Raise your hand if you love sleep. Raise your hand if you love sleep so much that you’re almost worse than a teenager in the middle of puberty?

*raiseshands*

Seriously people, I LOVE to sleep. As you read previously, my new job has made establishing a productive routine very difficult. In trying to create a good routine, I found that if I wanted to get most (if not all) of my daily to-dos done, it only worked if I got myself up early in the morning….and when I say early, I mean the 5 AM-kind of early.

I tried, oh did I try. I tried just setting my alarm across the room, setting my alarm to go off an hour before I wanted to actually get up, I tried it all. But alas, the snooze button remained the bane of my days.

With the help of some of my own trial & errors & some helpful ideas from other inspirational sources, I have finally found something that has helped me…

So…here are 10 tips & things I do that may also help you get up early:

*Prep the night before:

1. Have coffee prepped for the morning. I HAVE to have coffee pretty much 1st thing in the morning. I don’t want to have to think, prep, or clean anything to get it. I just want to coffee [That’s right, coffee just became a verb!].

2. Prep a morning snack. I love overnight oats. They’re easy to make, healthy, & I can grab them on the go. Try out some recipes I found here on Pinterest, or make your own morning snack.

3. Set your alarm & put it across the room. I have 2 alarms. One of them is my phone which goes off at 4:30 am. This one I actually have set right next to my bed & I usually immediately turn it off. This one is my “prep” alarm- it starts the wake-up process for my brain. My actual alarm goes off at 5 AM & it sits on the opposite side of our bedroom. This may not work for some people, but I have found it really works for me.

4. Set aside your clothes & a glass of water for the morning. Whatever it is that you put on when you get up in the morning- pjs, a robe, fuzzy socks, whatever, have it ready & in arms reach of your alarm clock so you don’t have to go searching. Plus, once you put it on you’ll be less inclined to go back to bed if it’s not what you usually sleep in. You’ll read about the glass of water in just a sec…

*In the morning:

5. No snoozing allowed! When that alarm goes off, DO NOT HIT THE SNOOZE!!! Just turn it off & don’t allow yourself to get back in bed. Plus, if you turn it off instead of snoozing, you’ll be less likely to get back in bed anyways because your brain will know the alarm won’t go off again. Something I add to this, a little trick of my own that helps, when I turn off the alarm, I stand there & count to 15-20 in my head. By the time I get to 20 I’m like, “well, I’ve already stood here for 20 seconds…I might as well keep going.” (And a little secret…sometimes I’ve even had to stand there for 30-45 seconds just to convince myself to take the first step towards the day…don’t tell anyone 😉 ).

6. Drink your glass of water! Water is the worst. When you drink the right amount it makes you feel fabulous, but it’s so bland that, for me, it’s hard to remember to drink. But if you drink an 8-10 oz glass first thing in the morning, you already have some in your system, you’ll crave it more throughout the day, & before you know it you’ll be feeling better & healthier! Plus, this first glass of water just helps you wake up.

7. Do some quick but light exercise. I can’t claim this idea as my own…I got this idea from The Chic Site by Rachel Hollis & her morning motivational chats on Facebook every weekday morning. Her idea is to jump up & down 50 times with your hands in the air & a big smile on your face. I know it sounds stupid & crazy, but I’m telling you it works. I struggle with exercise on a normal basis, let alone at 5 AM when the sun isn’t even awake yet. Doing sit ups, pushups, or jogging feels like work, but jumping up & down seems like no big deal. And let me tell you…by the time I’m done with that 50th jump, no matter what mood I started them in, I am in a great mood- grinning, laughing, & ready to face the day. I mean, let’s be real, how can you NOT be in a good mood after jumping & smiling, with your hands in the air for absolutely no reason. You know you look like an idiot doing it which makes it funny, which makes you laugh, which puts you in an even better mood.

8. Spend time in the Bible. I tell you what, doing my Bible study & prayer time in the early morning- when it’s dark & foggy, the coffee is hot, the house is silent…this has become one of my most favorite times of the day. I am not distracted so I get more from my time with the Lord & I feel like I can hear Him so much more clearly. Also, when you read His word first thing in the morning, the lessons He teaches you through it will ring up in your mind throughout the day.

9. Eat a good breakfast & spend time with your loved ones. I think both of these things belong together because they can be done together & they’re both so easy to bypass. If we’re not careful, we can be in such a rush to get out the door that we forget how important both of these things are. First of all, a healthy breakfast is so important for your day. Eat a good, filling breakfast that will last you until lunch. If you go hungry, you’ll be more likely to be grumpy & it may be harder to focus. Plus, they say starting the day with a good breakfast is good for your metabolism. Second, while you’re sitting & eating that healthy breakfast, sit & talk with your family- whether it’s your spouse or children, put down the phones, look at each other, talk, share your plans for the day, listen, & love. You’ll never regret taking this time because one day you may blink & it could be gone.

10. Listen to something that motivates you. Whether it’s a good podcast or some jamming music, find something you love that you can prep for work to. This will put you in a can-do, world-conquering mindset, so use it to launch you out into the day.

No matter whether you use all, one, a combo, or none of these ideas to start your day, all I want you to do is make it an incredible day. Go out, do great things, show love to those around you- whether they deserve it or not- show it them like you would want them to show you. Go out & change the world.

Be blessed, friends.