We all have our different internal body clocks, habits, and life schedules, but if the mornings are still tough for you after all these years it might be time to start retraining yourself to at least tolerate them if not love them. The truth is that only one out of ten people are truly morning people, so you’re not alone if the morning is a bit of a struggle. Here’s how to up your chances.
Have an Intention
Having a good reason for getting up can go a long way towards making morning more tolerable. In fact, thinking about what you’re getting up for in your life can help you sort through what you really like about your life and what you don’t. (Not that you’re going to quit your job tomorrow just because getting up for it doesn’t sound fun, but it is something to keep in mind and pay attention to your happiness levels.) For some people just making breakfast more interesting can be a motivator to get up, and for others making a morning workout mandatory can be the way to go.
Stick With a Sleep Schedule
To ensure that you get in the habit of waking up early, you’re also going to need to go to bed at a reasonable hour. This is not always the most fun adjustment to make, but it does help. Just as important as getting to bed at a reasonable hour is sticking with the same sleep schedule as much as possible. That means choosing a bedtime as well as wake time and then committing to it no matter what else you’ve got going on. A lot of people run into trouble with the weekends because not only are they staying up later but they are also sleeping in. The sleeping in can make waking up early on Monday even harder, so if you have some weekend flexibility it’s best to wake up at your normal time no matter what time you went to bed and then take a nap later in the day. This can help avoid that Monday hangover feeling from being exhausted.
Create a Routine
If you need to train yourself to be able to fall asleep faster, creating a sleep routine can help teach your body to do it. This can sometimes require that you make other sacrifices to support your sleep, but once you feel the difference you might never look back. Keeping the electronics away from bedtime is always a good choice, as is adopting any calm and relaxing activities that might be able to help you chill out. This can be as simple as having a cup of caffeine free tea or reading for 20 minutes or so to put your body in the right frame of mind.