One of my biggest goals this year and also last year was to wake up early (5:00 a.m. to be exact) and use that extra time to focus on accomplishing my goals, one of them being this blog of course.
If you feel like you don’t have time throughout your day for let’s say working out or reading more or meditating, all which I also want to accomplish this year. Then, the morning is a perfect time to focus on these things and get a head start to your day.
So in order to wakeup so early (cuz trust me I find this time to be very early too!) and feel fully rested. The key, I found, was to establish small habits the night before, so that I can set myself up for success in the morning.
Here are small habits that I like to focus on the night before to help me achieve becoming a morning person even before the sun goes up.
“ONLY IN THE DARKNESS CAN YOU SEE THE STARS”
GET 8+ HOURS OF SLEEP
If you are sleep deprive you are not going to want to get out of bed. Getting in sufficient sleep is very important for health reasons, in order to feel like a fully functioning person you need to let your body rest. Also, lack of sleep tends to set you up in the wrong foot, you wake up feeling unmotivated and grumpy etc.
Know how many hours of sleep your body actually needs. We are all different and our bodies need different things. Sleep is one of those things that it just depends on the individual. Some people function perfectly fine with 5 hours of sleep and other need 9+ hours to feel well rested.
The point is, get enough sleep so that you can actually stay awake all day without being overly caffeinated to help you get on through your day.
SET UP THE NIGHT BEFORE
A real time saver in the morning is having everything already set up the night before. I used to set up my lunch the night before when I had to take my lunch to work, now I don’t really have to do that because I work close to home.
However, this rule can be applied to anything like setting up your outfit the night before. If you are going to workout in the morning and you are leaving home try putting your gym bag near the door so you don’t forget anything. The same can be done for your bag, car keys, small snack for work etc.
The most difficult part of the morning is waking up in the first place, so if you don’t have to think about trying to figure out what you are going to wear you just go in auto pilot and by the time breakfast comes around you are able to be a little more coherent (lets face it mainly that cup of coffee we are anticipating to drink).
WORKOUT
If you are able to workout in the morning, then do that. It sets the right intention and since your workout you eat healthy and one after another you start to create a chain of healthy habits. However, if you cant workout in the morning because it’s just not possible with your schedule try scheduling it for later on in your day.
Because I know how hard it is to workout after having a long day at work. Non the less, its a great way to sweat out everything and give out all that energy and I personally feel so much better after my workout and getting out of the shower. I create my relaxing night routine with some soft music, a nice skin care routine and a good book and I’m ready to go to sleep after that.
Working out doesn’t mean having to run a 5K all the time. If you are just starting out even going for a walk around your neighborhood can make a big difference. Or getting up and doing some yoga poses can really stretch out the muscles.
The consistency of doing something every single day slowly and gradually turned into habits can have the biggest impact. So start off with baby steps so you don’t burn out easily.
TEA OR ANY HOT DRINK
I’m normally not a big fan of tea, but around the winter time I like to incorporate it to my night routine because of course I cant have coffee (well at least not caffinated coffee) but I do enjoy something warm and comforting. Sometimes I want tea other times I prefer hot coco. I especially been loving Cinnamon tea with a bit of almond milk. It’s been my go to this December and January.
NIGHT TIME READING
I know that not everyones goal is to read this year or at all. However, I cant stress the importance of it. It’s like all those memes that talk about how the movie is only the tip of the ice berg and the book shows everything.
Reading is and has been one of my favorite things to do. I find that reading a fiction or a nonfiction book is so much better than having my eyes glued to my phone. Instead, choosing to make time during my night routine to really understand information or a story line.
For January, I finally finished Jen Sincero’s “You Are A Bad A$$ At Making Money” which I have a book review coming out for that. All I can say is that I highly recommend anyone who is looking to start reading self-help books and doesn’t know where to start. She is great.
I like to create a mood by lighting up a candle, turning on my fairy lights and sipping on my tea while reading because #wintervibes.
JOURNALING AND MEDITATING
First, Journaling has been something that I have mastered for the past three years. I find it very therapeutic and I like to do it in the morning to set up how I would like my day to go like and at night before sleeping as a way to reflect on my day. I usually have my journal near my bed for easy access whenever I have so many thoughts going through my head.
I like to pour all my feeling regardless if they are good or bad into a little notebook and writing it down makes me see it from a new perspective. Let’s be honest if you are stressed out about something or too excited its going to be really hard to fall asleep.
I also go back to my old journal entries and see how much I have gone through and how much I have grown. It’s great to see that at the end of the day everything workout and everything will be just fine.
LAVENDER OIL
Scents play a big part in our mood and how we feel. That is why we gravitate towards perfumes and body sprays. Lavender oil has been one of my favorite scents to put around my room and on myself before going to sleep. It is very calm and relaxing. You can use lavender oil. A DIY hack that I personally use is taking a bit of oil and placing it in a spay bottle with water and then shaking it up. I like to spray it all over my bed or as a room spay.
SLEEP AT A SIMILAR TIME
I find that if I fall off the wagon once or twice things are okay, but when I start pulling all nighters too often I have to start all over again with my morning and night routine. Which is why sleeping at the same time consistently is very important to wake up early.
I think one of the best feelings is when you wake up before your alarm and you are just waiting for it to beep and get out of bed and start your day.
USE A REMINDER
I know that for iPhones you can set up a reminder to tell you when you should go to sleep in order to get enough sleep. I like to set mine up for bedtime at around 9:00 p.m.
So usually my alarm sounds at 8:00 p.m. giving me enough time to have my night routine without rushing it.
Creating the habit of waking up early and going to sleep early go hand in hand, so if you want to become an early bird having a good night routine is a great place to start.
If you have a fit-bit or an apple watch or any other smart watch that helps you keep track of your sleeping schedule I would highly recommend you use one. I loved using my fit-bit because it would tell me how many hours of deep sleep I got as well as other important information for my overall health. Unfortunately it stopped working, but I’m will invest in a new smart watch because they are so helpful.
What are some things you like to do at night time to help you fall asleep faster? Let me know in the comments below!
