How to Become a Morning Person

Do the thought of mornings make you shudder? Is seeing the sunrise about as familiar as to you as Chinese? Have you secretly plotted a quick, painful death for your alarm clock on more than one occasion?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then chances are you are not a morning person. If the term "morning person" is more like a swear word than a label that describes you're a.m. demeanor, the following tips just might help change you from a self-proclaimed morning-hater to a morning-lover.

Pick a Wake Up Time and Stick To It
Set your alarm and wake up at the same time seven days a week. This is really hard for those who love to sleep late. This is what prevented me from making the switch for many years. Unfortunately, though, this is key in making the switch. Consistency is important to train your body. Believe it or not, once you get in the habit of waking early, it becomes easier. In fact, after waking at the same time everyday for a period of time, you might not even need that annoying alarm clock anymore. Wouldn't that be nice?

Get Up!
This one seems obvious, but for those who hate mornings, this is a hard one. Generally, I'm not very good at math but for some reason I am excellent at adding and subtracting when my alarm goes off. I negotiate all the things I don't really have to do in order to get more sleep. Don't give into that little voice that says, "Just five more minutes." No matter how hard you try to convince yourself, getting up will not be any easier after a few more minutes of sleep. In fact, it may be harder.

Get Enough Sleep
Most non-morning people claim they are too tired to get up early. The obvious solution to this is to go to bed earlier! If you wake one morning and feel too tired to get up, get up anyway. Go to bed earlier that night so you will be well rested the next morning. Getting enough sleep is very important in being a productive morning person.

Develop A Routine and Stick To It
Find what works best for you in the morning and do it. Is it a shower first thing in the morning? Or is a newspaper with a steaming cup of coffee more your taste? Find what works for you. This not only helps you get things accomplished if your brain is a little foggy, it also provides the structure a person needs to be productive.

Awaken Your Senses
Remember your five senses: seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, tasting. Stimulate as many of these as you can soon after waking. You might want to listen to a good CD, pet your cat and drink your favorite cappuccino. By energizing your senses, you are sending a signal to your brain that says, "Hey, I'm awake!" Exercise is also a great way to get your senses going.

Let There Be Light!
If you wake after the sun is already up, open window shades and let the sunlight in. Studies have shown wakefulness improves with doses of sunlight. Believe it or not, this works for depression, too. If sunlight is not available, you can buy a sun lamp. A quick search on the Internet for "sun lamps" will yield many results. If sunlight is not available and you don't want to buy a sun lamp, turn on as many lights as possible. It won't have quite the same effects but it will still be beneficial.

Bring on the Food
Most non-morning people compromise breakfast in order to get a little extra shut eye. However, when you don't eat breakfast, you are not giving your body the fuel it needs to function in the morning. Just like you wouldn't drive to work without gas in your car, you can't expect your body to function effectively in the morning with out some energy. Even if you don't feel like eating breakfast at first, eat something small. You will discover this makes a big difference in your morning productivity.

Plan Something You Enjoy
This doesn't have to be something major, just something you can look forward to in the morning. Whether it is eating your favorite breakfast or watching a great TV program, planning something fun first thing in the morning gives you that extra motivation to get up and get going.

How long will it take before you start to love mornings? Maybe never. However, if you follow these guidelines, it will only be a few weeks (or shorter) when you stop feeling like mornings are about as much fun as an annual check up at with your doctor.

In a short time you may even start to find yourself enjoying mornings. And, yes, you might actually find yourself saying something you never thought you would. You might even say those dreaded words: "I'm a morning person!"