You know them. Those people who wake up cheery and ready to take on the day. No coffee worship required. What if you too could be a morning person?

There are those who bound out of bed, ready to greet the day. And those of us who’d rather stay up into the wee hours and pull the covers over our heads when the alarm goes off.

One of the latter? Turn your night owl tendencies around and learn how to become a morning person.

9 Steps on How to Become a Morning Person

1. Turn in early. That sunny disposition morning people share? They aren’t faking a great night’s sleep. Put that book away, turn off your computer, drink warm milk–whatever it takes to get you in the sack at an early hour. Ayurveda says 10:00 pm is the cutoff for shut eye. After that and your mind automatically catches its second wind.

2. Get good Zzzs. White noise, sleep mask, cooler (or warmer) bedroom temps, a decent pillow. Set up your sleep enviro for a sound night. If you are waking up periodically it takes away from your rest. Too much on your mind? Try jotting down your to-dos or worries before bed and tell yourself you will deal with them in the morning.

3. Did you sweat today? Regular exercise not only keeps you fit and stress-free, it makes you tired at night. Take a walk, hit the gym, Zumba in your living room. Do whatever you like to move your bod so you get better sleep.

4. Plan ahead. Coffee makers have timers for a reason. Set that baby and the smell of some fresh brew is sure to get you bounding out of bed. Packing lunches, laying out clothes, and finding necessities the night before isn’t a bad idea either.

5. Stop the snooze. That snooze button you love so much? It is a slippery slope. Set your alarm for the actual time that you need to get out of bed. No snoozing allowed.

6. Obey the schedule. We are creatures of habit. Going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning will train your body. You know how your dog is panting at your bedside at 5:30 am on your day off? It’s because his internal clock tells him it is time to start the day. Works for people too.

7. Eat your breakfast. If you are skipping this meal, it’s no wonder you are falling flat mid-morning and wishing you were still in bed. Get your body a healthy breakfast first thing, preferably some protein, and you’ll set yourself up for a better day.

8. Keep it simple. If your routine takes too much time it can be daunting and make you want to stay in bed. Go for a simple makeup look (or no makeup at all) that you can do in a few minutes. Better yet, shower before bed and combine your easy makeup routine with a knockout second day hair look.

9. Fake it ‘til you make it. Rather than stumbling bleary eyed into the shower and complaining (even to yourself) about being up so early, act like a morning person. Turn on some tunes, start exercising before work instead of after, try zesty aromatherapy for energy. Make it practically impossible to want to go back to bed.

Stick with these tricks and soon you’ll be up and at ‘em like a champ.

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Image of happy woman in the morning via Shutterstock

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The way you start your day has a drastic effect on how the rest of it will unfold. Getting into routine of taking quality time for yourself–a power hour–could be a key to not only a successful day, but a successful life.

Inspired by Fast Company’s “What Successful People Do With the First Hour of Their Day” here are tips for a successful day and thus, successful life.

1. Your email isn’t going anywhere, don’t check it first thing.

This might seem like career suicide to some, or waking up without your left arm attached, but get in the habit of avoiding reading your email first thing.  Looking at emails first thing will make your head spin with things you have to do, people who didn’t yet get back to you or that what’s happening in the middle-east. Yes, these are all important things, but with the busy lives we live, taking that time to ourself to clear our head is vital. Plus, don’t worry all those emails, they’ll still be there when power hour is over.

2. Are you doing what you want to be doing?

Yes, I know–this could sound a little overwhelming and perhaps broad, but really, are you? Ask yourself if what you are going to do is exactly what you want to do today. Will it make you happy? Fulfilled? Life is short and the time is now. Power hour is a great time to evaluate progress toward the goals that matter.

3. Get your blood pumping.

Take a walk, run, stretch, kickbox–even if it’s only for seven minutes, get your body moving!

4. Do the big stuff first.

The first hour of the day can be the best for power hour. Use it to take time for yourself to reflect and prepare for the day ahead or use the time to tackle your daily demons. Do that one thing you don’t want to do. Or that one thing that scares you. By doing this first you’ll clear it out of the way, make room for everything else and feel extremely accomplished throughout the entire day.

5. Gratitude and gratefulness.

What are you grateful for? Say a little Grace for all the wonderful things in your life that are so often over looked. Take time during power hour to visualize what you are grateful.  This gratitude will fill you with a sense of abundance, but will also allow you to see clearly what else you want to manifest into your life.

See Also:

Brain Games: 3 Easy Exercises for a Happy, Healthy Brain

31 Motivational Quotes on Success

image: Mc Cafe And Store

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