Becoming An Early Riser
One of my personal resolutions this year is to become an early riser. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always tended to gravitate towards staying up extremely late, and getting up late. There’s something about the silence at night that I find so attractive and comforting – an uninterrupted space where I can think and create and reflect.
Problem is, I get carried away, sucked into the thing I am working on, and before I know it, it’s 2 or 3 am or later.
As much as I love the nighttime, staying up late takes a toll on my body, and sometimes, contributes toward feeling extra cranky during the day. So, I want to change.
I think that the state we wake up to in the morning sets the tone for the rest of our day. And because I usually sleep really late, my typical morning starts with me rushing to my son’s crib and sleepily tending to his morning routine of feeding, diapers, play-time, and nap.
Many mornings, I’ll look up at the clock to realize that it’s close to noon, and I haven’t eaten a thing all morning, and I’m starving. Not the most ideal way to start a day.
I would love to start my day at 6am, before anyone else is up, do something that feeds my wellbeing – and possibly my stomach – and get a healthy start to a beautiful day ahead. So that’s my goal.
Here’s how I plan to get there:
- Turn off the computer by 10pm – No excuses to check email one last time. The “let me just check one thing” excuse has gotten me into trouble many times, and was the seed of many all-nighters. Forcing myself to turn off the computer by 10pm, gives me buffer room to do last minute chores, and connecting with my husband before bedtime.
- Get to bed by 11:30pm – 11:30 at the latest, ideally before 11pm. • Tell my husband. So he can hold me accountable.
- Set out clothes for the morning next to my bed – One of my excuses for not getting out of bed is that it’s too cold in the morning. Having warm clothes next to my bed gives me one less excuse to stay in bed. • Practice getting out of bed when the alarm goes off - I once heard that if you practice this during the day, it will help to train your brain to take action in the morning when you’re half asleep.
- Set the Alarm for 6am – start getting up consistently at the same time everyday. It’ll be challenging at first, but once I start doing it for a few days, it’ll become easier.
This is my tentative plan so far. I’m also interested in looking into alternative alarm clock solutions; such as those fancy alarm clocks that slowly turns on a light and start playing nature sounds, to encourage natural waking. I’ll let you know how I do. *fingers crossed*
Got any tips for waking up early? What are some of your goals for the New Year?
-Tina