Getting out of bed is tough.
As humans, we will always face the struggles of occasional, or habitual, laziness. And let’s face it, working from home, where we can often see our beds from our desks, doesn’t make it any easier.
When it is time to get up and get moving, a positive mindset can help promote awareness and set you up to thrive.
Lucky for you, there are quite a few simple ways to get yourself motivated in the morning.
Wake Up Motivation To Win The Day
Write a List
A great and common way to get yourself motivated in the morning is with a pre-written to-do list.
Already knowing what needs to be done will ease the fear of the unknown. This is also a great way to get rid of those Sunday scaries before the start of a new workweek.
The important thing about task lists, however, is setting achievable goals, rather than a deadline. Start with a list of everything for the month, then narrow that list down to weeks, or days.
Related Post: Create a Happy List
By limiting yourself to just 2 or 3 tasks per day, you’ll allow yourself room to feel accomplished. And there’s nothing quite as motivating as the feeling of success.
Alter Your Schedule
If you’re currently waking up in the late morning but still feeling drowsy, try setting your alarm a little earlier.
While it can certainly suck to get out of bed at 7 am instead of 10 am, it’s likely the simple act of waking up early will have you feeling ready to accomplish anything.
Not to mention, the sooner you start, the sooner you finish. If that isn’t motivating, well, I don’t know what is.
Related Post: From Steve Jobs to Barack Obama: The morning routines of 8 of the world’s most successful people
Keep in mind, different timing works differently for different people. If you’re waking up at 5 am and feeling unmotivated, give 6, or 7 a shot. The important thing is that your brain has enough rest to recharge for the day ahead.
Prioritize Happiness
What’s one simple thing that makes you happy?
Whatever you just thought of, is how you should be starting your day.
Whether it’s drawing, a cup of tea, yoga, or youtube; allow yourself at least 20 minutes each morning to dedicate to something that YOU love.
The key here is making sure this is something you look forward to. Starting the morning with something you love and are good at will help you to build momentum towards the things you may not be quite as excited about.
Change Your Alarm
This one’s easy.
While the siren sound you currently have set is sure to get your eyes open, something less abrupt will help make mornings more pleasent.
Why not wake up to something you enjoy hearing? Try your favorite song.
It can also be helpful to switch up your alarm every few weeks to avoid getting especially sick of it.
Related Post: Mindfulness of Sound Exercises and Practices
Resist The Snooze
As explained by AsapSCIENCE, hitting the snooze button does not allow for the extra rest you think it does.
Each time you hit snooze and drift back to sleep, your brain starts its sleep cycle all over again. By the time the alarm rings again, you’ve likely already entered back into a deeper, earlier part of your sleep cycle.
This is why you usually wake up feeling more groggy than the first time. Getting up after that first alarm is getting up with purpose.
Overall, different tricks work for different people. Sometimes all it takes is one simple tweak, other times we may need an entirely new routine.
To start, give a few of these a try and see what works best for you. And remember, sleep is just as necessary as waking up. The most important thing is you are well rested enough to take on your day.
