One of the most popular new year’s resolutions is to wake up earlier, or to become a morning person. Early morning aren’t for everybody, but science has shown us that getting up earlier is actually good for your body, mind, and soul. It helps increase your motivation throughout the day and provides you with more long-term energy over time.
However, if you’re a night owl, getting into the routine of waking up earlier in the morning can be extremely difficult. If you’ve vowed to become a morning person in 2023, here are some ways you can start to take on that goal!
If you immediately start out by trying to wake up at 5 in the morning every day while you’re used to sleeping until 9, it’s not going to work. No one makes that much progress that quickly, so you should be realistic about the goals you set and how long it takes to accomplish them.
Instead, try slowly shifting your wake-up time to be earlier and earlier. If you typically wake up at 9 o’clock, try waking up at 8:30 the next morning, and then 8, and then so on and so forth until you reach your desired wake up time. You can make these windows of time even smaller if you think it will be more realistic to go even more gradually.
Just remember to not overdo it and be kind to yourself as you work at this process!
Light can affect our sleep in all kinds of ways. For starters, make sure to reduce the amount of blue light that you’re taking in during the evening and night. Blue light is what comes from our phones and computer screens, and it decreases the natural melatonin in our body, making it harder to fall asleep.
Also, in the morning try to get immediate exposure to light after you wake up. Sunlight is best, but a bright light can also do the trick. This is good for your circadian rhythm and will help you wake up faster. Try to get lots of natural exposure to sunlight throughout the day, as well.
When you’re going to sleep, try to keep your room as dark as possible, too. You can even use a sleep mask! Making sure that you fall asleep in a dark space will help your body create more natural melatonin, and therefore, you’ll fall asleep easier and be able to wake up earlier in the morning!
Sometimes, you just need to push yourself out of bed—even when it feels impossible—and get your body moving as soon as you can. Try just doing some light yoga or stretching, or if you’re feeling up to it, go work out!
By simply getting your body to move and work the way it’s supposed to, you can kickstart your circadian rhythm and start to create better sleep habits that will last longer.
You can’t be a morning person if you’re staying up late and going wild every night; you just can’t. Your body needs a certain amount of sleep, so waking up earlier also means going to bed earlier. If you’re not used to this, start by finding things that help you wind down in the evenings. Reading a good book, doing some yoga or meditation, or taking a shower are all good ways to prepare your body for sleep.
Having a nightly wind down routine will help you sleep easier and better, which means it won’t be so hard to get up and get going in the morning. If you do the work the night before, the next morning will be much more of a breeze.
Caffeine isn’t a bad thing, and it even has some health benefits, You don’t need to start cutting out coffee or other caffeinated drinks from your diet, but there are ways you can regulate it that will be more beneficial for your sleep schedule.
Don’t drink coffee or any caffeine any time after noon; caffeine can stay in your system for up to 10 hours, so once it hits afternoon, stop drinking it. Also, try to wait a little while in the morning before making coffee; try first to wake up naturally and to not rely so heavily on caffeine to wake you up.
If you have a morning routine that you truly enjoy and look forward to, waking up early (and liking it) won’t be near as hard. Sometimes all it takes is creating a routine that you like and that works for you.
Studies have suggested that we need about 90 minutes in the morning to fully wake up, take time to adjust, and get ready for the day ahead. Take these 90 minutes to start your day off the way you’ve always wanted to! Getting up earlier means that there’s more time to sip on some delicious coffee, make a good breakfast, and choose an outfit that makes you feel great.
When you look forward to your mornings and the routine that you create, it’s not hard to wake up and get excited for the day!
Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started. Pick a date to begin trying this, and just do it! Don’t make up excuses or give yourself reasons to set aside this goal. Just decide to put in the effort, skip the snooze button, and make it happen.
If this is a new year’s resolution, don’t let it fall to the wayside just because it’s almost the end of January. It’s never too late to start trying and starting now is better than starting never. At the end of the day, this is all up to you and your mindset! Make it count.
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