Would you hate me if I told you that I’m one of those awful morning people?
Most days I pop out of bed completely awake, all full of intention and purpose and eye boogers. I’ll be the one chattering glibly in your ear while you try not to punch me in the throat.
But of course, I wasn’t always this way. I spent most of my childhood waiting till the last possible moment to leave my bed and most of college growling at people who dared talk to me before 10 am. The nerve!
Now, I’m not sure that a dyed-in-the-wool night owl will ever be able to cross over completely to the land of Brightandearly, but there are a few things that can help you ease into your day with as few curse words as possible.
5 ways to become a morning person
Sleep Well
Blowing your mind, aren’t I? But mornings are obviously less painful if you can wake up feeling rested. You probably know all the tricks already, but they bear repeating. Go to bed and wake up at the same time. Sleep in a dark, slightly cool room. Don’t do exercise, watch exciting TV, or read exciting books right before bed.
Make sure you’re getting enough aerobic exercise. Don’t drink caffeine after 4 pm. Sleep in something comfy. Have the right pillows and mattress. If you’re looking for something to help you sleep, try some Chamomile tea or a bit of lavender aromatherapy.
Get the right alarm
Of course, you’re going to be an unpleasant breakfast partner if you wake up to a shrieking alarm clock! Why not try dawn simulator
You can get alarm clocks that vibrate you awake
Make your morning as relaxed as possible
You’re bound to hate mornings if you’re only allowing yourself 15 minutes to shower, get dressed and eat breakfast. This might seem counter intuitive, but I actually enjoy mornings more when I get up earlier and give myself plenty of time to read blogs, eating a nice breakfast and try on seven different scarves.
I try to save a variety of little treats for myself in the morning – really nice Greek yogurt, swanky good-smelling Aveda hair products, a really good cup of peppermint tea. They all make the morning a bit nicer!
If you can’t manage to wake up any earlier, channel your second-grade self and pack your lunch, shower and choose your outfit the night before. You’ll save yourself a) time b) a headache.
Engage in some non-threatening physical activity
I’m not going to recommend that you work out first thing in the morning. I mean, it is a really good idea, but I wouldn’t do it so why encourage you to do so?
However, I do love a good three-minute stretch, a few rounds of the sun salutation or even just rocking out to my favorite song. I can very highly recommend The Knux or Wild Beasts for the latter! If there’s any way that you can walk or bike to work, it is not an exaggeration that it will change your life. It’s so lovely to see the sunrise against the skyscrapers and arrive at work all pink-cheeked and awake.
When in doubt, add caffeine
Really, a cup of coffee or strong tea can make all the difference, right? Of course, developing a 9-cup caffeine addiction isn’t particularly advisable but a single cup in the morning never hurt anybody.
Of course, you can also get an energy boost from a bit of deep breathing, a hand full of peanuts, drinking a big glass of cold water or singing a few bars of your favorite song.
Are you a morning person convert? If you’ve got some good tips, share them in the comments!
P.S. Becoming a morning person is just developing a series of habits – this will help!
Gooood morning Miss Von!
I am 100% with you on leaving yourself enough time to enjoy the morning – thus I'm sitting here at 7am reading your blog and chowing down on some oatmeal, after having taken the pup for a mile walk (she's not joking folks, a little something active in the morning does wonders for the rest of the day.)
Have a good one!
Placing my alarm clock across the room helps me wake up. I see no point in crawling back into bed after stumbling across the room to turn off my alarm clock. Hitting snooze and walking all the way back to my bed doesn't sound like a good idea to me.
I also don't have curtains or blinds on my window so natural light helps to wake me up too. Although, it's a bummer when it's not sunny. And, I don't think many people can really get away with this (who wants creepers looking in?); luckily I live on the third floor.
Even though I classify myself as a morning person, there are certain hours of the morning when I'm at my best, and certain hours them I'm, er, not at all. For seven years, my wife and I got up at 5:00 a.m. because she had to be to work at 7:00. I am not a 5 a.m. person at all. However, a couple weeks ago she quit her job to stay home with our daughter and I've been getting up at 6:00. It's made a huge difference and my mornings are a lot more pleasant.
I've read a bit about the body's natural peak times when we have more energy and are more alert, and times of day when the opposite is true. I'm pretty sure that the hour between 5 and 6 isn't an optimal time for me, and it's best that I just sleep through it.
Beyond that, I'd second all of these suggestions – especially eating breakfast. Even though you may not feel hungry, providing your body with some fuel will help avoid a crash a couple hours later or a craving for a high sugar snack later on in the morning.
Fabulous tips! I swear by all of them. Like you, I wake up early so I don't have to rush. I can drink my coffee, eat my oatmeal and read the blogs in peace 🙂
Oh did you know there is an alarm clock that will crawl around your room? So you press snooze and it jumps off your night stand and into the scary depths of your room. So in order to shut it the heck up 5 minutes later, you gotta find it!
Brooke,
Cute! I feel like I'd let my alarm clock go off just to see it roll around!
My husband and I are both morning people. We get up, play with the dog and cat, take turns brushing our teeth and he hands me my lunch as I'm on my way out the door…
But it wasn't always that way, he used to sleep in later and I had to get up earlier, which made it really, really hard for me to motivate. Now that our schedules are more in synch, we're both brighter in the mornings.
Aghhhh I just let out a huge yawn and stretch!
I used to be able to ride my bike to work every morning and it made the most incredible difference. I was bouncing around the office all day and sleeping like a baby at night. Now… not so much!
I set my alarm half an hour earlier than I need to get up- which used to sound moronic to me, because I was never one to hit snooze more than once. But now that I live with my boyfriend it means more snuggle time, which is absolutely my favorite way to wake up.
I also make sure that I leave a kitchen light on, so when I get up in the morning and it's pitch black outside I don't go into shock when I turn the lights on!
I am a night person. I start my most productive phase from 7 at night and onwards.
It's a really great tip to get your stuff ready the day before if you're a night person.
In the morning though, I suggest you eat something pretty much right away to get your blood sugar above the critical threshold. The treshold that is between murderous and livable. I eat a müslibar, have tea, get dressed and then move on. I don't like breakfast until I've been awake for at least an hour or so which means breakfast is out except for the days when I have time.
I realized that I was truly a morning person after I started traveling. Yep, I'm that person who sneaks out of the hostel @ 7am to wander the city 😉
Yes, I'm with you there! I am one of those people who bounds out of bed to do yoga and drink tea, much to the annoyance of my teenage friends.
I particurly agree with leaving yourself enough time. I love getting up at 6-6:30 so I can read blogs, do yoga, design beads, read, etc. Works like a charm.
I have always and will always be a morning person. Not sure why. Can I blame it on my parents never letting me sleep in a getting me up at 7am every morning?
However, as I get old the presence of caffeine is more and more necessary. Love my morning coffee.
Oh dear lord, I HATE mornings. I've tried everything from putting my alarm in another room to cutting out caffeine to going to bed earlier. The only thing I HAVEN'T tried is the Sunrise Simulator…I think it's time!
This post came at exactly the right time–after a morning of waking up only 20 minutes before class and being cranky!
I need to try to get up earlier at least to allow myself some time to get ready, if not with enough time to go on a morning walk! Maybe I'll muster up the energy to actually try this one day soon!
I love mornings. Always have. I remember being in fourth grade and waking up at 6:00 a.m. to get ready for school and make my own breakfast before walking to the bus stop. I usually never even saw another person in the house.
In college, I would wake up at 3:00 am to study and do papers before deadlines. I couldn't study at night.
And yes. I am one of those that does my workouts in the morning.
I might like to wake up early, but that doesn't mean I don't sleep in at least once a month….till 9:00 a.m.
I've struggled with this all my life until just recently. I made myself complete a 30 day challenge to walke up at 7am every morning. I got SO MUCH DONE that I can never go back. I had so much free time, more relaxed mornings and I fell into a regular schedule for the first time in years.
Food helped. I'm a huge food person so I would plan my breakfast ahead of time. When the alarm went off I would think about those applesauce muffins/pumpkin waffles/bowl of strawberries I was going to have and it totally got me out of bed.
I work out in the morning too. It's addictive. If you can force yourself to do it for a few weeks you'll crave it. Promise.
I believe it is a phase, a rhythm. I go the gym at night, then wind down to go to bed around midnightish. I am addicted to exercise and all that. I am not addicted to mornings.
THIS IS A GREAT POST!!!!
Since I made the above comment 7 years ago, I AM a morning person.
What helped?
Setting three alarms: The first one is a peaceful sound for hitting snooze, the second is also peaceful and goes off 25 minutes later, then 5 minutes after that my LOUD alarm goes off. Usually I get up after the second alarm to keep the third one from going off.
Having a schedule that matches my roommate: this means we both go to sleep and get quiet within an hour of each other.
Ohhh! Good tip, Heidi!
Love the caffeine bit 🙂
I am terrible in the mornings. It wears off fast though, which is good for the people around me. Like a lot of people here, I find it hard to eat in the mornings.
Also, I work best at night, which is when all my school work is done. Morning-wise I have to wake up at 6am twice a week, and 7am, the other 3 days. I'm thinking I might just start waking up at 6am every day. Soon though I'll be moving and I'll have to get up at 5am to allow time to drive to school. Miserable!
here, here!
This is going to sound completely dorky, but since the boyfriend and I have been waking up at 8 AM to get breakfast (college cafeteria breakfast– nothing fancy), I've liked morning so much more. The thought of the cafe possibly serving grits or cream of wheat makes me want to get out of bed. Yes, my life is totally exciting, why do you ask?
Wow.
8am pilates is SO HAPPENING.
YES.
It is.
Sarah, I thought of you going to work this morning (not in a creepy, stalker way, hey!)! I`ll tell you why: we start at 7 o`clock IN THE MORNING everyday, and as me and bf gave up the car, we had to walk for half an hour to work this morning. Uphill. In a very balmy, stuffy Brazilian spring morning. And we are not morning ppl… *nurses aching lower back and hip area*
Ah, just so the world knows how unfair life can be: me and the bf are (English) teachers, and ALL SCHOOLS IN BRAZIL (inluding the EFL one we teach at) START AT SEVEN IN THE MORNING. And obviously you need to be there (even) earlier to prepare your classes… So. Not. Fun. (to be fair: they finish a lot earlier too, around 1 PM). Now, I dare you guys to complain about starting at 9 AM ever again!
Alline – that's *so* early! I think that would be a struggle even for me! I get to work at 7 every day, but my classes don't start until 8:30. So that's a good while to drink coffee and (very) casually lesson plan 🙂
Lucky you, Sarah Von… Lucky you!!! =)
This is insanely helpful. I've never been much of a morning person, but I hate feeling like I waste so much of my day! I'm going to try this for the next week to see if I can get in the habit! Thanks!
I never used to be a morning person but I've slowly conformed… to the point where I pretty much wake up at 8am on my days off. Sad yes. I used to work in bars but then I got a day job. To ease the transformation, I started off going to sleep with the "Soundscapes" channel on. Its nature noises. In the morning I need need coffee. During my drive to work I listen to fun dance/club music. It puts me in a good mood and brings back fun memories of being a night owl. The only bad part about my switch is that I'm tired at 9:30. I used to not even go out until 11! UGH! What a sorry excuse for a twenty-something!
I never really thought of leaving myself enough time to do stuffs in the morning… im not a morning person.. but i really want to be one… I have to set my alarm every 15 minutes before my wake up time! It's dreadful and I've been struggling so much to be more of a morning person! thanks for the tips! will try them and see where it goes.. maybe after a few weeks time.. i can wake up every 6am to read blogs.. eat breakfast and for once… not having to rush everything!
I got a dog and she totally helps me wake up earlier which gives me more time to do up dishes, throw in some laundry, pick up the house, make my lunch and coffee. This is not a practical tip, however.
I just started reading your blog 2 days ago after I saw it on Daddy Likey and I have to say that not only is your blog entertaining it's also totally inspirational. After reading this post, I decided to set my (phone) alarm (not my heinous buzzing alarm like I usually do) for a few minutes earlier for the next morning. I got up, had a nice cup of tea, visited some of my favorite websites, then got ready at a nice slow pace and still got to class on time! It really had an elevating effect on my mood throughout the day, too. I'm starting to think I may actually be a morning person in night owl's clothing 🙂
Just found your blog whilst googling the title 🙂 I made a new years resolution to start getting up on time and having a nice morning, and this is exactly the help I need. I'll let you know how I get on!
xx
I was just thinking about this today. I used to get up and run at like 7am but now I'm rolling out at 10 if I'm lucky, and then I'm still tired from sleeping too much! It's 12… and I just yawned. So yea I should get back in the saddle, especially since I'm starting NaNoWriMo next week.
Oh and you have the most adorable writing style… Twitter is so distracting when you have editorials to work on -_-
thanks
Chamomile tea and lavender is one of my natural sleep aids. I always feel good every time I wake up if I drink my tea every night.