Not a morning person? Get on board. If you’re anything like me, 7 am only brings waves of exhaustion that sleep was no match for, it brings heavy eyes, a brighter-than-necessary sun and the sound of an unrelenting, screeching alarm. While the temptation to stay bundled in my cozy sheets is almost too inviting to resist, the day must go on…and it waits for no one. With exam season quickly approaching, it is time for all of us night-owls to get a hold of what it means to be a morning person. It is time to put our obligations before our love for sleep. As hard as this all may seem, following this guide may just bring you a little closer.
1. Get to bed on time
If you aren’t a morning person, chances are you are a night person. Your bursts of energy may seem to come at all the wrong times, but you have to try subsiding them! Why? The key to waking up early is getting a long, restful sleep. For adults between ages 18-25, physicians usually recommend 7-9 hours each night. Sleeping within this range is ideal, as it will allow you to feel well-rested in the mornings. Even though the night owl in you probably makes re-organizing your room at 2:00 am sound extra appealing and makes “just one more episode” sound harmless, the best thing you can do is resist your urges in favor of having a more productive morning. Setting a realistic bedtime is another way to help with this; instead of ditching Netflix for good, simply fit it into your schedule before its time to sleep. Not only will this help you build a routine, but you will eventually, intuitively get sleepier around your set bedtime each day.
2. Don’t hit snooze
All too often, I find myself silencing my alarm only to end up sleeping in past the “5 more minutes” I promised myself. This gets in the way of achieving my goals for the day and often means having to budget my time more strictly. Along with this, I find that the longer I lay awake in bed trying to fit in another few moments of sleep, the more tired I feel. My body feels heavier and heavier, my pillows feel softer and softer and I start weighing the pro’s and con’s of sleeping in. Silencing your alarm allows for all of these things to take place within minutes…don’t leave room for this opportunity; get up as soon as your alarm goes off instead.
3. Sit Up & Set the Tone
Taking a few moments to re-balance and adjust to the day is crucial. This should be done just a few moments after you open your eyes. Rather than laying under your covers enticed by sleep, use this time to sit up and take a few deep breaths. While you are doing this, set the tone for the day. This may mean reflecting on your daily goals, running through your schedule or even repeating a positive mantra to yourself. Starting your morning off on a positive, productive note will give you a better attitude towards the rest of your day, and have you feeling good about waking up and getting it started. As you transition from sleep to waking life, this may make it a little bit easier to hop out of bed shortly after you’ve woken up.
4. Make your bed
Making your bed as soon as you get out of it will help diminish the temptation of getting back under your covers again. It will put the idea of getting extra sleep away, because who wants to ruin a freshly made bed? Routinely making your bed after you wake up will give you a sense of control and organization over the rest of your day. You’ll start the morning off with a neater looking room, carrying a tiny—but important— sense of accomplishment, and a firm indication that your day has started.
5. Drink Coffee
While all my friends were getting into coffee, I somehow managed to convince myself that I could put off the habit for just a little longer. You can imagine my mornings were filled with heavy shoulders, tired eyes and plenty of yawns. Two years later, in my second year of university, I finally gave in and as much as I hate to admit it, my mornings instantly changed. My mood shifted, I finally felt functional and I suddenly became more awake. As magical as coffee can be, I still believe that it is best in moderation. I never drink more than three cups a day, I drink it only on the days where I feel I need it, and for the sake of a good sleep, I never drink it past 5 pm. While it’s best not to become dependent on it, it serves as an extra boost on the days where adjusting to the day takes a little more work.
6. Track your progress
Take note of how your morning went, daily. For a night-owl, waking up effortlessly in the morning is nothing short of a dream. It feels impossible until you actually accomplish it. While you may not be able to do it tomorrow, the more you work towards it, the faster it will happen. As you track your progress towards waking up more easily, be sure to take note of how your sleep was, how you felt when you woke up and then how you felt when you completed your morning routine. This will help you stay accountable for your progress and perhaps highlight the causes for your morning grogginess, or conversely, morning alertness. No matter how insignificant it may seem, adapting to morning wakefulness is a big task for anyone who isn’t a morning person, so finally achieving this goal deserves recognition—even if it’s just from yourself.