If you're not a morning person, then you've probably wondered a time or two about how to become a morning person. Right now, your a.m. routine might look something like this: The alarm goes off, you blearily smack at the contents of your night stand a couple of times before the clock falls over, and then turn over while simultaneously wrapping yourself snugly in a blanket burrito, groggily thinking of how you'll start the day in 10 more minutes.
Not everyone has the capability of being a morning person, and those of us standing at the bus stop clutching the to-go cup of coffee like a lifeline might want to throttle some of you bright-eyed, perky, I've-been-up-since-five-saluting-the-sun people. But the thing is that we all have the potential to be one of those morning people. We just need to dig deep enough (some deeper than others) to pull it off. But how?
You have to get into a morning routine that will make rising early not quite so painful. Below are seven weird ways to become a morning person. Follow them and be ready to join the pep-in-your-step brigade.
1. Get Relaxed The Night Prior
There's no way you'll be a morning person if your routine is to fall into a fretful sleep. To make sure you fall into a deep, restful snooze, get yourself as relaxed as possible. For example, invest in a pair of cozy and pretty pajamas, ones that are a pleasure to slip into. Make yourself a good cup of tea that you can sip as you unwind. Light a candle with a soothing scent, like lavender or chamomile, to make yourself relaxed and sleepier. According to University of Maryland Medical Center, herbs like lavender produce slight calming and soothing effects, so that will help get the trick done.
Pampering yourself during those last few minutes before hitting the sheets will get you into a happier state of mind, and will relax you enough to slip into a quiet sleep. And if you do these pampering moves night and night again, you'll train your body to know that they signal lights out. According to Dr. Lawrence Epstein, co-author of The Harvard Medical School Guide to a Good Night’s Sleep, "Our body craves routine and likes to know what’s coming." This means that if you train your body to know the smell of lavender and the taste of lemon tea equal sleep, it'll then start getting ready for it.
2. Open Your Curtains The Night Prior
It's easy to convince yourself to hit the snooze if your bedroom is a dark dungeon of coziness. Who would want to move out from their heap of blankets when it looks like it could still be three in the morning outside? To avoid that situation, make sure your curtains or blinds are open before going to bed, promising that your room will be filled with bright morning light. You'll either wake up naturally, or you'll feel like it's time to get the day started once you turn off your alarm clock.
If you're not totally sure that bright light will do the trick, just listen to the method that some people use to fight jet lag. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, "To reduce the effects of jet lag, some doctors try to manipulate the biological clock with a technique called light therapy. They expose people to special lights, many times brighter than ordinary household light, for several hours near the time the subjects want to wake up. This helps them reset their biological clocks and adjust to a new time zone." Sounds legit.
3. Make Your Morning Schedule All About You, And Stick To It
Things are easier to fall into when a routine is involved, and the same rule applies for becoming a morning person. Have a set schedule that you do for the first 15 minutes every a.m. so that your mind doesn't have to think as it begins to wake up. And more importantly, make it a fun routine. An article on Brainjet suggests that instead of shuffling sleepily to the bathroom to brush your teeth, do something a little more enjoyable to convince yourself not to hit the snooze.
I like to make myself a fancy cup of coffee and read my newspaper on the balcony. Try falling into a few easy yoga poses and treating yourself with Nutella and toast after, or curling up on the couch with a muffin and morning cartoons. Whatever it is, make it a small pleasure so you can start the day on a happy note.
4. Have Music Accompany Your Morning Routine
Alright, say you've finally gotten yourself out of bed, had your first cup of coffee, and are ready to get the day started. Just because you're out of bed doesn't mean you're not grumbling about being out of it. Help yourself become more of a morning person by making the steps of getting ready more enjoyable. Put on a playlist of your favorite songs with happy, uplifting beats, and just try and keep that sour face on for much longer. Whenever Alabama Shakes plays in the background while I wrestle my hair into submission, the process turns a little less tedious. Not so bad, right?
5. Pamper Yourself As A Shameless Bribe
Say you really, really hate waking up early. It might be tough to convince yourself to wake up before the sun steals into your room, so make the whole experience a little more rousing by shamelessly bribing yourself with a few beauty treats. Hopping into the shower becomes a little more fun if you have fancy shower gels and soothing shampoos with luxurious ingredients like tea tree oil and almond milk.
Treat yourself to a cozy, bundled-up robe to make brushing your teeth and untangling your hair less of a chore, and (my personal favorite) give yourself a few makeup staples that get you excited to play with your pots and brushes, like bright lipsticks and luxe highlighters. Another tip? Buy a cute mug. It makes tea or coffee just that much better — and looks great on Instagram. If you have something to look forward to, rolling out of bed won't be so tough.
6. Have Nibbles Stocked In The Kitchen
No matter how groggy you are, the morning will always become a fraction better if you have something tasty to nibble on. Laura Schwecherl of Lifehacker suggested stocking a small supply of muffins, danishes, granola bars — whatever you love the best — and rewarding yourself with a bakery treat after getting dressed. If I have a bin of blueberry muffins waiting for me on the kitchen table, not even the early hour can bring me down.
7. Give Yourself Five Minutes Of Inspiration
So you're up, dressed, and well into heading out the door. That doesn't mean you're happy about being up, though. According to Emmie Martin of Business Insider, to help convince yourself that being up before noon really isn't all that bad, give yourself 10 minutes of inspiration in the morning after you've finished getting ready. Read something encouraging, seek out quotes that motivate you to love life and today's opportunities, watch a funny video, look at beautiful pictures — do whatever is going to pump you up to start the day and contribute something beautiful of your own.
You never know what amazing opportunities, people, or chances are waiting for you in the next 24 hours. So you might as well try one (or seven) of these tips and get yourself excited to find out.
Images: Pexels; Pixabay; Morgan Sessions, lee Scott/Unsplash; oliviamuenter/Instagram
