Reboot your morning routine!
Some people hate getting up out of bed in the morning, whilst others leap out of bed, full of excitement about the day. Here are some of the things that have helped me become less addicted to my duvet.
My Story
I used to be very bad at getting up in the morning (which is partly why I used to be late for everything). These days, I generally like getting up. Why? Because I love my mornings (well, mostly!).
Your Five Steps To Success
Step 1: Get Enough Sleep
If you don’t get enough sleep then you won’t want to get up.
To be honest, this is still the area I struggle with most in this process. Nevertheless, I’ve come to recognise that it really is essential that I get enough shut-eye if I want to get up full of enthusiasm for the day.
Less sleepy, more leapy!Kramii
Step 2: Plan a Wonderful Start to Your Day
Plan to do something you really enjoy first thing in the morning. As you go to sleep, imagine how much you’re looking forward to doing it. Don’t over complicate you plans. Just pick one thing you’re really looking forward to.
If you’re looking for inspiration, check out some of the things that work for me towards the end of this post.
Step 3: Eliminate the Negatives
If there are things that make getting up miserable, eliminate them. For example, you’re unlikely to want to get up if the rest of the house is cold.
In my case, I overcame this problem by putting my heater on a timer, rather than having to get up and switch it on manually.
Step 4: Practice Your Morning “Leap”
Literally, practice hopping quickly eagerly out of bed in the morning. This will help train your body to get moving in the morning.
Step 5: Don’t Give Up
It isn’t easy to transition from being a duvet lover to being a morning person. So:
- Take it a step at a time
- Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t manage it every day
- Reward your successes
One Final Tip
Some people find that dawn simulation alarm clocks help them get up in the morning. The idea it gradually lights up your room before you need to get up, and therefore stimulates your body to feel more awake. Based on a friend’s recommendation, my wife bought a one for our 11-year-old son. Whilst he still struggles to get up in the morning, the clock does seem to make things a lot easier for him. YMMV, of course.
How I Like to Start My Day
For me, the perfect day starts like this:
- I have had enough sleep, and basically feel refreshed.
- I get up slightly earlier than everyone else in the house, ready to enjoy a little “me time”.
- I take a leisurely but refreshing shower.
- I spend some time just staring into space, letting myself wake up slowly.
- I do a little reading, ideally something motivating and enjoyable.
- I enjoy a hearty breakfast. Ideally a Full English, but almost anything is good.
- Then I get everyone else up, and spend a little time with my little family.
Of course, real life rarely works out that way, but even if I enjoy just a couple of these things in the morning, my day has got off to a pretty good start.
So, what does your ideal morning look like? And what can you do to achieve it?
Acknowledgements
- Image courtesy Imre Attila Nagy via freeimages.com [FreeImages Content License].