This morning the alarm sounded extra annoying, the bed felt ridiculously comfortable and your feet felt heavy. You snoozed your alarm three times, woke up in a panic and rushed to work with your flask of coffee, not feeling your best and you wondered to yourself how anyone could ever be a morning person.
The bad news is that studies show that the ability to wake up early is in our genes. The gene that was discovered has a direct effect on our circadian rhythm.
For us mere mortals, that’s your body’s 24-hour clock. The good news is that biological conditioning and environmental factors also play a role in making you feel bright-eyed and bushy-tailed so there is hope for the night owls yet.
Try just one of the below suggestions this week and slowly work your way to morning-person status, at least most of the week anyway:
- Discover an App. There a number of amazing apps out there that help track your sleep cycles and ensure that you wake up at the right time. Say good-bye to the snooze button and bad bedtime habits.
- Reward Yourself. Success! You didn’t hit snooze. Take the time to make yourself a hearty breakfast or turn on the kettle and sip on your favourite coffee blend while you read a funny blog.
- Get Pumped. What are you looking to achieve today, this week or in the next 6 months? Have a look at your goals on a daily basis and track your progress. This is a great reminder about why you are putting in that extra effort.
- Early Riser. Little by little begin to change your bedtime routine. Aim to hit the hay a little earlier so that you can get up earlier and have more time to spare.
- Crank Up the Tunes. Instead of listening to the news on your way to your meeting, put on some feel-good music and sing along. Life is good
- Here Comes the Sun. Our brains are sensitive to temperature and light, which is why it can be hard to sleep past a certain time of the day. Invest in a Light Box or move your bed next to a window without heavy curtains or blinds so that the sun can wake you up.
- Start Slow. Try not to check anything work-related until you actually get to the office. Focus on getting a better start to your day so that you can give it your all the rest of the day.
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