Whether it’s to workout, read the Bible or have a few moments of quiet before the kids are unleashed, many of us would like to get up earlier each morning. I will be the first to tell you that once you get into a habit of getting up early, you won’t trade that sacred time for anything.
I am one of those sick and twisted morning people. Before having kids, I got up with my hubby at 4:45 a.m. to go to the gym. Then after my oldest started sleeping through the night consistently, I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to workout and read my devotional. And I can’t wait to get back to that schedule once my youngest is older.
Since I have been rising early for several years now, I can offer a few tips to make the transition easier if you want to get up earlier.
7 Tricks to Make Getting Up Early Easier
- Start in increments.
If you usually wake up at 7, don’t set your alarm for 5:30 right off the bat. Set your alarm for just 15 minutes earlier for a few days. When you adapt to waking up at that time, roll the clock back 15 more minutes and repeat until you hit your goal wake up time. - Begin with something fun.
If you despise exercising but decide to get up at 5 a.m. to make yourself do it, you will never enjoy waking up. Instead, start out with something you enjoy, like a cup of your favorite coffee or a few minutes sitting on the porch. Then follow that up with your workout. - Go to bed earlier.
If you stay up until 11 p.m. watching Netflix, getting up at 5:30 a.m. is going to be hard. Turn in early enough to make sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep. - Get up immediately.
Remember the feeling when your alarm goes off at the crack of dawn the day you’re leaving on vacation, so you jump out of bed? That’s the way to get up every morning– without hesitation. “Five more minutes” almost always turns into oversleeping and waking up in a panic. - Give it time to get better.
I am not going to lie to you; getting up early takes some getting used to. It took me about three weeks of getting up at 4:45 to stop feeling like a zombie. Don’t abandon ship after just a couple of days; give yourself time to adjust. - Don’t sleep too late on weekends.
It is so tempting to relax on the weekends and sleep in and stay up late. But when Monday rolls around, you’ll feel like you got hit by a truck when the clock goes off. You’re much better off to still get up somewhat early and take a nap later if you need it. - Treat yo self.
Keep yourself motivated by treating yourself if you get up early for, say, one month. That treat may look like a mani-pedi or a girls night or something you’ve been wanting to buy. It’s always important to celebrate our accomplishments, big and small.
I’d love to hear from you. What is your favorite thing about getting up early?
Maybe it’s a quiet house, getting to see the sunrise or having time to yourself. Share by commenting below or on the Defeating Busy Facebook page.