3 Easy Ways to Become a Morning Person
Can I Really Become a Morning Person?
The answer is YES! I used to be the kind of person that slept in until noon, no matter how early I went to bed! The smell of breakfast, coffee, or even the television couldn't encourage me to roll out of bed in the morning, well without a sour attitude that is! That is until I started doing these three things, now it is easier for me to climb out of bed in the morning without hating the sun for rising so soon!
Would you consider yourself a morning person?
First and Foremost: Pick Out Your Clothes!
I don't know about the rest of the women (or men) on this planet, but not being able to find the clothes I want in the morning causes me to start the day off on the wrong foot (and boy can my husband attest this!). During my college years I even went so far as to setting out outfits for five days at a time, along with substitutions of course because the weather here in Georgia is unbelievably unpredictable! Knowing that I don't have to dig through the closet, the dresser, or heaven forbid the laundry basket and dryer, to figure out what on earth I'm going to wear eases my mind and helps make placing my feet on the floor a little bit easier.
You can even take this tip a step further and get everything you need to take with you the next day (including your lunch) packed and ready to go. I find that having everything laid out in the morning not only helps me dread the morning less, but it helps me sleep better at night too. I'm not tossing and turning all night hoping to remember everything I have to take with me the next morning.
Next: Hydrate Your Body
If you're anything like me, the first thing you want to chug down is a piping hot cup of coffee full of sugar and caffeine; however, that is not the first thing you should drink in the morning. I never thought about waking up dehydrated before until a friend of mine made a comment that I had just slept for 10 hours and didn't drink anything...LIGHT BULB! Of course our bodies are going to be dehydrated after going hours without water!
The first morning I woke up and started drinking water I put as much ice in the glass as I could (a habit I get from my mother, thanks mom! ;) ) and chugged away, immediately feeling sick to my stomach! I know of some people who can chug a huge glass of ice cold water first thing in the morning, I on the other hand can not! I have to get over my ice cube addiction and simply get water straight from the refrigerator.
So how much water should you be drinking upon waking up in the morning? Well, according to NewHealthGuide.org, you should be drinking 4 glasses of water the moment you wake up! This was hard for me at first to do because my body was not used to that much water right when I woke up, so here is what I did:
Begin Drinking Water in the Morning
Week
| Number of 8oz Glasses of Water
|
|---|---|
1
| .5
|
2
| 1
|
3
| 1.5
|
4
| 2
|
5
| 2.5
|
6
| 3
|
7
| 3.5
|
8
| 4
|
You can change and modify this table however you wish, just take the time to listen to your body!
Get Your Body Moving!
Upon waking up in the morning, the furthest thing from most of our minds is exercise; however, it is actually beneficial. Now don't get me wrong, you don't have to go out and run a mile, do 100 jumping jacks, and do 100 burpies until you faint (if you want to though, do it!). Gentle stretching after getting your body hydrated, either in your bed or on the floor, will wake up not only your muscles but your mind too.
My personal favorite thing to do in the morning is yoga. By following a video I don't have to use my brain as much and can simply follow the command of the yoga instructor. My favorite video that I have found so far is a Gentle Morning Sequence by Yoga with Adriene. If you have found any other ways that you like to get up and move in the morning, please comment bellow to share with others!
Morning Yoga - Gentle Morning Sequence - Yoga with Adriene
3 Easy Ways to Become a Morning Person
- Prepare your clothes for the next day
- Drink water immediately upon waking up
- Get your body moving
Persistence is Key
Don't get discouraged if following these tips doesn't make you more of a morning person tomorrow or even in the next week! It took me a few weeks of persistence to get into a routine until I started becoming more of a morning person. Persistence, patience, and listening to your body is key!
