As you may know, life is hectic and you always feel tired.
And while there’s no stopping the events in your life, there’s the annoying issue of getting up early in the morning and having the motivation to work on your projects.
But don’t worry, I’m going to teach you a few techniques that will allow you to get up early, but still have the motivation and willpower to complete your daily tasks.
I have used these techniques over the years and I can confidently say that I’m a much happier person now.
The difference it makes is enormous.
Getting up early
Most of the time, you simply wake up in the morning, look at the time, and feel tired. You don’t know what to do with yourself.
How do you avoid feeling tired and confused in the morning?
Simple: the key is to try to get up as early as you can and do the things you have to do.
Why do you need to get up early in the morning?
Your body clock is basically made up of two systems.
You have your circadian rhythm, which is your body clock, which sets you up for sleep and wakefulness.
And then you have your sleep-wake cycles, which tell you what time you should go to sleep and wake up.
The sleep-wake cycle is the pattern by which you’ll get the sleep needed and the amount of sleep that you need.
Your circadian rhythm has two basic phases:
- Light sleep – one cycle of approximately 90 minutes; and
- Deep sleep – a cycle of 2 to 3 hours.
During the Light sleep phase, your body temperature is between 40° and 42°, your heart rate is approximately 75 beats per minute and your breathing is deep and relaxed.
As soon as your body goes into Deep Sleep, your body temperature begins to fall, your heart rate increases to 150 beats per minute, and your breathing is becoming shallow.
During the last sleep cycle of the Light sleep phase, your body temperature drops to 31°, your heart rate increases to 125 beats per minute and your breathing is shallow.
So for you to wake up naturally, you need to do two things. First, you need to go to sleep at a time in the day that allows you to wake up naturally in the morning. That’s why you can sleep when you want to, and you can wake up when you want to, in the morning.
Second, you need to allow yourself a certain amount of time to wake up naturally and do the things you need to do in the morning.
Let’s see how you can accomplish this.
How to achieve a regular wake-up time
There are five simple steps you need to take to change your internal clock.
Step 1: Improve your sleep schedule
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night is a good guideline to follow.
If you have a job and you work, go to school, exercise, or do anything that requires you to be up in the morning, you need to improve your sleep schedule.
You can also go to bed 30 minutes later in the evening, but be sure not to go to bed too early.
In other words, you want to go to sleep on the early side but still have enough time to fall asleep.
The ideal time to go to bed would be at around 11:30 pm and wake up at 6:30 am.
You can also lower the lights in your room 30 minutes before you go to sleep.
Avoid screens (laptop, mobile phone, tablet, television) 30 minutes before you go to sleep and make sure that your bedroom is not too hot or too cold.
If you have to wake up early, do it at 8 am on Saturday. Otherwise, do it at 8 am on Sunday.
If you work night shifts, start your day at 6:00 am on Saturday and 1:00 pm on Sunday.
Step 2: Eat a balanced breakfast
Eating a balanced breakfast can be very helpful.
Some people eat a low-carb breakfast, while others eat a high-carb breakfast.
My rule is to eat a moderate breakfast and a high-carb dinner.
After your meal, have a glass of hot milk and go to bed 30 minutes later.
Step 3: Exercise
Exercise in the morning is really important for you.
When you exercise in the morning, your body goes through a series of physical and mental processes, which make it feel as if you are not going to go to sleep for at least an hour and a half or so.
Your body temperature will drop, your heart rate will increase, your breathing will become shallow, your muscles will get hot and your eyes will get heavy.
So exercise in the morning to increase your wakefulness, maintain a normal sleep schedule and achieve excellent sleep.
Don’t just go to the gym and exercise for 30 minutes straight. Rather, do a 30-minute warm-up routine and do a full-body workout for 40 minutes.
You will find that this will have a positive effect on you, making you feel energized, and ready to go to work and school, without losing your energy.
Step 4: Get a cleaning task done before you go to bed
If you work full-time, clean your room before you go to sleep. You will find that a cleanroom reduces the need for artificial lighting at night.
If you have pets, clean their cages before you go to bed. You will find that having clean cages reduces the need for artificial lighting in your room at night.
Clean your dishes, your refrigerator, and your utensils before you go to bed.
You will find that if you do these things, your cooking will be easier and you will have fewer dishes to wash.
However, don’t do a full cleaning in one night. Do it in small portions, to avoid feeling exhausted the next day.
If you don’t have time to do a whole cleaning, do it only in the bedroom or the living room.
You can make your bed, wash the floor, tidy up the room and that will be enough.
Step 5: Have a quiet time
If you wake up early to exercise, then you can set aside 20 minutes for you to have a quiet time.
Go to your bedroom and take out a piece of paper or your journal.
Sit in silence and listen to the sounds around you, and think about the things you need to do that day.
You can listen to a sermon, a podcast, a podcast from your favorite theologian, or a sermon by your favorite Christian pastor.
Exercise is a physical and mental activity.
So spend your 20 minutes working on your spiritual life and getting your mind ready for the day ahead.
