How To Become A Morning Person (10 Ingenious Hacks)
Sometimes I hardly recognize myself. I wake up at 5 am, make my bed and take a brisk walk to the local park.
Then I come home, listen to some positive affirmations and sip coffee on an empty stomach (hey, I’m still not perfect).
But my current morning routine is a far cry from a few months ago, when I stayed up past midnight watching film noir on YouTube and AI videos of cats making hot chocolate.
Do I always jump out of bed these days, excited about life and my 5-step skincare routine? Of course not. I’m a morning person – and not Patrick Bateman from American Psycho.
And I still get those mornings when I pick up my phone to check emails and find myself twenty minutes later reading about a reclusive American janitor and his 15,000-page illustrated fantasy epic.
But I’ve come to realize I’m not an incurable night owl.
I’m not doomed to stay up late just because I’m a descendant of the night guardians of prehistoric caves. My genes might make me a night owl, but I also have free will.
Why it’s SO worth it
I loved staying up late because nights were peaceful. And I needed that calm at the end of a stressful day.
Now I find that same serenity in the early morning hours just after dawn.
With one major difference: a quiet morning gives me a huge advantage for the rest of the day. It boosts my energy and productivity.
But a quiet evening just gave me a sleep-deprived foggy brain that slowed me down when I had to start work at 9 am.
So how did I finally transform into a morning person?
It was summer and I wanted to go on morning walks before temperatures hit 100 degrees. I wanted to enjoy some stillness before the work meetings, online deliveries and phone notifications started.
So I set my alarm a half hour earlier, then an hour earlier than usual. I did this in incremental chunks and just coped by drinking more coffee.
But eventually my mornings fell into place. And I found myself looking forward to my little rituals – the people I met walking their dogs, the dew on the grass and the feel of my gel pen against my Morning Pages journal.
Are you a night owl who’d like to transform into a morning lark?
Here are 10 ingenious hacks to become a morning person:
1. Drink good coffee
Sometimes my espresso with blueberry crumb cake is the main impetus that gets me out of bed.
And it’s not necessarily the caffeine (though that doesn’t hurt). It’s the idea of something indulgent to look forward to.
Because mornings can’t be all about power walks, protein shakes and educational audiobooks.
So give yourself a sweet little guilty pleasure to look forward to, whether that’s espresso, a sweet treat, your favorite fruit tea or a chapter of a 1990s romance novel.
2. Listen to positive affirmations
Your thoughts become your actions.
And if you wake up thinking, “what the hell am I doing? This is pointless – I’m only exhausting myself,” then your morning routine won’t make it far beyond Wednesday.
Listen to positive affirmations to set the tone for the day. A 10-minute session isn’t magically going to make all of your negative thoughts disappear. But it will leave you with less headspace for lingering anxieties.
Download an app like Insight Timer (it’s free) and search for “positive affirmations.” There are dozens of different teachers, lengths and styles available. My favorite is Kenneth Soares because his affirmation tracks often include catchy drum beats in the background (which you can also dance to, if you dare).
3. Go to bed early
Set an earlier bedtime if you want to rise earlier and still get a decent night’s sleep.
Avoid your phone, TV and social media for an hour before bed.
It’s hard to drift off into sleep after you’ve just consumed the latest crime drama, political scandal or thread of random bots leaving body-shaming comments for women on Instagram.
Protect your peace and turn off your screens. Read a good novel or write in a gratitude journal for a half hour before your bedtime.
4. Move in the sun
Go for a brisk walk at your local park, do some early-morning yoga stretches or dance along to your favorite New Wave 80s songs.
Get some movement in the sunshine, whether that’s the park, your backyard garden or your apartment window. Sunshine before noon is proven to boost your mood.
A dose of low-impact movement boosts your energy and productivity for the whole rest of the day.
5. Write down 3 things you’re grateful for
A gratitude journal is the single quickest way to boost your mood when you’ve woken up not ready to face the day.
And you don’t need a half-hour journaling session to reap the immediate feel-good benefits of gratitude journaling.
Set aside 5 minutes with your morning coffee to count all your blessings and describe them in depth (even if they’re as simple as a cozy cotton t-shirt and a good hair day). Or try these gratitude journal prompts to get inspired.
6. Think of yourself as a morning person
Think of yourself as someone who enjoys mornings, sunshine and that sense of stillness before the morning rush hour.
If you tell yourself that waking up early is against your nature, you’ll eventually believe it. And it will be much harder to stop hitting that snooze button.
Instead, nurture your newfound identity as an early riser. Remember why you’re waking up early in the first place.
Remember how good it feels to drink your cappuccino or stroll through rows of palo verde trees in bloom.
Remember how much better the whole day feels when you start with a great morning.
7. Prep the night before
I always lay out my walking clothes and water bottle the night before, so everything’s ready for my morning stroll around suburbia.
It’s a form of self-care.
And it’s nice to wake up knowing you were thoughtful to yourself yesterday.
8. Stop hitting that snooze button
Sit up and put your feet on the floor when the alarm rings.
You can sit there for 5 minutes disassociating in a half sleep, as I often do. Stare out the window as you shake off that weird dream you had.
But whatever you do, stop hitting snooze. And do not scroll social media in bed – even just to quickly check your inbox.
9. Give yourself time
It takes about six weeks to change your sleep schedule and adjust your circadian rhythm.
Give yourself some grace when you’re adjusting to your new morning routine.
Mornings will still feel groggy and foggy for a while before they start to feel invigorating.
10. Use scent
Splashing cold water on your face is great.
But how about misting your face with orange water and spraying on a lime basil and mandarin cologne for your morning stroll?
Scent is the most evocative of the five senses. So harness that power with a dab of a citrus fragrance, whether that’s in your body wash, skincare or perfume.
It makes waking up a sensual pleasure – not a burden.
Read next:
15 Things To Do In The Morning (Instead Of Scrolling)
40 Powerful Morning Routine Ideas For More Energy
My Morning Routine For Productivity and Wellbeing
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