5 Habits of Morning People

You should set yourself up for success by preparing your body and environment for sleep the night before. You will also need a consistent morning habits. Adopt the healthy practices below to ease your way into becoming a morning person. These are the things we will discuss later on in this blog post.

The Benefits of Being a Morning Person

The physical benefits 

Your health can be a good place to invest those 2 extra hours every morning. Wake up earlier and you will always have the time to exercise, eat a healthy meal and take a cold shower. These are all the standard habits to prime our physical body for the day. 

As your body is hydrated, fully warmed up from the exercises, you will feel refreshed and ready to take on the new day.

The mental benefits

Once you have a consistent routine of waking up early, the early hours are very strategic to gain the maximum focus and productivity for the day. 

Willpower is a finite resource. An early riser has their full mental energy in the morning, ready to take on the most challenging task of the day.

Freshly waking up from a dream is also found to boost your creativity and the ability to generate new ideas, as backed by science.

The emotional benefits

It’s rare to find quiet time for ourselves in the world of social media and 24/7 access to entertainment. Getting up just 30 minutes earlier and having the spare time to be present is like feeding our emotional mind with fine cuisine.

You will experience more peace, more gratitude and more confidence to take on your life and stay healthy in your emotional being.

SEE ALSO: 7 Meaningful Goals in Life

5 Morning Habits of Early Risers

For some, rising early comes naturally. Many more of us don’t consider ourselves to be morning people. But you have the superpower of neuroplasticity to literally change the shape of your brain to adapt to a morning lifestyle. All it takes is a few good habits.

Prepare for a Good Sleep

The battle for the earlier hours starts from the sunset of yesterday. What can we do to prepare our bodies for a restful sleep? The Sleep Foundation shares tips on good sleep hygiene in its article What is Sleep Hygiene?

1. Enjoy a balanced diet. Your food choices should provide you with a variety of nutrients. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day. 
2. Avoid coffee, alcohol and other stimulants before bed. For optimal sleep, limit your consumption of these to no less than 4 hours before bedtime. 
3. Spend time outdoors. Taking in sunlight and getting regular exercise facilitates sleep later.
4. Check how long it takes for you to fall asleep. Count that into your overall number of hours of sleep. 
5. Don’t hit the snooze button! You must wake up at the same time every day to support your internal clock. If this is a challenge for you, place your alarm clock across the room. 

SEE ALSO: How to Meditate for Focus and Concentration

Create an Environment that Promotes Sleep

Put Away your Smartphone

Do you sleep with your cell phone under your pillow or on your bedside table? An article from the Cleveland Clinic gives 3 Reasons Why Looking At It Before Bed is a Bad Habit. 

1. Cell phones and computer screens keep our minds psychologically engaged. 
2. Blue light inhibits melatonin, the hormone that controls your circadian rhythm. 
3. Phone notifications delay the REM stage of sleep.

Bedtime is meant for winding down after a long day. Instead of using your phone, read a book or take a warm shower. 

Reduce External Stimuli

Making your bedroom a quiet place. This is because we subconsciously respond to the presence of noise. This robs us of deep sleep. What are some ways of reducing the noise around us? An article written by VeryWell Health gives us some good tips and tricks. 

1. Invest in a good pair of earplugs to block out noise.
2. Hang a curtain or install a door sweep below your bedroom door. This will help absorb sounds from cracks around your door. Placing thick drapes around your windows will have the same effect.
3. Position your bed away from where noise is coming from. 

The same can also be said about lighting. To ensure the best sleeping conditions, turn off the lights. Block out excess light by using curtains and blinds. Think of your room like a cave. It should be as dark as possible. 

Regulate Room Temperature

What is the Best Temperature for Sleep? Your sleeping environment should be set at around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s because our body temperature drops overnight. Cooler room temperature makes it easier for us to fall and remain asleep. What can we do to stay cool?

1. Set the thermostat in your room to drop during the night. 
2. If it is too warm in your bedroom, try opening the windows.
3. In the summer months, turn on the fan or the air conditioning. 
4. With each change of season, adjust your bedding accordingly. Use a comforter in the winter and a lightweight blanket in the summer. 

Invest in Good Bedding

The average person spends 7-8 hours in bed. It is important that your mattress and bedding promote a good night’s sleep. What should you look out for?

For mattresses:

• Find the sizing and firmness that best suits your sleeping needs.

For bedding:

• Bed sheets should have a thread count between 200 and 400.
• Select bedding that is made up of natural materials, such as linen, cotton, and bamboo.
• Bedding should be breathable and soft. Make sure that it doesn’t irritate your skin.

SEE ALSO: 3 Productive Habits for Working from Home

Plan Ahead

The Night Before

Many of us have a nightly ritual, to some extent. Take a few minutes during the evening to plan for the following day. This will give you peace of mind. It also helps reduce stress. As a result, you’ll find it much easier to fall asleep at night. Here are 4 Ways to Plan for a Super-Productive Day the Night Before. 

1. Open your agenda. Look at what activities have already been scheduled for tomorrow. You’ll avoid unexpected surprises. Can you make time for other important activities?
2. Write down the tasks that need to get done tomorrow. You may also want to assign a few weekly tasks. Be sure to write why you need to get those tasks done. 
3. Some tasks remain unchanged from one day to the next. This is especially true if you are breaking down a long-term project into smaller goals. We call these repeatable tasks. 
4. Out of all the tasks mentioned above, mark the ones that are most important. Alternatively, single out the tasks that will make you feel most successful upon completion. 

As we plan out the next day, our mind will be clear and know what to expect, leaving us to be less anxious and more relaxed for a deep sleep.

The Morning Of

The bulk of your planning has been done the night before. In the morning, you can focus on organizing yourself. Bustle has some great tips for a successful morning routine. 

1. Categorize what needs to get done by context. Some category ideas include home, work, Internet, etc. 
2. Break down big tasks into smaller ones. Each task should take no longer than one hour. This helps you to get more done in the day. Taking note of your ongoing progress throughout the day is also rewarding. 
3. Workaround time-dependent tasks. For example, if you have a meeting from 10 am to 12 pm, schedule your tasks around that. 
4. Choose a task! Some like to start small. Others tackle the big ones first. Be mindful of how your energy levels shift throughout the day. Work on tasks that are most appropriate to how you are feeling.

Practice Self-Care

Wake up early! In today’s fast-paced world, many struggles to find the time to mind their health. 

Many morning people start the day with a good breakfast. Be sure to eat this meal at the same time every day. Breakfast gives your body energy. By eating a nutritious breakfast, you are more likely to make healthy food choices throughout the day. Your breakfast should be high in protein. That’s because this macro nutrient promotes wakefulness. It also increases the dopamine levels in your body.

Another important aspect of your health is exercise. Physical activity is something you should strive to do at the same time every day, too. It is a great way to help wake you up. A study from Appalachian State University has also found that it “reduces blood pressure and improves sleep.” Even ten minutes to get you moving will reap countless benefits. 

Another great way of putting your health first is by practicing meditation. There are many apps that offer breathing exercises. This helps clear your mind and reduce stress. 

Your body will become accustomed to your morning routine. Just keep in mind that consistency is key. Being a morning person means keeping those good habits on the weekend and while you are on vacation, too. 

Find Your Motivation

It is easier to become a morning person when you have the motivation to get up early. How can motivation help you get your day started? How can you replenish it throughout the day?

In the web article The Ultimate Morning Routine for Success of Highly Successful People, we read about steps we can take to have a successful morning routine.  

1. Have an Hour of Power. This is the time that you spend building up your inspiration. Many feel empowered after listening to a podcast or reading motivational quotes. 
2. Own a Gratitude Journal. Cultivate contentment for what you have and count your blessings. Write down three things that you are thankful for. This will help you develop a more positive outlook and feel happier.
3. Check-in with yourself. There is a saying that goes “You only live once.” Do you like what you are doing with your life? What can you change or do differently?
4. Take time to connect with those you care about. By making family and friends a priority, you are fostering healthy relationships. Many people find happiness and a sense of belonging when they are present for others.

Get Started

With lots of practical benefits, becoming a morning person can be a good experiment for the next 30 days. Use a tracker app like Habitify to help you ease into these new habits.

It’s okay if you can’t immediately be joyful and excited during the morning hours. But it’s important to be committed and grind through the initial resistance and actually get up. It can even take 66 days to actually form a habit, so expect a very slow transition.

And if you don’t really feel like it, you can always switch back to being a night-owl anyway. Have fun catching the sun rise!