When I was asked to write about How To Become a Morning Person, I was a bit stumped…. You see I have always been a morning person, so my post was going to be real short.  Just Wake Up with a Smile and Go!  I started asking around and I realized not everyone is like me, there are people that struggle to get out of their nice warm beds.  Not everyone is giddy like me with a sunrise, coffee and good run in the morning to start their day.  I am such an extreme morning person; I prefer to schedule all my meetings before noon as that is when I am sharpest.  Needless to say, I am horrible at 7:30pm Jeopardy, ‘Alex I need that question tomorrow morning at 5:30am please.’  With all that being said, here are tips on what I do to be a morning person, and some tips I learned from some “not so” morning people.

Get to Bed Early –

Again, I sound really boring, but I was the one child my parents never had to worry about staying up past curfew because I liked to go to bed early.  As dorky as that sounds, that was me.  Jerry and I still go to bed early. Every night by 9pm we are asleep or on the way to sleep.   If you are a late-night person, maybe try shaving off a little time at night.   My usual routine includes taking a Magnesium/Potassium supplement and reading a couple chapters on my Kindle. After that I am usually out.  Some people like Melatonin and my favorite Nuun(link) has even come out with a Sleepy Electrolyte.  Find what works for you.   We do occasionally stay up way past our bed time but we are very quick to get back on schedule.

Set a Date in the AM –

I have my 2 best running buddies that meet me 3-4 days a week at 6:00 am to run the woods of First Landing State Park or the surrounding neighborhoods.  We have been through so many things together in our 20-year history of doing this; births, deaths, children graduating, college, etc.  I look forward to those runs and do not know where I would be without them.  On the other days during the week, Jerry and I enjoy bike rides and cross training together.  It is very rare when we do not work out in the morning.   Find a friend and make a date or join a gym and stick to a particular class you love.  You will not regret it.

Early work session –

My daughter Chrissy is not a morning person. I asked her how she tries to overcome this, and she said she became motivated when her company gave an opportunity for her to work an earlier shift.  This allowed her to come home earlier in the day to enjoy the afternoon.  She said she always sets her coffee timer, so she has warm coffee waiting for her and she jumps immediately in the shower to get some water to shock her awake.  Coffee is key!!

Juggle the family –

If you are a young family with some young children, trade off your early morning workouts. My sister and her husband trade off their days to work out in the am – she gets Mon, Wed Fri, he gets Tues and Thurs.  This plan works for them so one of them is home to get the kids ready for school.

I hope this helps you become the Early Bird that Catches the Worm.  If you are not an early to rise person and want to become one, celebrate small successes until you get to that point.