Becoming a Morning Person

I have never been a morning person. However, there is something about mornings that I absolutely love. Waking up for my 5:15am spin class this summer had an amazing effect on my attitude towards the day and I think it is because I just felt so productive. I am a chronic procrastinator and I think that my preference for staying up late sort of enables that. This semester I am taking my first ever 8am in college...yeah, my last semester of college. It is also the only class I have on Monday/Wednesday, so when I am done at 9:15, I am looking at a wide open day. In college, I feel like, even if people have classes in the morning, the day doesn't really seem to start until noon, but since I am already up, I am choosing to capitalize on the day. The best way that I know to get my day off on the right foot is through healthy habits.

It is definitely a work in progress, but I am really going to work on shifting my schedule to involve going to bed at 11pm and waking up at 6am to tackle the day. Whether I get an early morning workout in, blog, or read a good book. I want to be able to have some time to do something in the mornings. I don't know if I am going to make the gym my early morning routine again, but does anyone already have a early bird routine they love? Or does anyone else want to undertake this personal challenge with me? I know it is always helpful to have a buddy system when it comes to this kind of stuff to keep each other accountable. If you are looking to start on a morning routine, here are some tips I have from doing it this summer that really made sure I got the day going.

One: Plan Ahead

Make your to-do list the night before and lay out your outfit for the morning. Even if your productivity is just writing emails, put your slippers by your bed and get that coffee maker ready so all you have to do is hit "start," trust me, it helps.

Two: Learn to Obey the Alarm

I have gotten so, so bad at this. I have to set multiple alarms to wake up. Start to try to minimize the number of alarms you set so that you are ready to wake up on the first one.

Three: Unplug 30 Minutes Before Bed

It actually helps. I know doctors and experts have said it a lot, but it is worth repeating. I notice that I am able to go to bed much easier if I am just reading for a bit before bed. Also, I started ignoring my phone if it goes off while I am in bed...TBH it is usually a ScoreCenter update.

Four: Eat Breakfast

I found that even getting a banana down is very helpful. Just try to eat something so that you have fuel for your body to run on. Coffee is also a good fuel, but apparently we cannot exist on coffee alone...though I kind of wish we could.

Five: Have a Morning Playlist

Do not piss off your roommate by blasting One Direction or Miranda Lambert in the morning, but if there is some music that you like to sing along to or dance to, turn it on. Just make sure you are wearing headphones or have the volume low so you don't annoy roommates and neighbors.

Six: Turn on the Light

I find it harder (though not impossible) to go back to sleep once there is light in the room. Make waking up a nice process at the beginning of your transition. Turning on the light, sitting in bed, and reading theSkimm has become a nice way for me to wake up in the morning and mentally prepare myself to start the day.

xx

erin