You must think I'm a crazy person. Who in the right mind would want to wake up at 4AM every single day when they don't have to? The reason differs per person, but some reasons may include wanting to get a workout in before the workday begins, getting some extra time to enjoy breakfast with your partner and/or kids, collecting some extra time for your side hustle that you may not get in the evening, or just generally trying to get a productive start to your day by completing simple tasks you wouldn't otherwise have done if you woke up later.
- Anyone who feels like they don't have enough hours in the day to cross everything off their to-do list.
- Anyone who wishes they had more time to spend with their loved ones.
- Anyone who is actively trying to grow their side hustle while still in school or working full-time.
- Anyone wanting to just generally wants to improve their mental health and start the day feeling good
If any (or all) of these resonate with you, I'd definitely recommend you challenge yourself in the next 21 Days to give waking up at 4 AM every day a try. I'd imagine unless you are someone who has their life together, you could benefit from giving this challenge a try, at least once in your life to see how it drastically changes your relationship with health, time and sleep.
Personally, I do it because I love starting my day with a positive mindset. I've fallen into the workaholic rabbit hole and stopped taking care of my personal wellness. By waking up at 4 AM every day, I created a routine that has really helped me put myself and my loved ones first - without stressing out about getting everything done on my to-do list. All before 9AM, I can now fit in an intense workout without watching the clock, enjoy the Early Bird Special with my boyfriend at our favorite breakfast diner, and fit in some brain training in the Lumosity App! I feel like I'm in the BEST place I've ever been in a long time - mentally and physically!
How To Become A Morning Person:
As hard as waking up at 4 AM sounds, it's really not that bad once it has become routine. I have broken down my method into three categories that will help you sustainably keep this habit long-term:
- Create An Intention-Filled Morning Routine (And Follow It!)
- Allow Yourself To Get Enough Sleep The Night Before
- Find A Support System That Will Keep Your Accountable
Create An Intention-Filled Morning Routine (And Follow It!)
I am a strong believer that creating routines with supported by intentions is one of the best ways to create motivation in all aspect of life. When you create a morning routine fueled by intention, you go beyond "I have to wake up" to "I want to wake up because". This "Because" or your WHY is the extra push most people need to get motivated to do the things they really don't want to do. It's a mindset shift that, as minor, as it seems, will set you up for success.
No longer is it just "I have to go to work". With intention, it now becomes: "I want to go to work because I have a family that is counting on me".
And no longer is it just "I have to go to the gym this morning". With intention, it now becomes: "I want to go to the gym because I want to feel confident in a swimsuit this summer."
Every single thing on your morning routine should have an intention paired to it. Keep in mind, your morning routine doesn't have to be lengthy and complicated. Mine is super simple but is packed with intention:
Use Bathroom + Morning Hygiene because self-care is one of the most important things to me.
Complete Daily Brain Training Exercises because stimulating the brain not only makes you smarter, but also helps you naturally wake up faster.
Workout At The Gym because I love the rush of positivity I get when I workout early in the morning.
Eat a healthy breakfast because after working out, my body deserves nutrition that makes it continue to feel good.
Tidy Home While Listing To Podcast because I love starting my day without small tasks continuously resurfacing in the back of my head.
Allow Yourself To Get Enough Sleep The Night Before
I think this is pretty straight forward, but a lot of people don't do it because they "don't have enough time" to schedule an early bedtime. We live in a society that has grown to praise the lack of sleep. From all the college kids competing over who had the least amount of sleep the night before their final exam to all the night-shift workers who are motivated by the extra money that follows in exchange for all of their sleep debt. The average adult should be getting 7-8 hours of sleep.
If you are struggling with getting proper sleep at night, here are some quick tips:
- Create a daily night routine. It doesn't need to be overly complicated like most lifestyle bloggers and beauty gurus make it seem. You don't need to take a bubble bath, light some candles, and perform an overly complicated skincare routine. Do whatever helps you wind down for the night to prepare for a good nights rest, but do it before strict bedtime. My bedtime is 9pm.
- Prepare the night before. This goes beyond just packing your lunch and setting out your clothes for the following morning. Do those dishes you usually leave in the sink overnight. Tidy the living room from the 10 pillows, 4 blankets, and 2 bags of chips you left from your evening Netflix Binge. Getting these silly little tasks out of the way before bed will give you peace of mind when you're finally ready to go to sleep. I don't know about you, but if I know I have a task I didn't complete, my mind goes CRAZY, especially right before bedtime. Then I spend the next three hours contemplating whether or not I should just do it. Just get it out of the way before you go to bed and save yourself the mental battle at 2AM.
- Use a Bedtime Clock App. On the iPhone, it's naturally a feature in your clock app. I'm not quite sure if this is something Androids have - but if not, there are plenty of apps in the Play store available. Bedtime Clock Apps are great for tracking your sleeping patterns and using a subtle alarm to wake you up while you're in light sleep during the window around your designated wake-up time. Using the Bedtime feature in the iPhone Clock App has changed my life!
- Charge your phone on the other side of your bedroom. Originally I thought this tip was silly. I thought I'd just wake up, get out of bed to turn off the alarm, then go back to bed with my phone in hand. And yes, this did happen to me a few times. To prevent myself from going back to bed, I'd turn off my alarm, then immediately turn on my lights, go to the bathroom, brush my teeth and complete my morning skincare routine. Putting your alarm on the other side of the room creates a chain reaction that helps you wake up as you complete seamless morning tasks.
- Wake Up Anyways - Even If You're Still Tired. Even if you didn't get the full 7-8 hours the night before, wake up anyways. By doing this, not only are you practicing will power, but you also are resetting your sleeping schedule. Our bodies work on an internal clock. If you force yourself awake, even if you're exhausted and feel like crap for a couple of days, your body will naturally get sleepy earlier the following night. Eventually, you'll be sleeping early to make up for the sleep you have been losing from waking up earlier.
Find A Support System That Will Keep You Accountable
Sometimes we just need that little extra push when we aren't feeling motivated. That's where your support system comes in. Find a buddy to keep you accountable during this lifestyle transition. Ask your partner/spouse or your best friend to join along in the lifestyle change. It is always so much easier when you're doing it with someone else. It's awesome because when you aren't motivated, your Support Person can hype you up - and vice-versa.
I actually partially started this challenge to help me boyfriend reset his sleeping schedule after he switched from night-shift back to day-shift. A couple months later, we both naturally wake up at 4AM pumped to head off to the gym. It's been a great bonding experience as we keep each other motivated and accountable - even when we want to give up and sleep in. Challenging things are always so much easier with someone by your side.
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These are my three tips to becoming a morning person and waking up at 4AM every single day. How would you spend the extra time in your day if you were to wake up at 4AM every day? Let me know down in the comments below!
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