4 Steps To Becoming A Better Morning Person

Before the phase of my life titled, “Parenthood” or “Permanently Insane,” I spent many hours lying face down in a plumped-up pile of goose down, eyes covered in smudged mascara and a hairstyle I would like to call sexy, but in reality had nicknamed “the mane.”

Yes, my bed and I were not only nightly companions, we would often spend the morning together, drifting in and out of sleep, snuffling away the previous night’s events, which often included more than a few glasses of wine and a oh-too-much-garlic pizza.

As a highly-trained sleeper-inner, it was not only a serious shock to the system (more like being dunked in freezing ice water) when our baby boy was born and dawn became the new time for “let’s play trucks mum” rather than “let’s stay in bed it’s warm”.

I didn’t even know if it was possible to start your day before 8am. To me, there would be nothing worse than getting out of bed before the sun rises, I even took aim at birds for chirping at my window if they started to sing before the next door neighbours could strike up their lawn mowers.

Still, becoming a parent sure knocked that habit out quickly. But still, I regret my decision not to train my body for the early mornings and prepare for the shock that is early rising. So, here are some sure bet ways to turn yourself into a morning person before parenthood arrives. If I can do it, anyone can.

Step 1: Set small goals.

First step is to set your alarm for 6am and only press snooze once before getting out of bed. It’s a simple yet achievable goal, which you can do for a week.

In the second week, actually sit up on the first alarm. By the third week, you will be able to get your ass out of bed and have a shower. Remember, this is the really early process, but it’s an important step to take.

Step 2: No more blackout curtains.

If you want to wake up with the sun you need light. Also, flip every switch immediately upon waking up. It gets you out of bed and makes it hard to fall back asleep. If you can, leave the curtains open a little at night so your body will learn to wake when the sun rises, it’s a cruel trick you have play on your body but it does work!

Step 3: Do stuff.

Once you get used to operating on farmer time, try to make the experience pleasant. First, turn on music, make coffee, read a quick news debrief and stare at your neighbours through the window. You can even start to go for walks if you feel up to it or simply sit outside with your coffee to smell the fresh morning air.

Step 4: Make plans

Now your can get yourself out of bed without passing out again on the couch, it’s time to start planning your morning and make the most of the early sun.

Begin with a 30-minute at-home workout every day (reasonable goal-setting), which still allowed you time to do other things like shower and eat breakfast. Having time to make a healthy breakfast is also a bonus because you can really put together some delicious meals, saying goodbye to boring cereal.