Getting up an hour or three earlier might help you focus and be more creative. Mornings are ideal for meditation, writing, exercising, and reading quietly. Some months I prefer rising with the light, while others I purposefully wake up early.
The Gradual Method
Sudden shifts in your waking time of an hour or more are difficult and unlikely to endure. Slow and gradual changes in sleeping habits have proved the most pleasurable and long-lasting. On Day 1, if you get up 1-2 hours sooner, you will have a difficult time and will not enjoy it.
3 Steps to Actually Get Up
So you set your alarm for 10-15 minutes earlier than usual and got through the first few days without incident. However, you've started pushing the snooze button and staying in bed (sometimes awake) without getting out of bed.
- Get pumped. Consider one item that delights you in the morning. It may be a story you want to write, a new yoga regimen, meditation, or a book you want to read. Remember that exciting event when you wake up, and it will drive you to get up.
- Immediately get out of bed. Extend your arms wide as if to say, "Yes!" I'm still alive! With wide arms, I'm ready to take on the day.
- Arrange your alarm clock across the room. Put it on the opposite side of the room so you have to get up to turn it off. Then, after you're out of bed, make it a habit to go straight to the bathroom to pee.
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