How to Become a Morning Person

Have you always wanted to be the type of person who can just hop out of bed, make a healthy breakfast, exercise and then crack on with the rest of the morning? It seems impossible doesn't it? Well it turns out that becoming a morning person isn't actually as difficult as it has to be.

Here are my top eight ways to finally becoming an early riser...

Set realistic alarms.

When trying to become an early riser, the first thing we tend to do is set an alarm drastically early compared to the time we usually get up. For example if you are the type of person who gets up around 10 AM, you might then make the decision to set an alarm for 7 AM. But this just doesn't work. Not only are you more likely to ignore it, but it will completely throw off your entire body clock and consequently leave you feeling even more tired and exhausted for the rest of the day. Instead, ease your body into getting up earlier by setting your alarm 10 to 15 minutes earlier each morning until you reach your desired time.

Equally, try and avoid making alarms that look something similar to this: 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 8:15, 8:30, 8:45. It's a tempting method that I myself used to use, as in my head I thought I was tricking my body into sleeping just that little bit longer. In reality, your body just returns to that deep sleep within the time intervals, thus leaving you more tired than you were to begin with.

Make your bed straight away.

The first thing to do when you wake up in the morning is to make your bed straight away. Not only will this keep you from the temptation to crawl back in and fall asleep again, but it will also help you to get into a daily morning routine. Leaving and coming home to a messy bed will not only make your bedroom look untidy, but there have also been several surveys over the years which conclude that people who make their beds in the morning feel better throughout the day, live a more organised life and even sleep better at night.

Get fresh air & sunlight.

After making your bed, the second most important thing to do when you wake up is to open your curtains and let some sunlight into your room. As humans we are obviously reliant on the sun, along with the fact that sunlight naturally wakes us up. Therefore, avoid leaving your curtains closed in the morning. Yes your tired eyes will be sensitive to the light at first, but eventually you will find yourself waking up faster and feeling more alert as the morning goes on.

Similarly, a breath of fresh air first thing in the morning is just as beneficial when fighting tiredness. Whether you open your window, go outside or even go on a morning walk or run, breathing in the morning air will refresh your lungs and body and as a result leave you feeling fresh and ready for the day.

Organise the night before.

One habit that I adopted when becoming a morning person, and more organised in general, was by preparing everything that I need for the morning the night before. Whether you need to get up for school, work or you're just going out the day, organising everything that you will need, before you go to bed, will mean you have less things to do in the morning and believe me you will thank yourself for it!

Start by packing a bag with everything that you need for the next day, for example if you are in school, pack your bag with all the books, pieces of homework and equipment that you will need for the next day. Not only will this ease your morning routine but also keep you from forgetting anything.

If you make your own lunch, prepare your meals the night before too and leave it somewhere sanitary until the morning. If you are the forgetful type, set a reminder on your phone or leave a note somewhere that you will see it to remind yourself to pick it up.

Thirdly, plan out what outfit you are going to wear the night before and lay them on a chair, or any other piece furniture of your choosing, so that it is ready for you the next day. When I lay out my clothes, I tend to put the items of clothing in the order that I will put them on e.g. put your jacket on the chair first, and your underwear and socks on last. This will make the clothing more accessible in the order that you need them, thus making your morning a little bit easier.

Aim to eat breakfast.

Whether it's a hearty meal or simply a piece of fruit, breakfast is the most important meal of the day whether you want to believe it or not. But I don't have time for breakfast in the morning. When aiming to become a morning person, you need to make time for having breakfast, even if it's just a piece of toast. I was the type of person who never ate breakfast and always opted for those extra minutes in bed, but since making the effort to finally get out of that bad habit, I now struggle to function in the morning without breakfast. To help you with this, prepare a weekly meal plan of what you are going to eat in the morning and have fun with it. Having a breakfast that you are going to look forward to is also an extra kick to get you out of bed.

Get moving.

Another useful method when becoming an early riser is by getting your body moving as soon as you get out of bed. You can achieve this through simple activities such as morning stretches or by walking around your room/house, or through slightly more intense means of movement such as yoga or morning exercises. I have found that exercising before having a shower gets my blood pumping and my muscles working, subsequently causing me to feel more alert and active for the rest of the day. Be wary however not to over exercise in the morning as not only will this increase the risk of you losing track of time, but also overworking your body straight away will leave you to feel exhausted as the day progresses.

Avoid screens.

Even now, the first thing I do when I wake up is to grab my phone and check social media. On one hand it seems to be a simple way of easing my body into waking up, but on the other hand, staring at a screen first thing in the morning will strain your eyes and therefore cause them to feel tired and heavy once again. Instead check your phone when having breakfast or brushing your teeth, that way you are already up and about, and the risk of falling back asleep with your phone is your hand is reduced.

It is also important to avoid screens the night before as well. There is proof that the blue light that our phones and other pieces of technology use, mimics sunlight and so keeps you awake for longer. Experts advise that we put our phones down an hour before our intended sleeping time to avoid the effects of blue light.

Create a routine.

A simple yet effective method of becoming a morning person is through the use of a routine. If you plan out everything that you want to do and achieve when you wake up, then you will find yourself easily adapting to getting up earlier. This can be achieved through planning out your breakfast, morning exercises and managing your time getting ready, all to create a routine that you can stick to.