How to Become a Morning Person: 4 Ways to Wake Up Earlier!

"You're either a morning person or a night owl"

We’ve all heard it before. Millie, aged 13, used to stay up till odd hours of the morning watching YouTube. Millie, now aged 18, wakes up between 4:00am and 5:00am every morning.

‘How?’, you may ask or probably more – ‘WHY!?’

I am now, no questions asked, a morning person.

However, I can’t tell if that is because I taught myself or if I naturally am one. I know that I am most productive in the early hours of the morning. This tends to be when no one else is around to speak to me, interrupt me or be annoying. The hours where the world is quiet, except for you starting your morning.

I live for that time.

I understand not everyone is like this, whether they like it or not. This post, as part of March’s ‘4-part’ posts, I am going to be sharing with you ‘4 Ways to Make Waking Up Earlier, Easier!’

These tips aren’t new scientific breakthroughs, and you have probably heard them before. However, through the lil‘ extra details I have included, I am certain you will see the benefits of waking up earlier in the morning!

Without further ado, to my friends who are on a journey to become a morning person – here are:

How to Become a Morning Person: 4 Ways to Make Wake up Earlier!

Tip 1 to become a morning person: You’re going to have to go to sleep earlier

The idea of being a morning person, and waking up earlier, isn’t to deprive you of sleep. I know of someone who made the decision to wake up earlier but failed to alter the time they went to sleep at night. It’s not pretty – let me tell you now. But you also need to understand the world is not going to end if you decide you are going to go to sleep half-an-hour earlier each night!

I know it’s not that easy to suddenly fall asleep at 9:00pm when you have been only just making it to bed by 12:00am. But what is easy is making the decision to TRY. Have the right intentions to go to sleep, gradually, earlier each night. Say you now you want to start waking up at 5:00am, and have no idea how to go about it. The way I like to think of it is:

‘What time do I want to wake up in the morning?’

‘What is time is it when I minus 8 and a half hours from that?’

And that’s the time you need to go to sleep. I factor in that half an hour by choice, as sometimes getting to sleep can be harder certain nights – especially when you have a big day ahead of you.

What I can recommend is to GRADUALLY start to go to bed maybe 15 minutes or half-an-hour earlier than you usually would. Then use that extra sleeping time to wake up that bit earlier. Your body will start to get an idea of what you are trying to achieve and will adapt to your changes. Routine is important for your body-clock, so don’t think that you can be doing 5:00am starts on weekdays and then sleeping in till noon at the weekend. There are exceptions, but your body won’t work with you if you are working against it.

So, do it tonight, go to sleep that half-an-hour earlier. Tuck yourself in, relax and know that you are on the journey to making those early mornings easier!

Tip 2 to become a morning person: Move in the Morning!

I do small movements whilst waiting for the kettle to boil, I do stretches after drinking my hot lemon water and I get myself to the gym – all before 7:00am rolls around.

Moving in the morning is so important.

If you are finding that you are too tired to put your 100% in at the gym on an evening, try changing it so you get it done in the morning. I don’t even think about it anymore, my body goes on auto-pilot and suddenly I find myself at the gym for 6:30am.

I am more motivated and have more energy when I do my exercise early in the morning, and it also sets me up to have such a productive day! The mind likes that you have already completed something on your list, potentially before the sun has even risen, and the satisfaction of completing it sets you up for a day of achieving. 

Regarding other movements in the morning, such as stretches and small movements, I choose to do them to wake my body up in the morning. I find that it gets my blood flowing, but it also aids in the process of having, what Eliza G Fitness calls ‘my morning conference call’.

There are just so many positives when it comes to moving in the morning, and I really recommend altering your schedule for a week and seeing the benefits that it brings to your mind and body!

Tip 3 to become a morning person: Prepare the night before!

It’s all good waking up earlier in the morning, but if you’re stressed and rushing around then it defeats the purpose!

Making sure that you have prepared for your day the night before, is so important. That includes what outfit you’re are going to wear to what you plan to have for lunch. Preparing for the next day has become part of my evening routine. I set my gym bag up on the side, with my outfit for the day all ready and I make sure my lunch is made and everything is in place.

Having everything in a particular place allows your body to go on auto-pilot. It becomes much easier to get up because you don’t have to think about anything. If you don’t, your mind is having to work extra hard before it has even woken up properly!

If you aren’t prepared, you aren’t going to enjoy the early morning because your body doesn’t know where anything is and it’s having to work extra hard before it has even properly woken up!

Being prepared the night before is a tip that EVERYONE can benefit from.

Tip 4 to becoming a morning person: Eat something you love for breakfast!

Now, whilst I was doing Intermittent Fasting, this tip didn’t really work for me. But life becomes so much better when you eat something you love for breakfast.

I understand, and this was the case for me yesterday, I just wasn’t hungry only 30 minutes after waking up. However, as I said before, my body goes on auto-pilot and just knows what to expect and how to feel.

Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day.

Not only does it help along my ‘morning conference call’, eating something I love gets me out of bed and sets me up for a happy day!

This tip will not be everyone. For those who don’t like the sound of it, even knowing that you have your breakfast, which you will eat later, planned and ready to be eaten can have the same impact!

I LOVE being a morning person! It has honestly has helped me become the person I am today. I am positive, determined and love life, and this comes down to starting my day off early.

Please, just for a week, give this a try. You never know how it may completely change your life and your attitude!

Till next time my friends!

-Millie