Flashback to 3 months ago -I’m snoozing my alarm for the 5th time and it’s 40 minutes before I have to leave for work. Rolling out of bed, barely brushing my hair, throwing together a quick breakfast, and running out the door. I would be TIRED at work and drink multiple cups of coffee to stay alert, which left me feeling anxious and distracted. Most of the time I dreaded my post work workouts and when I wasn’t rushing from my job to my workout class, I was half assing a run or wandering around the gym.
TODAY, I get up at 6 am with ease (most days) and finish my workout, make my breakfast and shower all before I used to even roll out of bed. I don’t rely on coffee to keep me energized throughout the day and I have more time after work to connect with my friends and fiance.
I used to always envy people that naturally woke up at 6 am ready to conquer their day, and trust me even though I’m now a “morning person” I still savor my late mornings on the weekends. The truth is, everyone can be a morning person if you really want to. Before I get into my tips and tricks, I wanted to share the most important tool you need for this to work: WANT IT! If you aren’t 100% invested in making the change, your groggy brain will convince you that precious sleep means more than anything. If you are ready to commit, start with these tips and give it 21 days. After that, your body should adjust and you will officially become a morning person!
- Make a note on your alarm or phone. Write a list of reasons why you are making this change and then tell all of your friends and family about your new goal to keep you accountable (or announce it to 60k of your Instagram followers so then you REALLY can’t back down). For me, my top 3 reasons to start waking up earlier were 1. Get back in better shape 2. Have more time after work to work on recipes, my blog and spend time with my friends and of course Mitch and finally 3. Stop rushing in the mornings (plus like 100 other reasons, but these are my top 3). Writing your reasons down in the notes on your phone and reading them when you are trying to snooze your alarm for the 10th time will help. Also, when my alarm on my phone goes off, it has a note that says “Get to F45!!” It reminds me that I have a workout scheduled that I can’t miss. Which brings me to the next tip…
- Schedule your workouts for the week. Every Sunday, I schedule my morning workouts for the week. Even though my gym doesn’t charge for missed classes, it still holds me accountable and gets me to class. When I was trying to wake up to go on a run or ride the stationary bike, I wasn’t motivated to jump out of bed. Starting to work out at F45 honestly was the biggest factor in me becoming a morning person hands down. I love the workout, the trainers, the music and even though it’s HARD it goes by so fast. If you ever want to workout with me, I’m always at the 6:50 am class, Monday-Friday at F45 in Del Mar (click here for a free week). You will rarely see me there on the weekends…. ZzZzZ.
- Stick with your wake up and bed time. Our bodies LOVE schedules. Once you get on a sleep/wake schedule, its hard to change it up. Set a time that you want to go to bed and wake up, ensuring you are getting enough sleep (usually 6-8 hours is optimal) and stick with it. Eventually your body will get used to it and you will naturally wake up earlier. I go to bed around 10:30 and wake up at 6!
- Chill on the caffeine. At the exact same time I decided I was going to become a morning person, I quit coffee. Am I crazy? Not really. Coffee, while it is NOT bad for you, does make me jittery and anxious. It was affecting the quality of my day and my efficiency at work, so I finally quit and switched to tea (mostly matcha). While the first couple weeks I was pretty damn tired not going to lie, now I feel like a million bucks. I’m not tired nor do I have a 3 pm crash, my anxiety has improved immensely, and I sleep like a freaking ROCK. Which, in turn, makes my 6 am wake up call that much easier. For my die hard coffee lovers, don’t think you need to skip your daily joe in order to achieve your goal of rising with the sun, just try to limit yourself to 2 cups MAX and don’t even think about picking up that mug after 2 pm!
- Wind down. The hardest part of my day isn’t my workout, it isn’t getting through working for 8 hours and it definitely isn’t thinking of new recipes to cook for you all. It’s relaxing. I have to make a conscious effort every. single. day. to just freaking relax. While it beats being lazy, if you are like me and are constantly finding ways NOT to sit on the couch and watch a movie, you know that the second you finally do settle down (sometimes at 9 pm) the stress of your day finally catches up to you. Lately, I have been trying to sign off of social media at around 8 pm. Then I light some candles, take an Epsom salt bath or do a face mask, and watch a show with Mitch. I also try to read for 30 minutes before bed. This is a great way to relax and get away from the blue light from the TV and your phone. If you have trouble sleeping and relaxing, try CBD! Details on that HERE!
Still can’t get up?! Try these tricks.
- Set your alarm across the room. This way you HAVE to get up to turn it off. And we all know getting out of bed is the hardest part.
- Leave your curtains open. The sun is the best alarm clock! Your body will naturally begin to wake up when it the sun starts to rise. Save the blackout curtains for hangovers and weekends.
- Lay out your workout gear. Have everything ready to go. Don’t think about it, just go!
- Give yourself a treat. I make a batch of Walnut Protein Brownie Bites every Sunday for the week. The thought of a pre-workout doughy brownie helps me jump right up. Just keep it healthy 😉 Oh, and if anyone sends me that quote that says “Don’t reward yourself with food. You are not a dog” you are getting blocked. Why would I not want to be more like a dog? Healthy food is a fabulous reward if you asked me.
- Apps/Alarm Clocks. There’s all sorts of apps that make you spin around or take a selfie before it shuts off. These didn’t necessarily work for me, but a lot of my readers swear by it! Check these alarm clock apps out – some of these are pretty interesting. I also bought this alarm clock which stimulates natural light and wakes you up more subtlety than an abrupt sound.
Are you ready to become an early bird?! Let me know if these tips help you make the transition.
xoxo, BYB
)
