How To Become An Early Riser
Four Habits To Become An Early Riser That You Can Implement Today!
“Early bird gets the worm?” Does this sound familiar?
This proverb tells you to act early to be successful.
Let’s back up a minute and share the benefits of becoming an early riser before we deep dive into some action steps:
Benefit #1: The Gift of Time
If you wake up before your household – you can create time for self care such as exercise, meditating, journaling, drinking tea or coffee, or simply planning out your day.
Benefit #2: Increased Productivity
If you get to work earlier than normal, there is no one to distract you, so you’ll likely get more done. Yes for productivity! The world is a much quieter place at 5 or 6 in the morning. The kiddos are probably still asleep and businesses haven’t opened yet. Use this time to get a head start: plan out your day, work on your side business, catch up on emails, exercise, or take care of those annoying administrative things that tend to get overlooked during the workday. I love getting to the office around 5:30 AM – I feel like I get to take control over my day. Which leads to…..
Benefit #3: Decreased Stress
Think about it – if you are able to get more done during the day with your extra time, you’ll free your mind of clutter and can handle stress better. Rather than rushing out of the house because you snoozed one too many time, you can wake up early. Decrease stress by using the early hours to meditate. Some of my best ideas came to me early in the morning while journaling and reflecting.
Benefit #4: Improved Health
An early morning workout will leave you feeling full of energy for the rest of the day. It’s a truly satisfying feeling to know you’ve already gotten it out of the way. Working out early will come down to personal preference – even some light stretching, walking outside, or meditating can help to improve your health.
Benefit #5: You’ll Feel Better Overall
Implement some of the action tips and comment below how you felt in two weeks!
Action Steps to becoming An Early Riser:
#1 Set A Sleeping Schedule/ Routine And Stick To It
Yes … even on the weekends. Staying up late and sleeping in can potentially sabotage your entire week. Meditate before bed, do some light stretching, take a bath, journal, and cut off electronics at least 1 hour before you go to bed. If you normally wake up at 7 AM and you want to wake up at 6 AM, start small – wake up 15-20 minutes earlier than you are used to. Continue to wake up earlier until you reach your goal wake up time.
#2 Before Hopping Out Of Bed, Express Gratitude & Set Your Intentions For The Day
As soon as I wake up but before I physically get out of bed, I reach over and grab my journal and take a few moments to write down what has been going well so far during the week and what I would like to work on. The goal is setting intentions that I want to carry throughout my day and week by envisioning all that I want to achieve. This habit takes very little time (five minutes or less) but has a tremendous impact on my attitude and energy.
#3 Commit And Wake Up Early (Before The Rest Of The Household)
If this is your goal – it comes down to just doing it. Be “all in” for the next 30 days and see what comes up for you. I want my days to feel un-chaotic, peaceful and enjoyable. I have found that having a little extra quiet time in the morning when no one else is awake helps me to facilitate this. Almost every morning, I wake up around 5 AM. I use this time to get myself centered and prepared for the day (see next point) and get one step ahead on my list of things to do. More often than not, I use this extra time to work on things that I want to do versus have to do. This is the extra motivation to jump out of bed and get the day going. Tap into this feeling! It’s a wonderful shift.
#4 Exercise Or Simply Just Move
I always walk my dog in the morning. I feel more empowered, energetic, accomplished and ready to take on the day. Start your day the way you want to: by walking, dancing, working out, doing yoga, cycling, swimming, hiking, etc. It is worth it to make your morning as rewarding, productive, and enjoyable as possible.
Ultimately, figure out what works best for YOU! You may genuinely be a night owl, and that’s okay. It boils down to: Consistency, Consistency, Consistency. Cultivating the habit of waking up early is like forging any other habit. It takes discipline and commitment. You just have to do it.
Comment below: What is your favorite way to start your morning and/ or what are you doing with your extra time in the morning?