Before we begin, let me just say I have always struggled with being a morning person. And when I say that, I literally mean I can’t get out of bed. This isn’t some new bad habit I’m trying to break and I can’t even blame a cold winter and dark mornings. Because no matter what time of year it is, I’d prefer to sleep an extra 15 minutes. At least.
T is the exact same way. We’ll stay up until 1am binge watching Game Of Thrones but unless we need to catch a flight to our next adventure, you have to peel us both out from under the sheets in the morning. No matter how early we snuggle up, by the way. But with my new intentions this year, I decided it was time to try and become a morning person. I will say, a couple attempts did work… but I mostly failed. I’m still the same non-morning person I was 3 months ago. So, instead of sharing my valiant efforts that produced success, I’m sharing how not to become a morning person according to life in our house.
Don’t put flannel sheets on the bed
The temperatures are rising in the Midwest, so I’ve officially taken the flannel sheets off our bed. And thank goodness. These cozy sheets are prime suspect in my unsuccessful attempts at becoming a morning person. I might have been awake when my alarm went off at 5:45am, but the warmth and softness pulled me right back in. Perfect for winter, horrible for good intentions.
Don’t set exercise intentions for 6am
Speaking of those intentions, I decided maybe setting some for early morning would help me get out of bed. The first thing that came to mind was my fitness routine, which I’m also trying to improve. So, I signed up for early morning Gixo sessions. I love the app, I love the classes (as you well know) and I figured maybe this would break me. I’d get so motivated & love the idea of having my workout finished, I’d become a morning person. To give myself a little credit, I did do well for a few weeks. At least a couple days a week I was waking up early to attend class. Then all of a sudden, it just didn’t convince me anymore. Probably those dang flannel sheets.
Don’t set three alarms
T and I have been trying this one for years. I don’t even know why we still try. We have alarms set in 15 minute increments. Reasons being one, in case we accidentally hit “off” instead of “snooze” and two, we’re not morning people. Surprise! Maybe this tactic works in some households, but it just doesn’t in ours. And yes, we’ve also tried putting our phones across the room so we actually have to get out of bed to turn them off. Still doesn’t work. We’re seriously hopeless.
Don’t write a morning to-do list
My last hope in trying to become a morning person – writing a morning to-do list. Here’s my logic. Sometimes I save to-dos for the morning. 9pm rolls around at night and nobody wants to do last minute dishes or laundry, so I save it for the AM. I will say, if I have something extremely important to get done, this can work. I’ll get up 15-20 minutes earlier. Oo, watch out! But… what I actually find myself doing in most cases, is fitting more in in less time. Which makes my mornings stressful and chaotic. In conclusion, we can scratch that off the idea list, too.
In the end, it’s probably all ok. I’m not late for work, I get everything done, but wouldn’t it just be nice to have some extra time in the day? I keep telling myself that.
I’d love to know – are you a morning person? Tell me your secrets!
I’m similarly nocturnal, but after a few months of not getting anywhere in my writing career, I decided to explore seeing if there was value in reclaiming some of the morning hours. The key for me is in having a reason to get up – a Pilates class at 8, the library opening its doors at 9, an appointment I intentionally made for breakfast. It’s still not easy and will most likely never be so, but I’ve learned to not be afraid of being tired, and I am enjoying the increased productivity. And giving myself one morning a week to wake up whenever I damn well feel like does help.
That’s amazing that you’ve made the transition to waking up earlier! I will give myself credit in saying if I really have a reason to get up, I will. But if it’s just a normal day, it’s tough. More hours in the day are something we all strive for I think. Glad you’re enjoying increased productivity!
I keep telling myself it’s time to take the heated mattress pad off the bed, but I conveniently haven’t gotten around to it yet. 😉 I’m very much the same that I’m not a morning person unless I HAVE to be. But like you said, everything gets done eventually right?
Just sayin’,
Karly @ What Karly Said
Exactly. I listened to an interview podcast of some highly successful entrepreneur recently who is NOT a morning person. Made me feel a lot better because they said about the same thing – stuff still gets done! It’s just not going to happen in the morning! Glad I’m not alone!