also more likely to be thinner, happier, and are less likely to suffer from depression among a ton of other healthy side effects. If these benefits are hard to ignore, take a look at these three ways to help you kick the nighttime habit and become an early morning person.
Go to Bed Earlier
You’ll never be able to get up earlier if you don’t go to bed earlier. It can be tough to switch from a midnight bedtime (or later) to a bedtime a few hours earlier in one night. Instead, baby step it. Try to go to bed 10, 20, or 30 minutes earlier. Once you’re used to this, back it up again. It might take weeks or months to get it down, but eventually your body will get used to the routine and begin to cooperate.
Find a Morning Ritual
It’s a lot easier to get up in the morning if you can look forward to something. Make yourself an enjoyable morning routine. Get into meditation or yoga, enjoy a drink that you ONLY allow in the mornings, or make it a habit to watch the sunrise. Just find something that feels good to you personally, and save that thing for your morning routine.
Buy an App
The hardest part of waking up early is the getting out of bed. We just can’t get our feet on the floor. If this is you, try the Step Out of Bed app on your phone. This app is an alarm that won’t shut off until you physically get out of bed and take 30 steps. Otherwise, it just keeps ringing. This helps those people who hit the snooze or crawl back under the covers. After all, once you’ve taken 30 steps, you might as well make coffee and get going.
Getting up early is a great habit to have and keep, but it can be tough for night owls to get on board. Try these little tips to reset your internal alarm clock and become a morning person. It might be tough, but your long-term health and success may very well thank you.