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I remember hearing in school that “it only takes 21 days to make a habit” — If you want to become a morning person, you can — in just 21 days if you stick to your routine.
Becoming a morning person and establishing a morning routine will allow you to be more productive throughout the day, accomplish more of your goals, and tackle any challenges that arise.
Here are my 9 tips for how to be a morning person:
- Plan your day the night before
- Eliminate the stress that comes from being unprepared and disorganized and plan out your day the night before. Make your lunch for school or work, pick out your outfit, and pack your book bag. Whatever pre-work you can do, you should do it the night before — that way, your morning will be stress free!
- Get a good night’s sleep
- In order to start your day right, you’ll need to be well-rested and that starts with a good night’s sleep. Make sure you go to bed at a time that will give you between 7-8 hours of sleep. Start to gradually wind down at least an hour before that — maybe read a book or write in a journal. Try not to use any electronics (phone or laptop) as they will keep your mind awake & make it harder for you to fall asleep.
- Wake up at least one hour earlier
- Yikes! This one sound tough, but if you want to be a morning person, you’re going to need to be up early. Research shows that early risers have a more optimistic attitude during the day and can adapt better to issues that arise during the day. Waking up early will give you time to get ready without feeling rushed and you will have time to do other things that are fulfilling and rewarding on their own.
- Drink a glass of water
- Before you reach for your morning coffee or tea, have a glass of water to re-hydrate your body. Drinking water is an excellent way to tell your body to start going for the day and to help you wake up.
- Stretch your body
- Get your blood pumping with a few total body stretches. Jump up and down to loosen up and then bend at the waist to touch your toes.
- Eat Breakfast
- With all this extra morning time, there’s no excuse to skip breakfast. Have some fruit or oatmeal and a hot cup of green tea.
- Workout
- You may need to wake up even earlier than one hour in order to fit a workout into your morning or you can modify your workout to be 15-30 minutes. Any kind of fitness activity is going to take your day from good to great. So, take some time to do some yoga or go on a quick jog; your body will thank you.
- Write down your goals for the day
- Plan out at least three things that you want to accomplish for the day. When you give your day clear direction, you are likely to reach your goals and be productive throughout the day. Visualize; Actualize!
- Be Consistent
- Stick to the same type of routine every day. Get your body in the habit of waking up at the same time and doing the same types of things every day; even on the weekends. It only takes 21 days to make a habit. You can do it!
