Waking up early was one of the hardest things that I had to do in high school, and it only got worse during my freshman year of university. Now, waking up and getting ready to leave for school and waking up and getting ready for zoom class are two different things. I found myself constantly dozing off during my online lectures, and I struggled to maintain a solid sleep schedule. I was a certified night owl who would spend most of her nights working on school assignments as well as reading and watching as many TV shows as I could before the sun came up. Night time was when I was the most productive, but the only downside was that I was habitually grumpy and tired. Under no circumstance did I ever think that I would become a morning person. It just didn’t seem possible for me. However, my mindset completely changed when my cat Phoebe came into my life. I knew I had to change my lifestyle so I could better meet her needs. .
Everyday at 7 am sharp, I found myself being woken up by gentle meows and cuddles. It didn’t matter how late I had fallen asleep , Phoebe was always there in the morning looking for food and attention. I had to not only pet her, but also give her food and fresh water, and I had to play with her. For the past 3 months, this has become my morning routine. Through this conditioning, I found myself sleeping at 11 pm and waking up at 7 am to essentially hang out with my cat. I began to realize just how much time was available to me when I woke up early. I was productive and finished my schoolwork and other responsibilities earlier. With all the extra time, I was able to do the things I love most. I had no reason to stay up till 4 am anymore, as I had already done everything I needed to do! I looked forward to early mornings and the time I got to spend with my cat. I realized that becoming a morning person was never something that was out of reach; I just needed that push to change my lifestyle. Here are 3 tips, alongside my cat, that helped me make this change.
- Have a Reason to Wake Up
Whether it be to become more productive or simply so you can spend more time watching your favourite TV shows, it is important to have something that motivates you in the morning and gives you a purpose to wake up early. Otherwise, making excuses becomes easy, and you’ll find yourself back where you started! Another helpful tip would be to spend some time, preferably in the morning, laying out exactly what you need to get done. By creating a “to-do list”, you can curb boredom and maximize productivity.
- Establish a Routine
Establishing a morning and night routine will help you boost your energy and give you a sense of being centered . Having a solid routine will allow you to look forward to your nights and mornings, thus helping you stick to a well established sleep schedule. Routines are an essential part of becoming a morning person, as without them, you would find yourself sleeping and waking up later than usual.
- Give Yourself Time
It’s important to give yourself enough time in the morning to relax and do something for your own enjoyment. For example, when you wake up, you should take that time to scroll through social media. This helps to prevent you from spending more time on your phone throughout the day and less time on the things that actually need to get done. Spending 30 minutes to an hour doing something unrelated to your daily tasks will help you avoid procrastination and falling back to sleep in the morning.