After almost six months of leisure time, my life is going to get a routine again. The kids started daycare this week and I want to get on with things as well. Most importantly, I need to start exercising regularly again. In order to do that I want to start waking up early again. I started by simply setting my alarm but that failed. So I went on a hunt for ideas of how to tackle getting out of bed earlier.
But before I get into that, a few words on why it’s a good idea to start the day earlier rather than later.
An early morning is a good idea because
… mornings are usually calm, from family noise to traffic. That is my most sought-after effect of an early morning. I would have time to myself before all the chaos starts and I have to get the kids ready for the day.
… it gives me time to wake up. I don’t have to be ready straight away but rather enjoy some time for myself.
… 10 min of morning light signals my body to get ready for the day. What can be better than to breath in some fresh morning air and to watch the day start outside.
… a stress-free morning makes for a stress-free day.
How to wake up early
The first step to waking early is to go to bed early. We need sleep and it depends on you how much of it. Some people get by with 7 hours, some need 8 or even more. I feel fine with around 8 hours of sleep per night. With this in mind and my anticipated time to wake up in the morning at 6:30 I should aim to be asleep at 10:30.
To get to this point you should create a bedtime routine. The best advice for this seems to be to absolutely avoid screen time – no computer, tablet, phone, TV, and even no Kindle Fire. Instead, reading to sleep is a good way to fall asleep.
In the process of going to bed and falling asleep also comes the excitement for the next day. I came across the idea to go to sleep already full of anticipation for the next day. And to get excited about getting up early for it.
The most crucial part for me is the setting of an alarm. A reoccurring piece of advice is to set the alarm 10 to 15 minutes earlier each day for a few days. That way our bodies get used to the earlier time gradually rather than in a shock (or not wake up at all).
Once the alarm goes off in the morning, try to avoid the snooze button. Honestly, though, the snooze button is both my best friend and my worst enemy. I wake up enough to realise that my alarm went off but I’m too sleepy to fully get out of bed. I don’t really sleep anymore while I continue to snooze. So I should really try and avoid it. My point of attack is going to be to place my alarm clock as far away from my bed as possible. That way I would be forced to actually get up to turn it off.
After actually leaving the comfort of my bed I want to get dressed and get to my exercise mat as quickly as possible. To do that I will prepare my exercise clothes before I go to bed. This way all I need to do in the morning is to get dressed, have a glass of water, and start my routine.
Other things to do for a good sleep
There are some other ideas I find very relevant when it comes to getting out of bed early successfully.
My number one is a clutter-free bedroom. A calm and relaxing bedroom not only helps to go to sleep but it also helps to wake up without feeling overwhelmed straight away.
It also helps to have calming colours in your bedroom like a soft green or blue.
Leave your phone in another room. It’s neither a good idea to check social media at night before going to sleep nor right after waking up in the morning. Any communication can wait until you are fully awake and ready for the day.
Last but not least, it’s important to have a positive vision for the day ahead. Nothing keeps me in bed for longer than a day with tasks I don’t enjoy or in a place, I don’t like. Getting up early needs to involve a joyous outlook on the day ahead.
