Waking up early is not an easy task, especially for most of us. I mean it is just so easy and relaxing to stay in bed. Sometimes we might not even be asleep. We just lie on the bed thinking about getting up or checking our phones.
There are even days when we decide to wake up early but then when the alarm finally goes off, we wake up, hit that snooze button, and then get right back to sleep.
Are you guilty as well?
The Struggle Is Definitely Real
I have also had several personal experiences where before going to bed I would say to myself, “I’m going to wake up early tomorrow. I’m going to be one of those early risers I always hear about.”
So, I brush my teeth, set my alarm to 5 am, and get right to bed as early as I can. A few hours later in the morning when the alarm rings and I forget everything I said to myself last night, I roll over and hit the snooze button.
Over and over again till its 7 am.
When I wake up, I start to make up those morning excuses like: –
- “I’m just not a morning person.”
- “I was too busy yesterday anyway,”
- “I’m not rushing anywhere.”
You probably know how those excuses go. You could even give a few examples yourselves because life happens to all of us.
This is however what differentiates successful people from the unsuccessful ones. Getting up early in the morning. Rising before the rest of the world and getting a head start. Surely if they can do it, then you can too. All you need is the discipline and you are already on your way.
Here are some strategies to aid you in waking up early. They should most likely work for you if you have the discipline to see it through.
Take Things Slowly – Don’t Force It
If you’re not an early riser, don’t try to force your body to do what it’s not used to. Your body is already used to the previous routine of waking up at 7:30 am or thereabout. Therefore, it would not find it easy waking up at 5:30 in the morning.
It might start to feel sick and tired and that might affect your productivity for the rest of the day. Take things slowly and easily. Don’t rush it. It will take your body some time to adjust to the new routine.
Early to Bed, Early to Rise
Everyone knows that the earlier you go to bed, the earlier you wake up. I like to call it the law of early rising. What this simply means is that the later you go to bed, the later you’ll wake up. So, you have to cultivate the habit of going to bed early. Do not stay up late unless you need to.
One way to go to bed early is to keep off your devices at night. It’s hard to fall asleep with your cellphone or laptop by your side. You’re always going to be tempted to reply to one last text or watch one last movie. That is how you go late to bed and wake up late.
Therefore, stay away from your devices at least 30 minutes to bedtime, this will help you to fall asleep faster.
Use an Alarm Clock
Alarm clocks work contrary to popular belief. Using an alarm clock is an efficient means to wake up early when you sync your mind to it. You must be determined to rise with the clock when it goes off. Remind yourself of the reason you put it on in the first place and discipline your mind and body to work with it. Yep, simple but that is how you use an alarm clock.
Be Consistent
Just like many other aspects in life, consistency also helps you to keep an early rising routine. Continuous early rising will help your body get accustomed to the new routine. Continue doing it and determine not to stop.
Benefits to Getting Up Early:
There are many benefits to getting up early.
- It helps you get the best out of your day.
- It helps to improve your daily productivity.
- It gives you time to get some exercise before work.
- Waking up early helps to improve your focus and remove distractions.
- It keeps you disciplined.
Wrapping Up
There are so many benefits to being an early riser, which I highlighted in this article. Employing these strategies is how I make sure that my days stay on plan.
If being productive is something that you struggle with, then pick one or two of these productivity tips to try. You can partake of them just by waking up early. Give it a try and see if it’s for you.
It’s a step forward in the right direction. I promise you will be able to take control of your day. And, to make it simple, I’m giving you a copy of my Daily Planner. Simply click below to download your free copy!
