Does your alarm blare like police sirens during an apocalypse as your early morning wake up call?
You jolt out of bed (because someone might be dying) and 5 seconds later you rush out the door. How about we make this a little more enjoyable?!
This post is all about early morning wake up!
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Early Morning Wake Up
You will learn the transformative ways to waking up early and actually feeling good about it, ideas to create a nourishing morning routine, and how to trick your brain into getting up early (and actually liking it).
Get up at the same time everyday
At first this one can seem daunting and impossible. For example, I made the decision to start waking up at 5AM everyday. And that was great... Until Friday or Saturday night came along.
Do I wake up at 5AM on Saturday and Sunday? Well, I wanted to... So, go to sleep at 10 or 11PM after spending time with friends and then rip myself out of bed at 5AM?! That sounds like torcher!
Ultimately, you have to find the balance for yourself of what you want your lifestyle to look like to fit into an early morning wake up. I do have to say that waking up at the same time every. single. day will make it easier and bring you into alignment so much quicker.
A study shows that regularity in sleep patterns with consistent sleep and wake up times is generally associated with better health outcomes... So, it WILL make you feel better if you stay consistent!
Have something to look forward to
My favorite part of the morning is my coffee. Sue me, it's the BEST! When I am home, I doctor it up perfectly with my raw milk and top shelf honey (that may be over priced, but totally worth it).
The worst idea is to wake up early and suffer, so make your morning extremely desirable!
If you are not a coffee drinker:
- Cacao (a gentle stimulant and heart opener, great for mornings!)
- Rishi powder teas (green teas, butterfly pea, matcha, etc)
- Herbal teas (blends, single herbs, and more)
Call it an early sober night...
I won't hop on my soap box here, but drinking alcohol can really damage your sleep. For women especially, drinking affects our hormones and it affects our sleep. And vise versa, it affects our sleep which also affects our hormones like a double whammy!
Now, that doesn't mean to not drink at all. But, rather be intentional and mindful with your drinking. Create a drink plan before going out to stay in control, get home on time, and have an early morning wake up feeling good!
This study shows that showed the greater variability of sleep times (morning or night) actually resulted in higher alcohol consumption.
Which seems crazy, but the more your sleep schedule is misaligned the more you will drink, which will cause even more misalignment in your sleep, and the cycle is like a vicious never ending predator.
So, get in control of your drinking and that will help you have an early morning wake up feeling good.
Avoid TV before bed
A classic tip is avoiding TV before bed.
But, also lots of people are getting into the blue-light glasses. My partner swears by the blue-light glasses! That way you can be on your phone, watch a movie, etc without the TV blasting artificial light into your brain right before bed. Though, no TV is ultimately better... Just sayin'.
I mean, it makes so much sense to avoid those harsh, bright, flashing lights on the TV... Right? Additionally, for women the blue lights (especially before bed) affect our hormones.
"Feet-on-floor" trick
This one I swear by. The moment my alarm goes off I swing my legs over to the side, flop myself up, place my feet on the floor basically all before I open my eyes.
It is hard for about 10 seconds, but it WORKS! Then, once your feet are on the floor you might as well just get up, right? For me, I walk like a zombie to the bathroom to brush my teeth, sometimes still with my eyes closed (yes, I'm serious).
The hardest part is the initial grunt of getting up. So badly your brain wants to press snooze, but trust me, don't fall for it. And this leads me to my next point...
Take it slow
I don't by any means encourage an abrupt, forceful early morning wake up. The initial moments of getting up can be the most daunting and challenging, but once we cross that threshold we can step into a relaxed morning routine.
Check out our ideal morning routine here for more ideas on forming a seamless and energizing morning routine after the early morning wake up!
Additionally, after you wake up then you get to take it slow. Slowly make your morning beverage, read a book, do gentle stretches and breathe into those moments of solitude.
Know your routine
A transformative move is to prepare your morning the night before. If you are someone that wakes up and immediately works out, then place your workout clothes on your dresser so you aren't shuffling through your clothes.
Or prepare your morning beverage as much as possible so you can just wake up and do the final few steps (cough cough coffee).
Knowing your routine in the morning will allow you to prepare for it as much as possible so the morning moves smooth and effortlessly.
Which is why I have created a perfect morning routine checklist that gets your routine dialed in to create less stress, better moods, and more energy. Plus, the extra journal pages make for a soft early morning you'll obsess over.
Put lights on ASAP
In addition to the "feet on floor" trick, I immediately turn my bedside lamp on. It signals to your brain to stop producing melatonin and that it is time to wake up. Think about those morning when you wake with the sun, same thing, but artificially!
It might take a minute for your brain to slow the melatonin and actually start waking up, but over time and as you practice more you will get into such an effortless rhythm you will be in love with your early morning wake up!
Do a wind-down audit
If you are still struggling with an early morning wake up (after about 2-3 weeks) then try auditing yourself. What do you do before bed? Scroll? Eat? Run around?
How often are you awake due to stress? Is your mind running and you can't seem to shut it off? All these questions can help you pin point what exactly is getting in the way of you feeling good when you get up early.
The goal here is waking up and feeling good. Not waking up and feeling no bueno. It is possible, trust me! Take it easy, take it slow, be consistent and within a week or so you will be a rock star.