How to Become a Morning Person

Do the thought of mornings make you shudder? Is seeing the sunrise about as familiar as to you as Chinese? Have you secretly plotted a quick, painful death for your alarm clock on more than one occasion?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then chances are you are not a morning person. If the term "morning person" is more like a swear word than a label that describes you're a.m. demeanor, the following tips just might help change you from a self-proclaimed morning-hater to a morning-lover.

Pick a Wake Up Time and Stick To It
Set your alarm and wake up at the same time seven days a week. This is really hard for those who love to sleep late. This is what prevented me from making the switch for many years. Unfortunately, though, this is key in making the switch. Consistency is important to train your body. Believe it or not, once you get in the habit of waking early, it becomes easier. In fact, after waking at the same time everyday for a period of time, you might not even need that annoying alarm clock anymore. Wouldn't that be nice?

Get Up!
This one seems obvious, but for those who hate mornings, this is a hard one. Generally, I'm not very good at math but for some reason I am excellent at adding and subtracting when my alarm goes off. I negotiate all the things I don't really have to do in order to get more sleep. Don't give into that little voice that says, "Just five more minutes." No matter how hard you try to convince yourself, getting up will not be any easier after a few more minutes of sleep. In fact, it may be harder.

Get Enough Sleep
Most non-morning people claim they are too tired to get up early. The obvious solution to this is to go to bed earlier! If you wake one morning and feel too tired to get up, get up anyway. Go to bed earlier that night so you will be well rested the next morning. Getting enough sleep is very important in being a productive morning person.