A Guide to Becoming an Early Riser
To me, being a morning person means being someone who easily wakes up with a happy attitude, ready to embrace the day. It's a person who is full of energy, who works out first thing in the morning, and achieves so much before officially starting their day.
Unfortunately, I wasn't blessed with being a morning person. I adore the quiet of the night and prefer sleeping in until the afternoons. However, as a functional member of society, I've realized the need to be active in the mornings. I've also discovered that I'm the most productive version of myself during those early hours if only I could get out of bed. A few years ago, I decided that I needed to find a way to become a morning person and make adjustments. After reading extensively on how to achieve this transformation and following the advice of my fellow non-morning people, I established an ideal morning routine that turned me into the morning person I always admired.
For those struggling to wake up in the morning, know that you're not alone! Try implementing the following routine and see how it goes. Everyone can follow these steps, and they will physically wake you up. Remember that 'old habits die hard,' so this change will test and challenge you. You'll need to exercise this 'discipline muscle' every single day, and, like with any process, some days will be better than others, and that is all part of it.
1. Prepare the night before: To wake up early and full of energy, you need a good night's sleep. Aim for 7-8 hours every night, avoid alcohol or late nights, and limit TV or screen time at least an hour before sleeping. Establish a calming night routine to signal your body that it's time to wind down. It could be a short activity like taking a nice shower before bed. One of the gifts of having an ADHD brain is that it’s really difficult to quiet my mind at night, which led me to toss and turn for hours before falling asleep. To avoid that, I used to scroll through social media until my eyes would tear, and only then, I’d go to sleep. Now, to quiet my mind, I read a book in bed or listen to calming music / or a guided meditation with headphones. Find what helps you calm your mind and make sure to do it for a good night's sleep, preparing you for a great morning.
2. Get excited about the next morning: Research suggests that doing enjoyable activities makes us more cooperative (read more about the Sawyer Effect). Choose one morning activity that excites you and do it only in the morning. Whether it's watching your favorite TV show, reading a book, watching the sunrise, painting, taking a bath, or savoring your morning coffee, find something that makes you even a little bit excited to get up early the next morning and that will make go to sleep feeling ‘I wish it was morning already.'
3. Wake up at 04:30: Yes, you read that right. Trust me, I know what you're thinking right now, but let me tell you, this is a game-changer! There's something about waking up at 04:30 (that did not exist when I tried waking up at 05:00 or even at 04:45) that makes it so easy. It feels as if your brain is still asleep and, therefore, is not arguing with you. When the alarm goes off, you're so in shock that you're immediately awake, and there's no debate about snoozing.
4. Wash your face, and drink cold water: Once you're out of bed, wash your face, preferably with cold water, and drink a glass or two of cold water. This will further help wake you up physically.
5. Enjoy your time: Waking up at 04:30 has many benefits. The world is asleep, it's dark and peaceful, and you can take your time to wake up without feeling guilty. You can engage in whichever activity you choose (working out is great because your brain is not fully awake, so it's not protesting). Even if you simply sit on your sofa, sipping a hot beverage and contemplating life, it will be guilt-free, as it's not yet time to be productive. Around 06:00-06:30, you'll feel that it's enough sitting down, and you can start getting ready for your day, fully awake and energized after not doing much for two hours.
Warning: This is very addictive! After waking up at 04:30 a few times, you'll find that you're much happier and more productive on those days. You'll crave the feeling of being alone, the peace, and quiet that these early hours offer. As 'success leads to motivation leads to success leads to motivation' (Jeff Haden, The Motivation Myth, 2018), you'll be surprised by the amount of energy you'll have throughout the day. Don't overthink it; just do it and enjoy being the new version of yourself.
Here's to watching sunrises and quiet mornings.
Eden
