How to Become a Morning Person

I think it's about that time when everyone's getting tired of sleeping in, eating lunch, watching a movie, and then going back to bed. I don't think I'm the only one who's fed up with having no routine and wants to get back into the swing of things. 

I must admit, I'm not really one to give advice on this topic- I'm a night owl. I can stay up really late, and also sleep in really late. Unfortunately, that's just part of being a teenager. It's hard to wake up early! I know how it goes- you want to get up early, but the bed is so warm and luscious and your eyes are so heavy! But I always regret sleeping in. Mornings set the tone for the rest of your day, and whenever I sleep in, I'm often either grumpy and irritated or rushed, depending on what I have to do that day. Either way, though, I feel gross.

If you feel the same way, I have some tips that might help you actually enjoy, yes, enjoy, waking up early, and resist the urge to snooze your alarm! (Yes, I am human... there are always days when I don't want to get out of bed, but it's all about pushing past it!) For those of you who are thinking, 'Yeah, right. Enjoy waking up early,' I thought that to. I thought there was no way I could actually become a morning person- but keep reading. You may be surprised!

1 | Find your 'why'

When beginning any sort of new habit or lifestyle, it's 10000% essential that you ask yourself, 'why?' in order to succeed. 

Ask yourself why you want to wake up earlier. Is it to get more stuff done? Is it to have more time to yourself? For me, it's mainly so I can wake up peacefully, without rushing. I wake up early enough that usually everyone in my family is still asleep, so I can enjoy some extra moments of quiet before the day begins, and set myself up for a productive day.

Whenever you find yourself doubting if you want to continue the habit of waking up early or are tempted to sleep in, go back to your 'why'.

2 | Go to bed earlier

Even though I don't have too much of a problem getting up early anymore, it's still really hard for me to go to bed at a decent time. I often think it won't make that much of a difference if I get a little bit less than 8 hours of sleep- WRONG. Going to bed earlier will make a HUGE difference when it comes to waking up earlier and feeling refreshed, energized, and just happy overall. National Sleep Foundation recommends that teens get 8-10 hours of sleep every night.

3 | Set your alarm to a pleasant ringtone

This is honestly one of the number one things that's helped me wake up earlier. Waking up to an annoying ringtone or a startling beep will make you just want to turn it off and get back in bed. For me, those alarm sounds just remind me of how I should get up because I have to, not because I want to. 'I have to get up because I need to finish this paper before school' or 'I have to get up because I need to shower' or whatever the case may be. But waking up to something more pleasant, a nice piano song, a podcast, just something that I want to listen to, inspires me to wake up because I want to, not just because I must.

4 | Leave your alarm on the other side of the room

This one is probably obvious, and also probably one that you've tried before, but if you haven't, set your alarm on the other side of the room instead of right next to you. That way you're forced to get out of bed in order to turn it off. You really only have to do this in the beginning, when waking up early isn't yet a habit. 

If you're really stubborn with alarms and find it really hard to wake up when it goes off, I love the app Alarmy because I get to choose anything from my music to wake up to, but it forces me to do something in order to turn it off. They have an assortment of random 'tasks' such as shaking the device, solving a math problem, playing a brain game, and some other things.

5 | Say your prayers as soon as you wake up

Try to get in the habit of saying a simple prayer as soon as you wake up, so you know that it's time to start your day. It's also just a good habit in general to pray and thank God first thing when you wake up, before you do anything else.

6 | Don't close your eyes

Resist the urge! At the very most, I get back in bed and read a book right after I wake up, but I resist the urge to close my eyes. I can't tell you how many times I've said, 'just 5 more minutes' and have woken up 2 hours later. Just trust me on this one, once you get out of bed, don't close your eyes again, or better yet, don't get back in bed at all.

7 | Set two alarms

Okay, I know I've got a lot of alarm tips, but honestly, setting an alarm that tells me it's time to start waking up, and another one that tells me it's time to actually get out of bed, is actually really helpful for me. That way, after the first one goes off, I can adjust to the light and open my eyes, and if I fall back asleep, the second one will wake me up again. 

8 | Wake up with the sunlight

This is another really helpful trick for me that I used to overlook, but the sun itself is a gentle wake-up! I like to open my blinds just a bit before going to bed so that I can wake up with the sunlight. Waking up in darkness can tempt you to go back to sleep, so sleep with your blinds or curtains open. If you live in a busier neighborhood, just leave them partially open, and then when you wake up, open them all the way so you won't be tempted to get back in bed. Having the sunlight streaming through your bedroom as soon as you open your eyes really plays a part in telling your body it's time to start your day!

9 | Stretch

Stretching is the perfect way to help your muscles adjust after being still for (hopefully) 8+ hours. Just doing some light stretches before getting out of your bed to snooze your alarm is a great, easy way to wake up feeling refreshed.

10 | Start a ritual you really look forward to

The previous tips were really about how to wake up earlier, but these last three are really more about how to become an actual morning person. Create a morning ritual that you look forward to in the mornings, whether it's skincare, a morning walk, or meditation, so you'll be excited to wake up get your day started. For me, that's reading the next chapter or two of my favorite book, or having coffee and reading my bible in silence (which is a rare occasion when you have a big family)!

11 | Start a journal or gratitude journal

I've only recently begun to journal in the mornings, and it's really affected how my morning goes. I love to reflect on how I feel and the things I'm grateful for as a reminder throughout the rest of the day. Each morning, pretty soon after I wake up, I write down three big things I'm grateful for. Then I take out my other notebook and journal about the previous day, and how I'm feeling that morning, so that I can be aware of my internal thoughts and feelings and be more present.

12 | Take mornings slow

Morning's aren't fun when you're in a hurry. Don't rush out of bed first thing in the morning and run to get ready. Wake up at least an hour before you have to start getting ready, so you can enjoy the morning time. I usually spend a full hour in my bedroom after I wake up, stretching, saying morning prayers, reading the Bible, writing in my gratitude journal, etc. I really like to use this time to adjust to the day and set myself up for a good, productive day. If you hit the ground running, you'll crash by noon.

Well, that's all I have for you today! I hope this helps you as much as it helped me! If you have any more tips for fellow readers, please share them in the comments!

xoxo,

Olivia

Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you like sleeping in? What helps you to wake up earlier?