5 Tricks For an Easier Morning

I believe that there’s a lot of truth to the saying “The early bird always catches the worm.” Every morning I wake up at 6:05am, hours before I need to be at work. It’s gives me a chance to relax, do yoga, read the newspaper, check email and eat breakfast before work so I feel accomplished before even getting to the office.

However, I know waking up early isn’t easy, and it’s very tempting to lay in bed until the last minute. So I’ve got some tips for you on how to get up early and get more done.

1. Try an alarm clock app – There’s an app called Walk Up that makes you walk a certain number of steps before the alarm will shut off.  It can’t be fooled either — so you better get up and take those steps!  FreakyAlarm will make you take photos of specific objects or even do mind-testing exercises before it will shut off it’s annoying alarm sounds.  Talk about hitting the ground running! 

2. Imagine your ideal morning – If you were to have a perfect morning what would it consist of? What kind of morning person would you be? Maybe you’re having a quiet coffee or reading a book. Perhaps you are leisurely walking out the door to work instead of making a mad dash as usual. Making a wish list will help you create the foundation for your morning routine and allow you to stick to them.

3. Take it one step at a time – If you suddenly try to make changes like getting up an hour earlier, you will probably struggle to adjust. So take it easy, try waking up just 10 minutes earlier each day and see how it goes.

4. Set alarms on multiple devices – While situations like getting a cold may make you an unusually deep sleeper, if you know that you’re someone who doesn’t wake up easily then set every device you have to wake you up. Use a clock radio, your phone, or even your significant other to get you up on time.

5. Set yourself up for success with a list– Make your mornings easier by doing a little prep work the night before.  Make a list of everything you need to do before heading to work.  This list can include: working out, making lunch, remembering to call your aunt for her birthday or bring a book you’ve been promising to lend your coworker.  This list means won’t have to jump out of bed and try to remember all and start your day frantic.  Trust me, it will be a bunch easier morning if you have a list as roadmap.

What tricks do you have for getting up in the morning?