The challenge of overcoming grogginess in the morning and avoiding digital distractions at night can be daunting who struggle to wake up early.
I was never a morning person. Now I wake up easily around 6 AM.
After practicing the following tips and tricks, I can assure you can wake up between 5:30–6:00 am. That was one of my goals this year.
Plenty of advice exists about keeping consistent sleep schedules, avoiding electronics before bed, and developing a morning routine.
I have written several articles on the importance of sleep and how to sleep quickly. Here are the articles if you would like to read them.
Sleep Science, How to Sleep Productively
How To Fall Asleep in 2 Minutes With This Viral Military Method
Poor Sleep Habits Affect Your Gut Health
Here are some lesser-known strategies that can help reduce the transition to early rising
Use a basic alarm
I don’t take a phone or electronics (except an alarm) in bed on weekdays, but I do take the cell phone and/or Kindle in bed on weekends.
Most of the time, I also grab a cup of black coffee. I consume black coffee (without sugar or milk) first thing in the morning. It helps me a lot to wake up.
Begin your day with a joyful activity.
A tiny 10–15 minute walk will help you a lot to get enough fresh air to wake up and embrace the day.
For example, plan for something you’re looking forward to each morning before going to bed, such as a walk in the neighborhood pond or time with loved ones, to make waking up easier and improve your overall mood.
I prefer walking in nature, and that’s helping a lot.
Establish a strong “why.”
I am still working on this one. I think it’s a long long goal. You keep adjusting your’s why.
You have to know your “WHY.”
Understand and articulate the specific reasons for wanting to wake up earlier, such as dedicating more time to a personal project, exercise, or relationships.
Consider hiring a personal habit-building coach.
I am considering hiring a personal coach for accountability. I would like to share my journey here in the next 1–2 months after having a personal coach for 30+ days.
A coach can provide the accountability and guidance needed to build new routines successfully.
Platforms like “Coach. me” offer affordable coaching options.
Plan your mornings in detail.
The more specific and efficient your morning routine, the easier it will be to execute.
Here’s my morning routine in detail:
- Brush my teeth, do my business, wash my face
- Go to the kitchen and drink a tall glass of water with fresh lemon juice
- Do 10 push-ups, 10 squats, and a plank (I usually do 100s)
- Grab a cup of black coffee
- Straight to the office
- Personal projects for 2 hours (6–8 am)
- Then go for a 1–15 minutes (short walk) or long walk
- That’s it
- Full-time job 9–5 pm
- Supper with family (5–6 pm)
- Personal projects and family time (6–9:30 pm)
- Bed — (9–30–5:30/6AM)
Temporarily eliminate electronics
Consider lending or giving away your gadgets for a few weeks to eliminate distractions and help you get to bed earlier.
For example, I don’t keep my cell phone in my home office. As I said earlier, I don’t even take the phone to the bedroom.
It’s one of the best habits I developed to get more time and an extraordinary focus.
It’s actually a hack to boost your productivity. Just try for a week. You will thank me later.
Prioritize sleep quality over the duration.
Sleep is important for so many things, including improved mood, concentration, productivity, energy, and boosting immunity. — Linda Myerholtz
Getting a proper amount of high-quality sleep is paramount to function. I used to sleep merely hours in my 20s. Now in my 30s, I prioritize my sleep and make sure to have quality sleep of 7–8 hours.
In my experience, I learned that no matter what the issue is, I am facing it in my personal and/or professional life. These two things always help me to find a solution.
Sleep
Long walks
showers (rarely)
The bottom line
The early morning has gold in its mouth. — Benjamin Franklin
From my surprising ways of practicing to improve sleep and waking up early, it’s not happened in one night.
You don’t need to wake up early in the morning if everything is working for you. As long as you are hitting your goals and happy in life.
However, if you think something is missing (I truly believe that by waking up at 6:00 AM, I can accomplish one of my long-term goals), give it a try. Let me recall the steps.
- Use basic alarm
- Start your day with a joyful activity.
- Find your WHY. Why do you want to wake up early? What do you want to achieve?
- Consider hiring an accountable coach
- Plan your mornings before going to bed
- No electronics in bed
- Prioritize quality sleep
