You probably know by now that the way you start your day has a major effect on your life, but you might be wondering how to start a morning routine if you are not a morning person. I have never in my life been a morning person. In the past, I have tried and failed at waking up earlier to have time to myself in the morning. I started to evaluate why I could not get myself out of the bed in the morning and I finally cracked the code to getting up earlier and completing a routine that sets me up for a happy and productive day.
This post is all about how to start a morning routine even if you are not a morning person.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information.
If you are struggling to conquer your morning routine because you are staying up too late, read this post. The first step to waking up earlier is implementing a nighttime routine that helps you get quality sleep.
Hack your alarms
You have to be very strategic with your alarms in the morning if you are someone who usually presses snooze. The best gift that my husband ever got me was this alarm clock. It gradually wakes you up with light and peaceful sounds. You can customize your alarm using the app on your phone and it also helps you fall asleep as well.
Because I am a guilty snoozer, I set a second alarm on my phone 10 minutes after my first alarm. It’s important that you set your second alarm soon enough after the first so that you don’t fall back into a deep sleep. I recommend plugging your phone in across the room so that you’re forced to get out of bed to turn it off. An added benefit to doing this is that you won’t keep yourself up all night scrolling on your phone in bed.
Don’t get back in bed
It takes serious discipline to not lay back in bed after you turn off your alarm. In the book Atomic Habits, the author talks about “habit stacking”. This essentially means that you pair a new habit with an old one. In this case, I have paired brushing my teeth with turning off my phone alarm. You basically need to trick your brain into automatically moving to the next task after completing the first. After a week of doing this, it’s gotten easier for me to continue on with my morning routine after turning off my phone rather than falling into the temptation to get back in bed.
Make a plan
It’s hard to get yourself out of bed early when you don’t have a plan for what you are going to do. You probably know the minimum time you need to get ready and get to work on time, so it’s tempting to sleep in until the very last minute possible. Make a list of things you would like to do in the morning before starting work – I do this in the notes app on my iPhone. Be realistic with the amount of time each thing will take you to complete. Don’t give yourself too many tasks in the morning because you might get overwhelmed and give up on your morning routine.
Drink water
Part of the reason you might be so tired when you wake up is because your body is dehydrated. Rather than reaching for the caffeine first thing in the morning, try drinking a glass of water first. Sometimes I’ll even fill up my stainless steel thermos with water and put it on my nightstand before bed. This way you have cold water right next to you first thing in the morning! You might be surprised how much more energized you feel just by hydrating your body with water first thing in the morning.
Did you know you can check the toxicity rating of the water in your area by entering your zipcode on the EWG tap water database? After I learned of all of the contaminants in our tap water, I purchased this water filter. I am amazed at how much better the water tastes! I am also on the hunt for a shower head filter, so let me know if you have a recommendation!
Have something to look forward to
No one wants to get out of bed and start doing laundry. It’s just not motivating. Have things on your morning routine list that you will actually look forward to after you open your eyes in the morning. Examples of this could be a delicious breakfast, your morning skincare, or doing yoga and meditating. You can also habit stack less desirable tasks with more exciting ones. For example, I look forward to filling my diffuser and making breakfast so I paired unloading my dishwasher with these tasks.
Evaluate how you feel
Commit to sticking to your morning routine every day for at least one week. Evaluate how you feel after that week. Do you feel happier, less stressed, more organized, healthier? Shortly after starting my morning routine, I let myself sleep in an hour longer on a day I was feeling extra tired. It was enough to make me realize how much of a difference my morning routine was making in my life. I hated feeling rushed in the morning and like I wasn’t in control of my day. It also motivated me to get in bed earlier because I’ve noticed that I need at least 7.5 hours of sleep to feel awake enough to start my morning routine at 6am.
Good luck starting your morning routine! Have fun planning it out and make adjustments as needed. Even if you only get up 5 minutes earlier to make your bed, I promise it will have a positive impact on your life by having a constant routine to start your day.
I hope this post gave you some practical tips. Thank you for reading and don’t forget to checkout my nighttime routine if you haven’t yet!
Xo, Ciara
[rpwe limit=”3″]
