It has been proven over and over again that waking up early is good for you and many studies suggest that waking up early might also be linked to success.
That’s why today I’m sharing with you tips to fall in love with being an early riser and maybe, it inspires you to change up your morning schedule a bit.
But what is so amazing about waking up at 6 am?
Here are some of the major benefits of waking up early:
It gives you the time to work on yourself and make your dreams a reality.
It increases your productivity.
It’s healthier for your body.
You tend to make better decisions throughout the day.
It’s great for your mental health.
The importance of having a strong Why
It always helps to have a strong “why” and when I asked myself why I wanted to wake up at 6 am every day, this was my reason:
I wanted to dedicate the high energy I still have in the morning to myself and my goals. Not to social media, waking up stressed and anxious, checking emails or simply “responding” to everybody else’s needs while completely forgetting about my own.
Waking up earlier allows you to be more proactive and will give you a sense of confidence and being the driver of your own life.
Whether you want to use this time to work on a side-hustle, to work out, get out in nature or meditate. Whatever it is, the first step is always to find a powerful and convincing “why”. This will keep you going when you feel low on some days (which is totally normal btw, we all have them)
Learn how to get up early every day
1. Don’t snooze
If there is one thing that holds many people back from getting up early and taking the time to pursue their goals, it’s snoozing.
How many times did you set an alarm and had the intention of waking up at 6 am but when the time came, you hit the snooze button.
This happened to me a lot in the beginning but here are some solutions:
- Put your alarm clock into another room. So when the alarm goes off, you have no other chance than to get up.
- Go to bed earlier and adjust your sleep schedule accordingly. When you plan to wake up earlier, it’s important to still get your 7-8 hours hours of sleep. When you go to bed at 10, getting up at 6 won’t be as hard
The good news is that eventually, your body will get used to your new schedule and you won’t even need an alarm anymore (that’s where I’m at right now).
2. Hydrate first thing in the morning
Hydrating will make it much easier to wake up in the morning.
After waking up, your body craves hydration and therefore, the best thing to do right after waking up is to drink a big glass of water.
I promise it will make you feel much more awake and refreshed.
Drinking some tea is also amazing. Since I personally don’t drink coffee (I don’t like the taste), I always have a big glass of water with some lemon in it and my favorite tea in the morning.
3. Prepare your breakfast the night before
Having something (like a little reward) to look forward to in the morning is also very helpful. You can for example prepare your porridge, Bircher Müsli, Chia pudding or whatever you usually eat, the night before and then eat it in the morning.
4. Improve your bed time routine
You might be sabotaging your goal of waking up at 6 am without realizing it. Drinking caffeine in the afternoon and using devices that emit blue light before bed can negatively impact your sleep.
To improve your bed time routine, try to do more relaxing activities before going to bed, such as reading, meditating, writing about what you’re thankful for in the day etc.
Here are some other tips:
- Try to not watch any movies/series right before going to bed
- Turn off your screens at least one hour before your bedtime. You can also set up your “screen time” in the settings of your phone
- Try to not drink caffeine for at least 6 hours before going to bed
- Make sure to let go of any overwhelming or resentful thoughts before drifting into the land of dreams. Give yourself this space to not worry and accept things for what they are…you will still have time to worry about them the next day
- You can do that by journaling (putting your thoughts on paper) and calming your body down with some relaxing music
5. Go outside and enjoy the daylight
Daylight is so important! It helps regulate your circadian rhythms and improve your sleep.When you leave your house (even if it’s just for a 15 min walk) in the early morning to get some sunlight, you will have much more energy throughout the day.
I personally sleep with the blinds closed but since everyone is different, you could also try sleeping with your blinds open and let the sun wake you up. That’s how our ancestors woke up every day and it’s very natural for the body to wake up this way.
There are also special light-up alarm clocks that you can use to gently wake you up.
Here are some tips for those extra tough mornings
On tough days, when you really don’t feel like waking up at 6 am in the morning, remind yourself of your “why” and visualize how proud you will feel once you do it anyway.
You can also keep a “proud section” in your journal where you write down at the end of the day what you’re proud of. Trust me, this amazing feeling will keep you going.
The truth is, we often wait to feel “motivated“ but motivation is actually the wrong word. Motivation will never help you with staying consistent. It’s self-discipline that will keep you growing even on the days that you don’t feel inspired.
And that’s where the magic happens.
I remember that I was a pretty lazy person (especially in my first semester of studying). I used to get up super late and didn’t have any drive to accomplish my goals. This then also showed in all areas of my life.
Since I turned many things around and started working on myself, my self-image has also shifted from being a lazy person to being someone with ambition and drive.
It’s all possible and the best way to change your self-image is by taking consistent action every day. Even if you don’t feel like it in the moment, you will thank yourself later.
However, I also want you to have love and compassion for yourself. On days when I’m sick or have the first day of my period (ladies, you can probably relate), I’m definitely not getting up at 6am.
Please don’t forget to listen to your body
Finally, it’s important to also be patient with yourself. Personal development and improving any area of your life, takes time. It doesn’t happen over night and therefore, it’s better not to have expectations such as “ I will become an early riser within two days of doing it”.
Instead of putting this kind of pressure on yourself, take it one day at a time and ask yourself these questions:
- What can I do today that my future self will thank you for?
- How can I treat myself like a goddess today?
Once you see what waking up at 6 am every day will do for your health and personal growth, you will enjoy it more and more.
I’m sending you all my love and let’s stay in touch,
Jenny
If you liked this post on how to get up early then you will probably like these posts too:
- How To Love Yourself Unconditionally
- 100 Amazing Things To Be Grateful For
- 3 Mindset Shifts That Will Change Your Life
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