UPDATED FEBRUARY 20, 2025
Most of us have made the silent( or not so silent) promise to ourselves that we will start waking up earlier and be more productive. Then dawn rolls around, and all of a sudden, your bed is the most appealing magical thing you’ve ever known. It happens to the best of us.
Why is it so hard to consistently wake up early?
Days no longer start early because they don’t have to. We don’t have to get up to hunt or farm. Our nights last longer because they can. We even have aids to help us stay awake longer into the night. This leaves the good ole early morn for dreaming. However, if you are anything like me, you want to shift your days to start earlier and feel more productive.
These are all things that I have implemented myself and found to be very helpful. So, try all of them out and stick with what works for you.
#1: Commit.
You need to commit seriously to the idea of waking up early, not just say it over and over. Don’t wait until you get into the habit. Decide definitively that this is something you both desire and are willing to do, and then most of the battle has been fought. Say it out loud, tell someone that can hold you to it, but make it a real commitment.
#2: Transition Slowly.
Don’t try and go from waking up at 10 to waking up at 5. Wake up 30 minutes to an hour earlier for a couple of days or weeks; once that is doable, move it back another 30 minutes to an hour and so on.
#3: Set Multiple Alarms.
We tend to snooze through or just completely ignore one alarm. Create a small nuisance by setting multiple alarms 10-15 minutes apart. This will one, annoy you, and two, not allow you to get back into your deep sleep. Result? You’re woke!
#4: Create a Sense of Urgency.
After you turn off your alarm, think to yourself about why you need to get up. This can be because you made a commitment to yourself, because you need to eat breakfast, or because you need to get your workout in. Make your mind consider that it is slightly urgent that you get up, even if it’s not. Or make it somewhat urgent by having a time-restrained task waiting. Think of it as something that necessarily needs to be done right away; combine that with the idea that this is something you promised to yourself; this should give you a sense of urgency without actually effecting your stress-levels or schedule.
#5: Get To It.
When you wake up, get up, don’t linger in the bed. Even if you go to the bathroom or start a cup of coffee, just immediately get up to make your body jolt itself awake. Lots of people immediately wake up and prepare to work out. Wake up, then stand and stretch if working out isn’t your thing. Just find something that makes you immediately get out of bed.
#6: Create a Routine.
This one often goes hand in hand with number five. Whether it is having a cup of tea, washing your face, or exercising, if you set a routine, you can get up and go right into it. If you know why you’re getting up and have a set goal in mind, it will become easier.
#7: Create a Timeline of Your Day.
Write out all of the hours of the day and assign tasks to each time, from waking up to going to sleep. Once you’ve decided that at 6 am you should be eating breakfast but studying by 9, that is in your mind and forces you to stay on track with your timeline. If I mentally schedule to be eating by 6 am but I’m still in bed at 6 am, I feel a little behind. If I’m not doing what I said I would be at that time, I feel a bit disappointed and compelled to get back on track.