How To Become an Early Riser

By Bryan Kittman | January 22, 2020

For many of us, we added ‘wake up earlier’ to our New Year’s Resolutions List, and as the saying goes, “The early bird gets the worm”! Being an early riser can be very beneficial to your overall life. From increased productivity and energy to more time to pursue the things that you want to accomplish, consistently waking up early can really help your routine. For those of you who want to make the switch from night owl and become an early riser, here are some helpful tips to help you make the transition. 

Start slow 

Begin to wake up early at a gradual pace so you don’t burn yourself out from the get-go. If you usually wake up at 7:30 am, try waking up at 7:00 am initially. Over time, your body will begin to acclimate to earlier wake-up times, which can lead to becoming a consistently early riser. 

Adhere to your bedtime 

Constantly getting to bed at a different time throughout the week will only throw your sleeping patterns out of whack. Try setting a bedtime that works for you, and make a considerable effort to stick with it. This will only help you build better sleeping habits, and in turn, will make it easier when it comes to getting up early. 

Place your alarm in a place where you have to get up

Putting your phone or alarm clock within arms reach makes it that much easier to hit the snooze button. By placing it in an area where you have to physically get up to turn it off, you are forcing your body to wake up while reducing the chances of you hitting the snooze. 

Choose the right alarm 

Waking up to an alarm that immediately frustrates you is not the right way to start off your mornings, as you’re going to automatically dread getting up early. Try experimenting with different tones and sounds to find something that suits your mood when waking up early.

Give yourself a reason to wake up early

Waking up just for the sake of doing so will leave you without a driving purpose, making it difficult to push yourself to be an early riser. Make sure you have a set goal that you want to accomplish in the morning. This could be anything from getting some exercise, making breakfast, reading a book, or even journaling. Whatever it is, use it as motivation while you develop your early rising habits. 

Do some light physical activity immediately 

One of the best ways to get your mind and body to be alert and ready for the day is to do some light physical activity to get the blood flowing. This could be some push-ups, sit-ups, stretching, or a short walk, Whatever it is, getting your heart rate up will shake away the drowsiness, leaving you ready to enjoy your early morning.