You’re late to work, didn’t eat breakfast, and in a cranky mood again because you decided to hit the snoozer an extra few times. Meanwhile, your bubbly coworker is chattering away about how productive their morning before work was…and even though you want to punch them, at the same time you wish you could be like them: A morning person. It takes will power and dedication, but training your mind and body to wake up early is possible. Here are 6 tips to kick that snooze button to the curb.
Say NO to Late Nights
Yea yea yea, you know this one, and it’s so true. Start training your body and mind to get to sleep earlier and that will automatically help make it easier to wake up the next day. Shoot for hitting the hay an hour earlier than usual and start putting sleep before late night shows and projects that can be done the next day.
Get Your Nom On
As in a nice hearty breakfast packed with healthy protein. Skipping breakfast is never a good idea for an ideal diet and it will not only energize your day but also banish the morning blues. Try some steel cut oats with fruit, low fat yogurt or whole grain toast with peanut butter.
Get Your Mind Right
Plain and simpleyou need to psych yourself up with a pep talk. Start with positive thinking such as, “I am going to get up” not “I want to get up.” When you set your mind on something and make it a priority that you must accomplish it will help lay the mental foundation for making your goal come true.
Walk Yourself Awake
If you have a really hard time getting up, try this little trick. When you set your alarm the night before, don’t keep it right next to your bed. Instead, strategically place it outside your room so when it goes off in the morning, you are forced to get up, get out of bed and walk across the room to turn it off.
Light Up Your Morning
Nothing triggers alertness in the brain more than light, such as the morning sun filtering through your window in the morning. If you keep your windows covered, there are light boxes designed specifically to help people rise and shine. They run anywhere from $50 to $200, so if money is an issue, try moving your bed next to a window- and don’t lower those blinds!
There’s an App for That
Ever heard of Smart Alarm or Math Alarm? Both are great apps for getting your butt out of bed and best of all you can easily them right to your phone. When the alarm goes off it forces the user to solve a math problem in order to shut it off. In doing so, you get out of your deep sleep cycle and your brain must focus and function- voila!
