Reader Submitted Question: We’re trying something new… today’s Thursday Thread is from our community. Liz asked the following question:
Mornings are HARD for me to wake up! Does anyone have an idea as to what I can do to enjoy the morning? Is there something I can set up so I might jump out of bed?
As someone who's felt the same way, I know the struggle is real. I also knew that many of you would have some great advice to share with Liz. So, what do ya say? Head on over and sharewhat you do to help you get up and out of bed in the morning.
I need that 20-30 minutes of alone time before anyone needs anything from me. I wake up and get right up, drink a glass of water, gratitude practice, plan my day and read a few minutes of personal growth before I do a quick workout. It lets me start the day focused on what I need and want from the day.
Once you start getting it up it just becomes a habit and now I don’t snooze or hesitate. It starts with going to bed at the right time because you won’t enjoy that morning time if you go to bed too late.
I agree Kathleen - I used to not think of myself as a morning person, but once you set the habit (and then use that time to do things that make you happy) it becomes so much easier. Sounds like you have a fantastic morning ritual!!
I have something I love to do for myself every morning. It is a devotional and meditation time. It includes some journaling and coffee. First thing every morning and I crave it now so much I can’t wait to do it. It gets me out of bed. Even on the weekends. I get up because I need the time for reflection so if I hit snooze less time for me to do the thing I crave!
I keep my cell phone in my master bathroom so I have to actually get out of bed to turn the alarm off instead of rolling over and pushing the snooze button :) Game changer
That is a game changer! My son Jack started using an alarm where you have to answer a math question to turn it off - it’s the same idea….add a little friction to encourage you to actually wake up. I like your trick better than doing math that early!! 😂
What helps me get up and out of bed in the morning is I started my day before.
I enjoyed doing a “daily download “ ( using the daily download worksheet ) of my day and then tomorrow’s action items. As Tanya would say, it’s like leaving a little water in the well so
When I wake up in the morning, I’m anxious to get started on my list so I can make room for some time. Like walking the dog an extra 10 to 20 minutes, taking 10 to 15 minutes in the morning to meditate or just create a pocket of white space to do whenever I feel like doing that morning .
It’s like rewarding myself for getting up early and getting my day started.
I remind myself that it is my decision to get up or to stay in bed. Nobody is telling me what to do. I take ownership of the decision where before I just said I'm not a morning person. It does not work every time but I'm getting better at it. Also, I don't listen to my brain when it tells me how comfy, cozy the bed is. I thank my brain and I remind myself that I'll regret the decision to stay in bed. Again, this isn't a magic button and requires me to work on making the right decisions for myself. Sometimes, I need to stay in bed and take a mental health day. I'm fortunate that I can do that with my job and family.
Totally agree - some days are perfect for laying a little longer in bed. In those days I feel like it’s so decadent to just lay under the covers and read. I think you are right - it definitely takes some effort especially if you are not naturally a morning person. (Sounds like neither one of us is!)
I read a book within the last year, “The 5-Second Rule” by Mel Robbins. It’s heavy on the social media posts and not EXACTLY my cup of tea, but the context was so necessary for me, that WE are the ones who mess up our days. She says we get so lost in THINKING about something we want to do that we either talk ourselves out of it, OR we spent so much time just thinking about it that we ran out of time to actually do the thing. Her action plan: When she knows she needs to do something that she doesn’t actually want to do and can see herself very quickly talking herself out it, she counts backwards from 5 and then just does it. Sounds simple, and it is, but that has actually been a game-changer for me. She goes into the science of it, and I’m sure you can just watch her TedTalks to get the jist, I just love reading. That helps me get out of bed in the morning on those mornings when my morning ritual just isn’t going to cut it, which is rare.
Also: I used to have a coffee pot that had an alarm to make coffee, so I would set that alarm 5-minutes before I was supposed to get up. Knowing that my coffee was getting cold the longer I snoozed got me out of bed even on those difficult mornings. It was like a warm hug for my insides. Good luck, Liz!
I need that 20-30 minutes of alone time before anyone needs anything from me. I wake up and get right up, drink a glass of water, gratitude practice, plan my day and read a few minutes of personal growth before I do a quick workout. It lets me start the day focused on what I need and want from the day.
Once you start getting it up it just becomes a habit and now I don’t snooze or hesitate. It starts with going to bed at the right time because you won’t enjoy that morning time if you go to bed too late.
I agree Kathleen - I used to not think of myself as a morning person, but once you set the habit (and then use that time to do things that make you happy) it becomes so much easier. Sounds like you have a fantastic morning ritual!!
I have something I love to do for myself every morning. It is a devotional and meditation time. It includes some journaling and coffee. First thing every morning and I crave it now so much I can’t wait to do it. It gets me out of bed. Even on the weekends. I get up because I need the time for reflection so if I hit snooze less time for me to do the thing I crave!
This is such a great perspective Anne - it’s like having dessert first!
I keep my cell phone in my master bathroom so I have to actually get out of bed to turn the alarm off instead of rolling over and pushing the snooze button :) Game changer
That is a game changer! My son Jack started using an alarm where you have to answer a math question to turn it off - it’s the same idea….add a little friction to encourage you to actually wake up. I like your trick better than doing math that early!! 😂
What helps me get up and out of bed in the morning is I started my day before.
I enjoyed doing a “daily download “ ( using the daily download worksheet ) of my day and then tomorrow’s action items. As Tanya would say, it’s like leaving a little water in the well so
When I wake up in the morning, I’m anxious to get started on my list so I can make room for some time. Like walking the dog an extra 10 to 20 minutes, taking 10 to 15 minutes in the morning to meditate or just create a pocket of white space to do whenever I feel like doing that morning .
It’s like rewarding myself for getting up early and getting my day started.
What I love about this Linda, is that you are banking up time to do more of what you love. So smart!!
I remind myself that it is my decision to get up or to stay in bed. Nobody is telling me what to do. I take ownership of the decision where before I just said I'm not a morning person. It does not work every time but I'm getting better at it. Also, I don't listen to my brain when it tells me how comfy, cozy the bed is. I thank my brain and I remind myself that I'll regret the decision to stay in bed. Again, this isn't a magic button and requires me to work on making the right decisions for myself. Sometimes, I need to stay in bed and take a mental health day. I'm fortunate that I can do that with my job and family.
Totally agree - some days are perfect for laying a little longer in bed. In those days I feel like it’s so decadent to just lay under the covers and read. I think you are right - it definitely takes some effort especially if you are not naturally a morning person. (Sounds like neither one of us is!)
I turn on the music! And usually start making coffee. There are some nights that I can't wait to get up in order to smell coffee...
I feel like music can totally set the tone for the whole day. Don’t you?
I read a book within the last year, “The 5-Second Rule” by Mel Robbins. It’s heavy on the social media posts and not EXACTLY my cup of tea, but the context was so necessary for me, that WE are the ones who mess up our days. She says we get so lost in THINKING about something we want to do that we either talk ourselves out of it, OR we spent so much time just thinking about it that we ran out of time to actually do the thing. Her action plan: When she knows she needs to do something that she doesn’t actually want to do and can see herself very quickly talking herself out it, she counts backwards from 5 and then just does it. Sounds simple, and it is, but that has actually been a game-changer for me. She goes into the science of it, and I’m sure you can just watch her TedTalks to get the jist, I just love reading. That helps me get out of bed in the morning on those mornings when my morning ritual just isn’t going to cut it, which is rare.
Also: I used to have a coffee pot that had an alarm to make coffee, so I would set that alarm 5-minutes before I was supposed to get up. Knowing that my coffee was getting cold the longer I snoozed got me out of bed even on those difficult mornings. It was like a warm hug for my insides. Good luck, Liz!
The coffee pot trick is sheer genius!! I love that idea!