Attitude

If you don’t want to wake up early you’re probably not going to. Simple as that. Think about why it is that you want to be a morning person, and get yourself into the mindset that this isn’t a thing you’re going to try, it’s just something you do.

Music

This is one of the best breakthroughs I made in my quest to become a morning person. I made a playlist on my ipad of songs that I knew would get me up and atom, and made sure I left that open last thing at night so all I had to do was turn on the ipad and smash a button to get it to play. Every single time I fall back asleep it’s because I haven’t put on music. I don’t know why, but no matter how tired I am I’m apparently incapable of going back to sleep once the music is on. 100% recommend. But be sure you don't accidentally play something that will give you a heart attack.

I keep a litre bottle of water next to my bed and one of the first things I do when I wake up is have a big ol’ drank. Healthy people and logic tell me this is a good thing to do, and also a mix of the hydration and just the act of sitting up in order to not choke immediately makes me feel more awake. I’m also a big believer in morning tea, specifically green tea because it has enough caffeine to make life seem more manageable whilst saving the full coffee experience for after I’ve been at work for a few hours and am about to faceplant.

Bedside Table

First of all, waking up and seeing clutter is one of the most off-putting experiences known to man. Open your eyes and immediately see a struggle. No thank you. Keep the essentials (book, water, phone, apparently several candles if you’re me) and anything else you super want there, as long as it’s stored in a way that still looks neat and leaves some solid surface area open.

Routine

Anyone who has ever opened youtube will know that morning routines are very popular indeed.  My morning routine changes depending on what kind of day it is, for instance I’ve got a really elaborate one for days off, but today I had work so it was a lot more minimalistic and streamlined. I would definitely recommend figuring out a routine that works for you though, because having specific things to do and knowing that I’ll have time for everything I need makes it a lot easier than just getting up and smashing around trying to get my shit together with half my brain still switched off.

Flowers

Not exactly sure why – probably some kind of nature evolution malarkey – but waking up and seeing flowers in my room makes me feel very happy and a lot more motivated to get up and live my life well. Maybe because I’m aware that I’ve paid like $20 for the flowers and so I should take advantage of the added ambiance before they die but regardless, it works.

Light

Similar to the flowers, but also a lot more straight forward. We’re programmed to be awake during the day, so unless you’re a broken human being then seeing sunlight should help you to feel more awake. Sometimes I have to get up for work before the sun’s out (#luvzit), but if the gods are kind and give me a later shift or I’ve got the day off and want to wake up naturally then I’ll leave the blinds slightly open the night before so that I may awaken bathed in glorious sunlight like the ethereal blessing I am.

Power Hour

This concept was introduced to me by Alex Ikonn (husband of Mimi Ikonn who I did an entire post on here) and it is one of my favourite things at the moment. Basically you just use the first hour of your day in the most constructive way possible, and it not only gets you off to a great start in terms of productivity but it also makes you feel really positive and capable, and less stressed out. Even on days like today when I use that hour getting ready for work, I still consciously try to fit in little things like making my bed, catching up on something I’ve been meaning to watch and making sure I have everything I need for the day so that I have less to do when I get home, and I leave the house feeling accomplished rather than rushed and stressed.
Enjoying the morning makes it a lot easier to get up and experience it. Surprise.

Chill

Before my power hour I always make sure I have a calmer period to do things that wake me up, but are still relaxing. At the moment that is watching Cereal Time with some tea and writing a To Do list for the day.

Time

A major breakthrough for me is the discovery that waking up earlier than I need to and having extra time to relax and use as I want to in the mornings makes me happier than an extra hour of sleep. And I love sleep. Like I really love sleep.

Scents

Something that we’re going to get into at some point is the fact that I apparently like to train myself like an animal or a science experiment, and one thing I’m testing at the moment is training myself to associate certain scents with moods or activities. I’ve got a candle that I only light when my room is immaculate, another that’s only for when I’m being really productive, and a room spray I’ll only use before bed. Similarly, if you train yourself to associate a certain scent with being happy and productive in the mornings, it should help you to wake up. I'm still working on this one but I very much enjoy the theory so we're chuckin' it in.

Just TRY

COMMIT. IMPROVE YOUR LIFE. MAKE A VISION BOARD. MAKE LASAGNE. USE YOUR DAY. LIVE YOUR DREAMS.

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