This post talks about how to wake up early if you are not a morning person. So many people tell me that they want to wake up early so that they don't have to rush in the morning and so they can have some personal alone time.
But...
They have a very hard time actually sliding out of bed when that early morning alarm starts blaring.
If you want to get up earlier, the first thing you need is motivation to do so. I'll talk more about that below.
My alarm is set for 4:50 a.m.
Does that make you cringe?
Most people I share that fact with do indeed cringe and ask me “WHY?”
What you are reading right now — this very word is my why for getting up so early.
I am highly motivated to get up in the morning because I am very passionate about working on wellness writing and growing my business.
I also love to read blogs, so my first 30 minutes are sipping my powerhouse coffee and reading blogs on my Macbook.
I am most productive in the morning hours. If it's 8:00 PM, my energy flow is low and that is when I start my wind-down routine. At some point in my life, I decided I wanted to try to be part of the 5 AM club so I figured out how to wake up early and be productive.
Believe it or not, there was a time in my life when I could easily sleep until noon. But I didn't like the feeling of my day being half gone already.
Benefits of waking up early
- When you wake up early, you get a head start on the day. The quiet of the morning is perfect for focused work without the distractions that come later. It's like you're gaining "bonus" time to accomplish tasks.
- An early start gives you enough time to prepare a nutritious breakfast. This is crucial for setting the tone for the rest of the day, and it aligns well with the whole food-first approach. Skipping breakfast often leads to poor food choices later on, throwing your hormones and energy levels off-balance.
- There's something calming about the early morning hours. It's a time for you to collect your thoughts, plan your day, and engage in mindfulness practices. For people who are always on the go, this "me-time" can be a mental health game-changer.
- Morning is an ideal time for a workout, be it a jog, yoga, or some gym time. Exercise releases endorphins, which improves mood and energy levels.
- Believe it or not, waking up early can actually improve your sleep quality. Following a consistent sleep schedule helps regulate your body's internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up naturally. Improved sleep impacts everything from cognitive function to hormonal balance.
How to wake up earlier
- Find your passion or what they call ‘ikigai’. It helps to have a solid reason to get up early in the morning — something that excites or motivates you. That might be reading a great book, working on a side hustle, or getting in some exercise so you have more energy. Or simply having the time to make a lunch instead of buying one.
- Get up earlier gradually. I would not advise setting the alarm for 5 a.m. if you normally don’t wake up until 7. Try getting up earlier by setting the alarm a little bit earlier every few days. Try 15–20 minute increments. This will help your body to adjust to a new sleep cycle.
- Try not to snooze the alarm. The quality of sleep in between snoozing isn’t great and you might feel more groggy if you keep snoozing making it even harder to get up.
- Avoid eating snacks, alcohol, and sugary drinks late at night as it may interrupt your sleep, which will make it that much harder to wake up in the morning.
- Use an alarm clock that has a sunrise feature. If you are waking up at 5 a.m. you can’t rely on the sunshine to wake you. I use this feature and it works!
- Get everything ready for the next day in the evening. Get clothes ready, and workout clothes out or packed into your gym bag. Prep your coffee/tea and breakfast. Make a to-do list for the next day. Don’t you feel more calm and organized just by reading that? Give this one a try — it helps you to get to sleep better because you’ve already checked those items off your mental list.
- Use Mel Robbin’s 5-Second Rule! When the alarm goes off in the morning, say out loud (or under your breath to not wake your partner): 5–4–3–2–1, and get that body up and out of bed. This helps by not giving your mind the space to make the decision to snooze the alarm and go back to sleep. You go right into the countdown instead of telling yourself you will sleep for another 15 minutes. Try it — it helps!
Another valuable tip to get up earlier is around this mindset:
I used to snooze my alarm every day. But I also knew I really wanted to get up and enjoy a slow morning and also work on my wellness business.
But I felt so tired. But I realized that I feel tired when I sleep in on the weekend too. We literally always feel tired when we wake up — until we get up and start moving.
Once I walk to the kitchen and get the water boiling, the tired feeling starts to fade and I feel awake.
So, I started telling myself this when my first alarm went off:
I will feel awake once I start moving.
I repeat — I will feel awake when I start moving.
That tiny mindset trick changed the game for me. Give it a try!
One last note.
You might be asking yourself "Should I wake up early?"
Do what is right for you! Track your energy flow. If you try to get up early and find that your energy flow is higher in the early mornings than in the evening, that may be a sign that you are indeed a morning person.
Some people thrive at night. They get that second wind after dinner and kids are in bed. If that is you, then go with your nighttime energy flow. Figure out whether evenings or early mornings work best for you. Give it a test run and do what works for you and your family.
Just make sure you are getting quality 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
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