If you ask anyone who is excelling with a consistent early morning wake-up, almost all of them have something to say about the phase when they struggled and thought about how to wake up early in the morning.
I am one of them who had a challenging initial phase and finally reached a point where, even if I give myself permission to wake up late, my circadian rhythm wakes me up!
Why wake up early in the morning?
- Increases productivity
- Encourages mindfulness
- Helps find time for self-care routines
- Promotes healthy habit formation and a disciplined life
- Supports a quality sleep cycle
- Boosts energy, freshness, and mental well-being
Practical Tips on How to Wake Up Early in the Morning
1. Write down a list of things or reasons that inspire you to wake up earlier
For anything that requires effort or goal achievement, having a strong “why” is the fuel. This applies here as well. To gain clarity, it’s better to write down your thoughts with pen and paper.
For example:
I’ve read and heard a lot about waking up early – now I need to give it a try.
I want some quiet, alone time before others wake up.
I need a stress-free, calming, and slow morning.
2. Clear Your Confusions
Next, write down all your questions and doubts regarding your decision. For example:
Is it healthier to wake up early?
Is it possible for me to become a morning person?
Are there any downsides to waking up earlier?
What is the best wake-up time for me?
Is waking up early truly necessary for me?
Think about these questions, learn more, and answer them for yourself. Having self-doubt or being uncertain makes it harder to follow through.
3. Repeat Your Wake-Up Time Loudly at Night
Say it to yourself or your partner: “I need to wake up at 5 a.m.” This helps your brain stay more alert. However, avoid negative self-talk or saying it in a stressful tone. Be specific, enthusiastic, and optimistic.
If the person you share it with tends to demotivate you-knowingly or unknowingly-it’s better to practice self-talk. Repeat your wake-up time in your mind several times before bedtime. This is a tip that worked for me!
4. Go to Bed Early
If you want to wake up early with energy, you need to go to bed early too-simple! Your body requires enough sleep. You might manage for a day or two without proper rest, but for a sustainable routine, don’t compromise on nighttime sleep.
5. Make an Action Plan and Start Slow
Write down your target wake-up time and your current wake-up time. Now, plan to wake up 15 to 30 minutes earlier for a week. Gradually adjust until you reach your desired wake-up time, allowing your body to adapt naturally.
6. Establish a Sleep Routine
Simply saying “sleep early to wake up early” is incomplete and unrealistic. To sleep early, you need a clear mind. And to wake up feeling fresh and energized, you should go to bed with a positive mindset. A proper sleep routine helps you unwind and relax before bedtime.
It should include activities you enjoy, such as skincare, mindfulness, or relaxation techniques. Here are some helpful tips:
Journaling – Use it as an emotional outlet to bring peace and clarity before bed.
No gadgets at least 1 hour before sleep – Avoid screen time to improve sleep quality.
Reading – A calming activity that helps your mind relax.
Planning your next day – Organize and visualize your day ahead to inspire and excite you for the morning.
7. Have a Healthy, Exciting Morning Routine
Having a clear vision of what you have got to do makes it exciting to take action. Establish a mindful, realistic, and productive morning routine that makes you feel excited to look forward to.
8. Be Consistent
Wake up and sleep at the same time every day. Follow this even on weekends during the initial days to train your biological clock. This helps you teach your body your new routine and wake up with no tiredness.
9. No Rigid Rules
Be flexible and gentle with yourself. Even if you need to stick to a time, be prepared for the days when you can think of anything but sleep late or wake up late. No guilt feelings-you can’t control everything, but the good thing is you can move back to your routine even after multiple failures.
10. Setting an Alarm
Ask yourself what type of alarm you need and where to place it. If phones are distracting you, buy a conventional alarm clock. This can be doubly beneficial because it reminds you of your morning wake-up goals as well. Then, consider the placement. If you are tempted to press the snooze button, keeping the alarm clock across your room can work.
11. Have an Equally Enthusiastic Companion
If you can find someone who is equally looking forward to achieving the goals, feels they will support you and motivate you, then it’s good. You both can challenge each other, share your experiences, and definitely, having a partner makes the process exciting and fun.
12. Strict ‘No Phone in the Morning’ Policy
If you have a tendency to check your phone first thing in the morning, work on that. It’s very tempting to check messages, emails, weather, news, and go one after the other once we open our eyes and look forward to the day. But it will definitely affect our productivity, make our brains stuck, and ultimately be demotivating to our goals of becoming a morning person. So plan how to find a solution and have a digital detox hour every morning after waking up.
13. Take a Sunkissed Selfies Challenge
Completing challenges and marking your accomplishments in any form is a great way to stay focused, not lose track, and maintain the spark. When I started, I used to take one sunkissed selfie every morning consistently and add it to an album or folder, adding a title like My 5 a.m. Morning or Early Bird Journey. I even added some personally meaningful captions. The good thing is that I had something to hold on to during the journey, and now I can relive some beautiful memories through it.
14. Reward Yourself
Celebrate even small victories. Set up a target, for example, ticking a calendar under every day you achieve your goal and rewarding yourself for your efforts and accomplishments when you hit a one-week streak.
15. Put Sticky Notes or Inspiring Quotes About Early Birds
Just like a vision board, find a place you always see. Put reminders of your goals or whys (we discussed in point 1) or motivating quotes. This acts as a constant reminder of your purpose and influences your mindset, making the effort exciting.
16. Start a Morning Project
Include one thing in your morning routine that you will miss if you skip your wake-up plans. It should be exciting and interesting enough for you so that you find a way to stick to your alarm timings. It can be anything – reading your favorite novel, writing a book, finishing an artwork, learning something new, or anything that excites you.
17. Apply Some Tricks to Freshen Up
This is for you if you struggle to get out of bed, feel tired and sleepy, and are tempted to go back to bed even after waking up. Try something that immediately boosts your energy and makes you feel fresh. A slight stretch, splashing water on your face immediately after waking up, dressing well and looking in the mirror, opening blinds to let sunlight enter your room, or getting outside and soaking in the sunlight are some ideas.
18. Listen to Your Body
Observe how your new modification is affecting your body. Assess if something is making you tired, even if you follow slow and gradual transformations. Make sure you are getting enough quality sleep that your body needs. Drink enough water and eat healthily. Low iron levels can affect your energy levels.
19. Clean Your Home, Especially the Kitchen and Bedroom, the Night Before
Waking up to a cluttered space is enough to kill the vibe and make you stay in bed or feel like your morning routine is stressful. That’s why it’s always important to do at least a basic cleaning routine in the evening.
20. Read a Book or Listen to a Podcast About Morning Habits or Becoming a Morning Person
I love to read self-improvement books, so when I was in the initial days of becoming a morning person, I included some books that inspired me to wake up at 5 a.m. This helped me maintain the vibe, avoid negative thoughts, fight laziness, and stick to the routine.
Reflections from Mindful Portrait
These are the tips that helped me become a morning person. For some, it’s just setting an alarm and waking up. For others, it’s simply getting out of bed before taking time to think. Whatever works for you, stick to that. When you start thinking about how to wake up early, it’s time to stop overthinking and give it a try.
