E92: An Action Plan for How to Be a Morning Person
E92: An Action Plan for How to Be a Morning Person
Hello there Women’s Empowerment Community, I hope you are doing well. For those of you who have been long-time listeners, welcome back! And for anyone who is new to the show, a very special welcome to you! Each week I bring you a new episode all about health, wealth, and /or happiness! This is a positive place for support, inclusivity, and kindness...
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[00:52] I’ve also been sprinkling in some bonus episodes – 1 to 2 per month – featuring some pretty incredible and empowering humans. To learn more about these bonus episodes, subscribe to wherever you’re listening to the show, and you will be reminded of all the new episodes!
Today’s episode is dedicated to Health & Wellness, and more specifically to anyone who has ever wanted to be a morning person. Haha I have to laugh because I get asked “help me be a morning person!?” all the time it’s pretty funny.
Especially since I’ve been “sleeping in” a lot more lately. Although a 7am or 7:30am sleep in time seems a bit crazy for some people, I used to get up at 5:30 every morning, and to be honest, I miss it! I’ll be getting into more of a set schedule soon though, and I’ll start to become more of an EARLY morning person again!
Now, you might be listening and thinking, “amazing, I’ve always wanted to be a morning person, or wake up earlier!”
Or maybe you’re thinking: “what on earth do I want to get up earlier for?!”
[2:00] Well there are actually a lot of benefits to waking up early. Such as:
More Productivity
When I was consistently getting up early, I noticed higher levels of productivity for sure! There was always time for my selfcare first thing in the morning and it gave me the win, the motivation and the energy I needed to complete the other tasks.
I also feel like I was better at planning and decision making because I had such a polished morning schedule that it was easier for me to schedule and organize the rest of my day and week since my workout, personal development, supplements and all that were completed before 8am and I never had to worry about when my “me time” was going to get done.
Balanced Mental Health
One of the more noticeable and significant benefits to getting up early was the feeling of calmness when I woke up. My alarm is not very jarring either, and I never woke up feeling rushed or anxious to get somewhere or to do something. Starting the day with a jolting wake up or anxious feeling is not a great way to set the energy for the day ahead.
Better Sleep
If you’re in the transition period to becoming a morning person, sleep is something you’ll notice more immediately. Since you’re waking up earlier, you’ll also get tired earlier, but the key is to not take naps! You’re re-training your body clock and that also means your sleeping pattern. With consistency and a bit of time, you’ll feel your sleep improve. Eventually, you might even wake up early without an alarm!
Positivity
Since you’re getting QUALITY sleep, and experiencing less feelings of stress, you’ll also see that you’re more positive and happier overall!
More Energy
More rest = more happiness = more energy. Simple as that!
If those five benefits of getting up earlier every day don’t convince you to also get up earlier, I’m not sure what will. I mean, who wouldn’t want to feel better, get more done, and be a nicer human? I’m convinced.
[4:20] Now that we’ve outlined the why, let’s get into the HOW.
Like any new habit, you’ve got to start slowly. Trust me when I say, becoming a morning person becomes a lot easier if you gradually wake up earlier each day. My best steps for starting slow are:
#1. Write down what time you wake up every morning.
#2. Decide what your ideal morning wake up time is.
#3. Set your alarm for 5-15 minutes earlier each day. Gradually working from the time you wake up now, to the time you want to wake up.
If you want to wake up 5 minutes earlier each day, it will take you 12 days for every hour.
If you want to wake up 10 minutes earlier each day, it will take you 6 days for every hour.
And if you want to wake up 15 minutes earlier each day, it will take you 4 days for every hour.
The key is to get your body in the habit of waking up earlier. So even if it takes you an entire month, you spent that month waking up earlier than you did the day before.
As an example of what this looks like in terms of the times, let’s say you’re currently waking up at 7:30am and you want to wake up at 6:30am.
Day one alarm: 7:25am
Day two alarm: 7:20am
Day three alarm: 7:15am
And so on.
Personally, I would do 15-30 minutes earlier each day, but that’s mostly because I’m getting back into an old habit and I really enjoy waking up earlier.
[5:55] When you’re becoming a morning person, your alarm clock is very important. Here are some Do’s and Don’ts of your alarm clock:
Don’t have a jarring alarm sound. It should wake you up, but it shouldn’t make you angry.
Do choose an alarm that gets your attention and motivates you to wake up.
Don’t hit snooze.
Do get out of bed right away, and make your bed as soon as you wake up. This gives you an easy win for the day, and you won’t want to go back into a bed you just made up.
Don’t have your alarm clock next to your bed. This is an old technique that works really well for some people.
Do put it somewhere far enough that you have to get up to turn off your alarm.
Don’t open emails or social media when you wake up
Do open the blinds and let the natural light into your room.
Don’t talk yourself out of waking up early
Do have a reason why you're waking up early, and a plan for what you'll do when you wake up first thing.
[7:05] What are you going to do with the extra time… two words: TAKE ADVANTAGE
Enjoy your morning beverage, read a book, meditate, talk to your plants, watch the sunrise, go for a walk, get a workout in, do some watercolor painting, have a solo dance party in your living room. The morning is YOURS! All yours, and you’ve got to take advantage of it!
This is not an opportunity to be mindless and wandering around, it’s time to make the absolute most of the time to do what feels good to you!
When I was waking up early my morning routine was the same almost every single day:
Wake up, make bed
Gym for weight lifting
Shower, skincare + supplements
Warm beverage ritual (coffee, bone broth, tea, depending)
Meditation + Journaling
I did that all within two hours, and it would have been shorter if I was working out from home verses driving to the gym each morning.
Remember, if you’re getting up 15 minutes earlier each day, you want to realistically choose something that you can do in those extra 15 minutes. Maybe it’s a light stretch while your coffee brews, or a 5 minute meditation outside. You choose your magical morning.
[8:32] HOT TIPS:
Schedule your morning. Put your new wake up time in your calendar and the 1 or 2 things you want to do each morning.
Make the morning easy for you by creating triggers for your new habits and morning routine. This is anything that makes your morning easier to do. For example, if you want to stretch in the morning, roll out your yoga mat the night before. If you want to enjoy a tea or coffee while you watch the sunrise, prepare the kettle and your mug, so when you wake up all you have to do is boil the water.
[9:05] The Power Hour:
Eventually you might be waking up one hour earlier than normal, and you might want to try “the power hour”. This is something I learned years ago and I can’t remember where I first heard it, but basically you break your hour into three 20 minute pieces: Movement, Mindfulness, and Personal Growth/Development.
It gives you some structure for your morning and also flexibility because you get to choose what type of movement, mindfulness, and personal growth practice you’d like!
Here are some ideas of movement:
Stretching, yoga
Pilates
Spin
Swimming
Weight training
Bootcamp
Dance party
Your mindfulness practice could be:
Meditation
Slow walk
Time in nature or with plants
Preparing a morning beverage and drinking it peacefully or while watching the sunrise
Reading an inspirational book
Repeating affirmations
For personal development you could:
Read a personal development book
Learn a new skill: maybe a language or how to paint
Listen to an inspiring podcast or audio book
The lists could go on and on!
[10:27] A morning person’s best kept secret:
A great morning routine actually begins with a solid evening routine. Getting to bed and getting quality sleep is the key to a great morning routine. As I mentioned before, the transition period is a little tougher, but once you become more consistent with waking up early, your body will also want to go to bed a little earlier, don’t fight it! Instead, be prepared for rest.
Create healthy boundaries around your evenings like closing down technology an hour before bedtime, winddown from your day with a slower evening. You could incorporate a relaxing bath, a gentle stretch, a journaling practice, and even an oracle card reading or crystal cleansing.
E34: 7 Things You Must Do When Creating Healthy Boundaries
[11:29] Alright, so let’s create an action plan for you!
Step One: Be Intentional
Decide why it’s important for you to be a morning person and wake up earlier. Write that down. Set your alarm for your gradual wake up time. Depending on whether you’re waking up 5 minutes earlier or 15 minutes earlier, get clear about how you will take advantage of that extra time – no scrolling on instagram!
Step Two: Schedule Your Morning
Whether you use a physical planner or an online calendar, time block your earlier morning for your new habits/practices. Put it into your schedule even if it’s a 5 minute meditation practice or a silent coffee ritual. What gets scheduled is what gets done!
Step Three: Set Up Habit Triggers
Roll out the mat, prep the kettle, pull out the watercolour paint lit or the watering can for your plants. Make the morning easier by setting up habit triggers. This will help you make the most of your morning and really enjoy it!
Step Four: Create the Evening Mood
Decide on your simple evening routine to help you close the day and prepare for sleep. Maybe it’s a shower where you feel the stress or heaviness of the day wash off your body. Maybe it’s dimming the lights and meditating in bed. Perhaps it’s tidying up the kitchen for a fresher, cleaner morning. Getting into this routine will allow you to create book-ends of your day. You’ll be able to create a more meaningful start and end to the day with these intentions and rituals.
[13:22] Being a “Morning Person” doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, most of the time we stress ourselves out thinking that it's more complicated and painful than it actually is! You can seriously become a morning, or early morning person in four simple action steps.
Share your morning and evening routines with me on instagram @vallavignelife and use the hashtag #MorningsForMe
Podcast Host
Valerie LaVigne
Valerie is the creator and founder of Valerie LaVigne Life and the Women's Empowerment Show. She helps busy and empowered women create healthy habits so that they can become the best version of themselves and transform their lives. Learn more about Valerie here!
