How to Wake Up Early – Cultivate The Habit of Becoming An Early Riser

Waking up early has been shown to not only be productive but good for emotional and physical well being. There’s something mystical about rising at the crack of dawn and starting your day just right. You get to fit in a lot more time, do more, and by the time 8 am strikes, you’re warmed up and ready to face the day.

And science does say that how you start the day carves out the way the rest of your day looks like. Let’s explore more about why you should wake up early below.

Why Is It Good to Wake Up Early?

Have you found yourself strapped for time or always running by the clock? Maybe you’ve always wanted to work out and get in shape but find no time since you wake up late and head straight to work. With our lives getting busier by the days, it’s a good idea to wake up early since it lets you get some personal time. Think of it as alone time with yourself for reflection, creative thinking, and becoming more productive.

Unfortunately, creating new habits is not easy. It takes work and commitment. But we can help you with tips and techniques which will make your transition to an early bird easier.

Best Ways to Wake Up Early in The Morning

Here are some of the best ways to wake up early in the morning-

1. Get Rid of The Curtains and Blindfolds

If you sleep with a window nearby you in your bedroom, or it’s close to your head, the best way to wake up early is to start getting rid of the curtains. This might sound cliché, but it works every time. As soon as daylight hits your body in the mornings, it signals you to wake up. Get up and get out as soon as you open your eyes, no excuses.

2. Practice QiGong

Qi Gong is the art of cultivating and circulating Chi in your body. If you take a look at Morning Qi Gong exercises, you’ll notice that they rejuvenate and refresh you. It’s a lot better than caffeine and gets rid of the morning crankiness. Don’t hit the gym the next time you wake up. Do some Qi gong, and you’ll find yourself dreading less and wake up early every day.

3. Start with Something Fun

If you want to wake up early and not feel tired, you have to start your day with something fun. This could be journaling in a notebook, making art, listening to some music, or cuddling with your girlfriend in bed. New habits are built on the foundation of happiness and enjoyment. After all, why would you stick with something if it wasn’t enjoyable in the long run?

The same goes for waking up early.

4. Set Two Alarms

Set an alarm of your Fitbit or near your bed within arm’s reach and another a bit far away. Make sure there’s a 15-minute gap between the two of them. What this does is it helps you wake up gently and not face that morning grogginess. When you wake up on the first alarm, start by doing something enjoyable like reading or stretching in bed. When the second alarm goes off, wake up, wash your face, and get ready to start your day. You don’t feel guilty either, and it’s easy to stick to. With practice, you’ll wake up early without an alarm.

5. Have A Why

Your why is your most significant reason for waking up early without an alarm. Have a reason behind why you’re doing this. Is it because you want to spend more time with your family or learn a new skill? Or because you want to develop yourself and grow your career by learning more?

A ship without a destination goes nowhere. Same goes for mastering how to wake up early and feeling refreshed.

6. Plan Your Leisure Time

Some of you may already be productive on the weekdays and may ask: “What’s the point of waking up early on weekends?”

Well, this is where leisure time comes in. Think about your favourite hobbies or what you want to get better at. That’s what the weekends are designed for. Think about that for a minute and plan your weekends to the point you’re busy and not left wondering.

7. Work Down The Details

When you’re waking up early, and you’re left with so much free time, it can get daunting. You may even get tempted to hit the snooze button. This is why we talked about your big why. But in this context, we’re talking about your little whys. Start by thinking what you want to do after you wake up.

Will you brush your teeth, work out a few minutes and head over to the office? Or spend the time to read and a few moments with your family and then work. Schedule the time slot or how much time you’d like to spend on these “micro-tasks” and get to it until it feels easier every day.

8. Store Away The Electronics

Don’t use your Smartphones, laptops, or tablets an hour before going to bed. Give them away to someone else and don’t bother looking for them. Don’t turn them on and keep them far away, beyond the reach of your bedroom.

9. It’s Also Mental

Waking up early is our natural design as human beings, but with all the buzz in the world, something so intuitive may feel unnatural. Remind yourself of the benefits of waking up early and how it’s your natural state. Rewire your mind with positive thoughts, act on them, and keep repeating this step to change your life.

10. Rely on Your Pet

If you love taking your pet on walks, it’s time to take their help with waking up early. Feed your pet early in the morning and remind them that every day. If you miss a single day or don’t wake up early, you can rest assured they’ll be on you like those security breach triggers.

11. Get An Accountability Partner

Finding new friends who wake up early or stay close to your home is an excellent way to get the ball rolling. Go out for early workouts or walks with that friend and ask him/her to knock at your doorstep if it ever looks like you’re going to miss a day. This works like a charm.

12. Try Polyphasic Sleeping

This is for those who want to wake up early plus sleep less, without sacrificing the quality of course. Usually, the world sleeps for 8 hours a day. You have four stages of sleep and two terms known as Slow Wave Sleep (SWS) and Rapid Eye Movement (REM). Your quality sleep lies in the REM Phase.

You can try chunking your sleep or dividing your 8-hour cycle into three parts. Six hours at night, and four 30-minute power naps throughout the day. Just look up terms like biphasic or Everyman Sleep cycles, and you’ll get the idea.

13. Don’t Go Cold Turkey

Have realistic expectations, where changing your sleep schedule is concerned. Don’t go cold turkey from Day 1. It usually takes a full 4 to 5 days to get used to your new routine but going through that change is an entirely different story. Give yourself time, be patient, and change your schedule by pushing back your wake up time in increments of 10 mins every few days (until you reach your target wake up time).

14. Optimise What You Eat

Your diet influences how you feel before going to sleep and after waking up. Skip the caffeine and go for herbal teas. Eat more fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and get your protein from lean meats. Organic foods are good too. The cleaner you eat, the more disciplined you’ll be. And the more discipline and willpower you cultivate, the easier it will be creating new habits – like waking up early. It’s a positive chain reaction of sorts.

15. Be Consistent

Once you start waking up early, be consistent and stick to it. No excuses.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a holiday, vacation, or special event. You worked for it, and now you don’t want to flush that down the toilet. Remember why you started waking up early in the first place and stay committed to your reasons.

Your mind and body will thank you in the long run. You can bet on that.

Waking up early is like building a new habit.  It’s about staying true to yourself and being honest and committed. Although the above tips and techniques will help, you must have a craving to change. Or the will to move forward. Once you have the desire burning inside you, these tools and techniques are then put to best use. And remember – it takes time. It won’t happen overnight so give yourself a little leeway and be gentle when you’re first starting. And don’t forget to let us know how it goes.

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