How To Become A Morning Person In 5 Easy Steps

Cock-A-Doodle-Freakin'-Do!

I like getting up early. We’re not talking 8:00am early either… I’m talkin’ 0-dark:30 early.

When I tell people that I get up slightly before 4:00am to go on a morning run, they look at me like I’ve just walked out of an insane asylum as if to say, “You’re one crazy messed up individual. Out my face.”

It’s okay, though, by the time most people are awake, I’ve had time to run about 5 miles, workout at the gym, eat breakfast, check e-mail, and… catch up on news around the world.

This all happens before 7:00am. Jealous?

Some people may not realize it, but the cynical plan to get up early actually begins the night before. It may seem like a process, at first, but it’s definitely worth it.

I’m not gonna lie… the first week can be rough. You may be grumpy and irritable at first, but if you can survive the multiple attempts at murder from your co-workers, you’ll be well on your way to leading a more productive and energetic lifestyle! Here are my ways to ensure that you, too, can be among the crazy, elite class  of individuals known as: morning people.

Stop Drinking Caffeine!

I’m going to guess that most of you have said to yourself, “Stop my caffeine intake?! You can shut your mouth!” It sounds crazy, I know, but it’s simply mind over matter. I mean, caffeine isn’t oxygen (even though most people would equate the two), so you can definitely live without it. I went from drinking approximately 6 Dr. Peppers a day to drinking 0.

How?

I don’t really know. I have a way with stopping bad habits (picking my nose excluded) cold turkey. If I don’t want it, I stop it. It’s as simple as that. If you’re suffering from sleep apnea or insomnia and you ingest copious amounts of caffeine, you might want to consider cutting back. The caffeine may give you that extra boost you need to make it through that boring 2-hour meeting, but it’s hurting you in the long run. Look at it this way… you’ll be trading a quick boost for more time in bed. Golden.

Be A Gremlin Minus 3

Remember the movie “Gremlins?” They were cute and cuddly at first, but feed those hairy midgets after midnight, and you’ve got some pro’lems. The same applies to humans. We may not launch balls of slime out of our backs, but eating too late can be a bad thing.

Here’s my formula: Gremlins cannot be fed after midnight, and you should try to go to bed by 9:00pm, which means your “Gremlin time” is 3 hours before that of an actual Gremlin. Therefore, in order to prevent slime balls from ejecting from your posterior, you shouldn’t even think about eating after 9:00pm. Assuming you eat around 6:30pm or 7:00pm, this is perfect! Eat a healthy dinner, read a book, relax, and get ready for fun, sleepy time at 9:00pm!

Sleep

It’s imperative that you’re getting enough sleep. I can survive on about 4-5 hours of sleep, but then again… I’m crazy. People tend to overlook the importance of sleep. Don’t be one of those people. If you’re complaining about being tired, get more sleep. Duh! My method will ensure that you’re not only getting sleep, but also setting yourself up for an extremely productive day in the morning!

Exercise

Most people think they’re “too busy” to fit exercise into their schedule. Pish posh. If you want something bad enough, you’d make time for it, right? We all know the benefits of exercise, so I’ll save the lecture. I exercise shortly after I wake up because if I exercise at night, it gives me a burst of energy, and thus… delays the time it takes for me to go to sleep, and ultimately… cuts into my precious happy, fun, sleepy time. Don’t let lack of exercise rob you blind of valuable sleep. You work hard. You need sleep. Kick exercise in its forehead. You deserve it.

Eat Breakfast!

You’ve always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? If you haven’t, then you might be lame, and therefore someone I wouldn’t get along with. All kidding aside, though, eat a freakin’ breakfast! You’d be surprised at how alert you’ll be when you eat a breakfast high in protein.

Don’t know where you can get protein?

Try the incredible, edible egg. I highly recommend the power breakfast sandwich from Panera… it rocks my face off. It’s tasty and it’s handheld. I’m an advocate for handheld breakfast foods, in case I need to get it and go. There are plenty of handheld breakfast foods out there, so you’ve got ZERO excuses. Work it out, and make it happen!

Wrap Up

Becoming a morning person may take some willpower on your part, but it’s worth it. You’ll gain more hours in your day to get things done that you want to get done. You’ll feel happier, energized, and you’ll have a headstart on your colleagues at work.

Take the time to do your own research. The benefits are immeasurable. Welcome to the club!