How I Stopped Being a Night Owl and Now Love Early Mornings

When we think about waking up early, most of us groan and hit the snooze button trying to preserve the last few moments of silence before we must get out of bed.  Most people if given the choice would probably even stay in bed all day; if I could believe me, I would. Surprisingly enough waking up early has many benefits and you might even be tempted to try it tomorrow morning.  

It’s almost too easy to get trapped in the mindset that you will wake up when you wake up.  I didn’t realize the problem in this until I began starting my day earlier. In having a “whatever” mindset we don’t set ourselves up for good days, instead, we get whatever days.  I didn’t want to do be the person who couldn’t get up and I no longer wanted to feel like I was sleeping through my life. So I set out to find the best way to wake up early.

Why I Started Waking Up Early

Everyone knows the saying “the early bird gets the worm,” and that’s exactly why I decided I wanted to start waking up early.  Waking up early for me was mostly about trying to get more things done. I began to get fed up and tired of never getting anywhere.  I was living in a “whatever” world where I didn’t feel like I was making any progress. Waking up early for me was the first step in fixing a broken system.  

Once I started making a habit of waking up early I found it easier to start getting stuff done sooner.  I stopped waiting for a perfect time and instead, starting using my time a lot more efficiently. I found more focus and productivity when I started my day early versus sleeping through it.  

I’ve never had the best relationship with sleep and so I ultimately just wanted to change that.  I wanted to help give myself the best shot at the day and for me, that meant I needed to start my day earlier.  

What I Do Now

Now, because I am in the habit of waking up early I don’t find it as hard to get up in the morning.  A combination of a warm bed and too little sleep is enough to make anyone never want to leave their bed.  How did I tackle this?

Truth be told, my bed is still too comfortable and I’m still tired.  I have a bad habit of staying up too late so the tired part will probably never go away but the warm bed stops being a problem when the alarm clock sounds and I rip the sheets off.  The trick is not to crawl back underneath them.

Besides trying to get to bed earlier and literally jumping out of bed in the morning, I really love to start my mornings slow.  I usually start my day off by opening the blinds and chugging down some water or tea. I like to get fully dressed as well to help encourage some extra wakefulness.  

Once I feel a little less groggy, I like to get my morning workout done.  Now I’d love to pretend that every day I power through some hardcore workout but that’s just not true.  Some days it’s a sweaty weightlifting session and others it’s just a simple walk with the dog. Either way getting a workout done first thing is sure to get me up and going.  

Why You Should Wake Up Early

Waking up early can be a challenging habit to start but once developed it can be really rewarding.  Most successful people start their day early and our body needs sleep, so developing a sleeping and waking routine can help us to be successful.  

With waking up early also comes going to bed earlier.  This forces us to make a sleep schedule so as to always get enough sleep.  In this way, waking up early almost forces us to have a healthy sleep schedule.  

When we wake up early we can maintain focus throughout the day.  On top of that when we have extra time to acclimate to a wakeful state, we can be more ready for what we have upcoming.  No more missed appointments or half-made lunches because we can use the extra time to make sure that we are prepared to face the day.  

Maybe you’re not sold on the benefits alone.  There is something quite calming about being awake while the rest of the world is still tucked into their beds.  The world is quiet; you feel at peace. For me, this is huge. In early mornings you find quiet and calm and this can set the mood for the rest of the day.  

As much as even I would like to hit the snooze button sometimes, early mornings can really change your perspective and attitude.  If you want more focus and better productivity early mornings can be a place to find them. Waking up early is not something you need any bells or whistles for and it really doesn’t hurt.  

What time are you going to get up tomorrow? Are you going to start waking up earlier?