Illustration by Dominica Hoover
Turning yourself from a night owl to a morning person, coping with early days
Let’s face it. The most ideal job for many of us would be where we wake up at noon, work for five hours, and make it home just before the traffic hits. Unfortunately, as we transition into the workforce, a normal work day can start anywhere from an early 5 a.m. or a “late” 8 a.m. So, what do you do when you are one of those people whose day begins at 8 p.m.?
There are multiple things you can do to change yourself from a night person to a morning person. These include more than just your basic coffees and eight hours of sleep. The first is to do something in the morning that wakes you up, like taking a shower. I’m a person who showers at night; however, the occasional shower in the early morning gets my eyes wide open. The sudden change in temperature is enough to give you that first jolt of the day.
Another activity you can do to wake yourself up in the morning is exercise. I understand, sometimes exercise isn’t the most appealing thing when you wake up from a night of restless sleep. However, a quick 20- to 30-minute workout in the morning gets your serotonin levels up and running, literally. Starting your morning pushing yourself is the perfect way to set up a productive day. Especially with that extra flow of chemicals through your brain.
One of the greatest things you can do in the mornings is to make your morning worth waking up for. That is, find something you get excited to do each day. A suggestion is to make your own fresh smoothies. If you wake up in the morning knowing you’ll be rewarded with a delicious fruit or chocolate smoothie, it’s an incentive. Also, it gets your metabolism going!
It’s difficult to be elated in the mornings when it feels like so much happens in the evening. FOMO is a huge hurdle when trying to get yourself up with the other early risers. Looking forward to something each morning is a way to get some relief from feeling left out. Try finding a talk show or a favorite podcast to listen to when you are getting ready. When you have missed the premiere the night before, you can take comfort in having time to watch or listen when you wake up!
Your most important incentive for waking up in the morning is that you have more hours during the day to get things done. Being productive during the early hours means more time for relaxation at night. Which also means you have more time to do your favorite things like hang out with your friends, watch movies, or dive into your favorite hobbies. And there’s also more time to take that late afternoon nap.
Getting up is hard, especially when your bed can be just so comfortable! But there are ways to turn yourself from mourning mornings to celebrating the day. Find what works with your own vibe and stick to it. After two weeks of a consistent schedule, you’ll be on your way to rising with the birds.
