Have you always been a morning person?
This is always the question I get when I share that I get up pretty early. And my answer is that I do naturally enjoy waking up early (not like 6 am early.) I love sunshine and am most productive during the day. However, I used to get up around 10 or 11 and work until 2 am for a while when my hubby’s schedule shifted. So if you’re a night owl, I’m here to say that it’s totally possible!
I don’t want to be a morning person for the clout. It’s just practical for me. I know that I am a very lazy afternoon and evening person, and I want to make sure I get all of my tasks done. I just don’t have the energy to workout in the evenings. Therefore, I find it beneficial to be a morning person.
Let’s be clear, waking up early is not fun. I do not wake up at 6 am and think it’s all roses and sunshine! Most mornings, I’m not so enthusiastic about being up when it’s dark out. But I always have my why to lean back on. As I shared earlier, I know that I won’t have the energy to workout later in the day, so I like to get it over with first thing! That’s my why.
Figure out your why! Is it because you want to have an hour of silence before the rest of your household wakes up? Do you want to enjoy a sunrise walk with your favorite cup of coffee? Or like me, do you want to get your workout finished before you have time to put it off? After you figure out why you’re doing it, I have some tips:
⚡️Go to bed at a reasonable time⚡️
Go to sleep around 9-10pm, if your goal is 6 am. In order to do this, I cut down on my TV time significantly. I had to set some boundaries in my night-time routine. Nowadays, I do not start a TV show after 9pm. Because I know if I’m not getting 7 ½- 8 hours of sleep, it makes it so hard to wake up.
⚡️No phone in the bedroom⚡️
I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out. Keeping your phone in the room only leads to mindless scrolling. I recommend using a manual alarm clock if you can, or putting your phone somewhere you can’t reach in bed. Personally, I charge my phone outside in the hallway on a table. That way I don’t scroll before bed or roll over in the night to check Instagram. I can hear my alarms in the morning and that’s enough for me! Bonus* You have to get up out of bed to turn off your alarm, and odds are you’re less likely to fall back asleep.
⚡️Time out your bed time rituals⚡️
What do you need to do in order to get to bed by 10pm? Do you need to do some stretches, meditate, or read a book? Take into consideration the length of time you’ll need for those things and give yourself cushion time in order to actually fall asleep once you’ve gotten into bed. If you want to be asleep by 10, set an alarm by 9 so you know it’s time to get your bedtime ritual done.
⚡️Be prepared for the morning⚡️
Lay out your clothes the night before and make sure you have your workout planned. If this sounds like a hassle, I promise it’s not! Before I hacked my morning routine, I skipped many workouts because I didn’t know what workout to do. Now I plan the night before and I even set out all of my workout outfits for the week on Sunday night. It’s satisfying to see the outfits dwindle as I complete workouts!
⚡️Do increments⚡️
If you wake up at 7 naturally but you want to wake up at 6 am, set your alarm for 6:50 for a week! And keep shaving off minutes until you wake up at 6 am consistently. Slow and steady wins the race!
Prioritizing yourself is so important. My husband, Vitali, calls it “paying yourself first” and I love that, so I’m stealing it. I have to pay myself before I can help those around me. If I have taken care of myself with some movement in the morning, I can feel good about working until 5 or 6 o’clock. I know how hard it feels to prioritize myself, but when I take care of myself, I’m a better coach, wife, daughter and friend. You can’t pour from an empty cup so use the extra time in the morning to give back to yourself. 💖