How to become a morning person

For the last two weeks, I’ve been setting my alarm for 6am in the hopes that one day I will actually get up and enjoy a couple of hours of ‘me time’ before work. But alas, I’ve hit snooze every single time. I’m determined, though, so over the next week I’ll be trying out these tips to turn myself into a cheery, chirpy morning person.

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1. Minus an hour from my evening

To get up early, I need to start going to bed earlier and in order to do this, something has to give. Whether this means recording my favourite late night shows, switching to washing my hair in the mornings or running errands on my lunch break instead of after work, I need to stop doing activities earlier, so I can start unwinding earlier. That shouldn’t be too hard, right?

2. Set my alarm to a different, fun song every few days

Is it just me, or do phones only offer two kinds of in-built alarm options: ridiculously loud horns/beeps or something as quiet as a whisper? To avoid waking up to the most annoying noise ever (or not waking up at all), I’m going to set my alarm to play my favourite songs so I can wake up in a good mood – and resist the urge to throw my phone at the wall.

3. Make something delicious for breakfast

Nothing can get me out of bed faster than food. So by having pre-made pancakes, overnight oats or the ingredients for a delicious smoothie waiting for me, I’ll be more likely to rise and shine.

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4. Leave my curtains open

Waking up in the dark is so depressing, it sends me right back to sleep. My solution? I’m going to try sleeping with my curtains open, so that light fills my room first thing. Now I just have to convince my subconscious that there isn’t a creepy creature peering in my window at night.

5. Don’t use my phone or computer after 9pm

I think this will be the hardest for me. At the moment, my bedtime routine literally revolves around watching something on my computer and then checking Instagram one more time before putting my head on the pillow. I need to switch off my brain earlier by switching off my electronics.

6. Pack the night before

Whether it’s packing a bag for the gym or making my lunch for work, I will have everything ready to go the night before so there’s no need to do mundane tasks in the morning. I’ll be more likely to get up if it’s to do something for me, like reading a mag or working out.

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7. Get up as soon as the alarm sounds

When I do manage to stop myself from hitting snooze, I still remain in bed for up to half an hour – defeating the whole purpose of setting an early alarm! Maybe I’ll keep my phone at the other end of the room to force myself to get up…

8. Reward myself

It sounds a little childish, but if I do get up at 6am after trying these tricks, I’m definitely going to celebrate. If I can do it for a whole week, I think an hour-long massage will be in order. #treatyoself

Are you a morning person? What are your tricks for getting up early?