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For most of us in North America, the clocks have just changed and so it feels like we’re waking up a little later than usual.
Ah, a reprieve!
But eventually, we’ll get used to the adjustment, and as the mornings get colder and darker, it can get so much harder to get out of bed.
By the start of December each year, many of us have gotten into a toxic relationship with our snooze buttons and there’s no getting out.
Except—there is! These small habits can help us to become morning people.
So, if you can’t seem to get your butt out of bed on time to save your life, give these ideas a try.
1. Tidy up before bed.
This one’s simple. It’s much easier to feel like getting up when you know your space isn’t a disaster. The last hour before bed—which can also include self-care or any other pre-bed tasks—is a good time for picking up. Make sure any last dishes are taken care of, put away stray items, gather up the dog toys, and give the bathroom counter a wipe, for example.
2. Make sure your to-do list is solid, but reasonable.
It’s a whole lot easier getting out of bed when we know that we don’t have a mess of unknowns ahead of us, or that our day isn’t going to be overwhelming. Make sure each day’s must-do list is short, reasonable, and leaves your some downtime. The truth is, sometimes the day becomes overwhelming anyway…but it doesn’t have to start that way.
3. Change your alarm sound frequently.
It’s helpful to change your alarm sound often—it can even be a song you’ve been loving lately. It’s just a more pleasant way to wake up, and the change in melody usually helps us to wake more fully, without hitting the snooze button.
4. Keep a lamp by your bed.
Try turning on your lamp on as soon as your alarm goes off—you don’t have to get out of bed to flick the switch, and the light is so much softer and kinder to your freshly opened eyes. In the winter, when it’s still dark in the morning, it’s much too easy to hit snooze and go back to sleep. So, instead, we can turn on the lamp and sit up a bit—while still staying warm in bed. It helps cozy up the wake-up and eases us more gently into the day. Make sure to turn it off when you get up!
5. Set your alarm earlier—so you can lounge a bit.
It’s much easier waking up when you don’t have to scramble out of bed and into getting ready for work or whatever you have going on. Instead, wake up earlier to give yourself time to lounge about in bed. Sometimes it’s nice to just stare out the window, snuggle with the dog, read something, or jot some thoughts down. It’s way easier to get going when you’ve given yourself time to just be first.
A couple of pro tips: first, make sure another alarm is set if you’re prone to falling back asleep, and second, be mindful of what kind of media you’re consuming right as you wake up.
6. Plan something to look forward to.
It doesn’t have to be anything big. A fancy coffee. Feeding the local birds. A morning walk before work. An episode of a guilty pleasure TV show for later that evening. A baking session. Whatever makes you light up a little bit in anticipation.
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