So You Want to be a Morning Person?

I read this quote, "If God wakes you up in the middle of the night, He has something to discuss with you." They're on to something. I took heed a couple times (prayed, looked at the ceiling or journaled), and couldn't go back to sleep so.... might as well keep the day pushing.

For 27 years of my life, I was a night owl & worked best at night. On the other hand, I thought 5 am exercisers were quite literally insane, and don't have time to sleep. It's actually the OPPOSITE. They have time for everything.

5 Reasons You Want to be a Morning Person:

1. You HATE waking up to an alarm, and it ruins your morning mood (so you drink coffee to boost your mood).
2. You hate giving your day away to work, traffic, errands, family & friends. There's a very loose schedule & your day is literally gone with the wind.
3. You have a hard time going to sleep & get sick easily (migraines, headaches, etc.)
4. You sleep bloated, wake up still full or have tummy aches due to late night eating (post-8 pm).
5. You don't eat minimum 2 meals a day (it actually causes weight gain because your body holds onto carbs, unsure when it'll be fed again)

The only way to address these was getting in the gym. If you do it right, it's the center of your day. Exercise is a celebration of what your body CAN do; not punishment for what it can't.

Unfortunately the gym is packed from 5-8 pm, which means I'm either eating late around 9 pm OR I'm rushing through workouts in the crowded gym. And I still have to fit in an tv episode or two lol.

Moving forward- do you remember hearing birds chirping all day in 2019/20? The world was still- and that's exactly what's happening at 5 am. The house is quiet and there's no phone alerts. It's just you, God and your thoughts.

Now that we're on the same page- this is how I became a morning person:

• I bought a journal (inspirational, no-bleed ones are amazing). I write before and after sleep- usually 30-45 minutes. Before helps me fall asleep. After waking up, it gives me motivation and energy. Have carpel tunnel or bad handwriting? Get a comfortable pen to hold (like Sharpie's fine tip). Script out your day, hope for peaceful dreams and how you want to feel.
• I bought remote-controlled, colored light bulbs at #Costco. Get the brands that have an iPhone/Android app feature. I program my lights to cut on at a certain time.
• I bought a smart-home assistant aka Echo Dot. At 9 pm it begins playing white noise, rain, sleepy jazz or dream playlists. Then it wakes me up to nature sounds.
• I don't sleep with my tv on, however it's usually on until I fall asleep. In fact, I usually turn it on and cut it off 15 minutes into a show because I'm so tired.
• I bought an eye mask. Random lights will keep you up. The soft pressure relaxes my eyes.
• I sleep with an air purifier. If you have allergies it's amazing. Other wise it's great white noise.
• I sleep under 70 degrees. It's better for insomnia, and lowers your basal temp.
• I sleep with a weighted blanket. It's pressure therapy according to UPenn Medicine. Think swaddling a baby, but the grown up version.
• I sleep with my phone ON THE GROUND- not the nightstand. Hear me out. You will feel silly and obsessed reaching on the floor.
• I know what I'm going to drink every single morning. Toasted bread, avocado, turkey bacon and eggs. I chill a protein shake to drink when I come back home. This is one less decision I have to make for the day.
• I listen to a sermon, or podcast before or in the gym. And do nottttt log into social media. In fact, most of the time I only visit on Safari. If I want to post, I'll download the app.

Side Note: Give yourself grace if you don't stick to this everyday. Have a back up system in place if you're two hours behind starting the day. My last couple months has affected my routine drastically, but my body is still ready to wake up at 5 am if I want it to.

Now that we're on the same page.... Which tips are you most likely to do? What keeps you up at night?