In my quest to get it together I have been researching becoming a morning person. Happily I have found a wealth of information on the subject. There are many clever tips and ideas out there. They have worked so well that I have been getting up at 7 am or earlier almost every morning for the last week. I thought recording them here would be the best way to imprint them on my brain and maybe benefit a couple other people too.
On article on how to become a morning person pointed out that morning people tend to: make more money, be more productive, be healthier and live longer, and be more happy and satisfied in their lives. That is a good little boost of motivation to try to make getting up early a habit. This page has some good reasons for being a morning person and good tips on how to achieve it. Here are a few tips I have found that I want to apply.
1) Making a list of what you can accomplish by becoming a morning person and then another list of what you risk if you don't. I love lists. This is a good way to get excited about something and make it solid and then can be useful to review it later when the initial burst of enthusiasm has died.
2) Turn on all the lights when you get up, a way to trick your body into thinking it is full day.
3) Set out your clothes the night before. No decisions to make in the morning about what to wear when you are miserable and groggy. Getting fully dressed reduces the chances of crawling back under the covers.
4) Put your alarm clock somewhere you have to get up and walk to in order to turn it off. I've been leaving mine in the living room. It is loud and we have neighbours above us so I get my butt up and out of bed quick to try to avoid disturbing them.
5) Get out the door and go for a walk immediately after waking up. This one is really ideal for me with my goal of 10,000 steps a day. It would give me a good jump start on my steps. Also Danger dog would enjoy the walk. If I can get him up, he is always the last one out of bed.
6) Dim the lights several hours before bed. One website even suggested wearing glasses with yellow lenses to block out the blue spectrum light that makes you alert.
7) Be rigid with your wake up time, even on weekends, until you really are a morning person.
8) To help you get to sleep at night have a hot bath or shower to relax you before bed, write down anything that is worrying you so you can put it away until tomorrow.
9) If after half an hour in bed you are not yet asleep get up and do something quiet like reading (not some heart pounding suspense novel, something you can put down any time). Avoid turning on any overhead lights, use dim desk lights. Go back to bed when you are drowsy.
10) Start getting up an hour or two earlier than you are used to and then start getting up an minute earlier each day until you are at your goal time.
11) Give yourself a get up incentive. Promise of a nice breakfast. Reading a book that you're excited about. Pick something you love.
12) Write, with pen and paper, three pages of whatever goes through your brain. Wakes up and primes your mind.
13) Have a glass of water with lemon waiting for you in the fridge to down just after waking up.
14) Exercise. The one day last week I did cardio in the morning I was obnoxiously alert for the rest of the day. The obnoxious part I will have to work on but the alert part was wonderful.
15) Eat a breakfast with protein. Avoid processed foods and sugar.
16) Splash cold water on your face, several times.
Those are the highlights so far. If researching and writing things down works for me I should be a morning person within a month.
