“Early bird gets the worm.” A saying we all know. I used to hate the thought of waking up earlier than 9 am. The only thing I used to look forward to in the mornings was my morning phone scroll routine. But I realized that staying in my bed was not fulfilling or productive for me. I knew I had to make a change, and even something as small as forcing myself to wake up earlier and get going has instilled new habits of discipline in my life.

1) Why wake up early?

The most important thing you need to ask yourself is WHY? Why wake up earlier? There are so many benefits to waking up early, you need to ask how this change will impact your routine. For me, my “why” consisted of wanting control over my mornings. The rest of the day gets hectic for me, and I wanted to be able to spend my morning peacefully without distractions. I value slow mornings and when I get the ability to not rush, I am more productive and in the right headspace to start the day.

2) Make small goals

It was so incredibly difficult to get into the routine of waking up early. My whole day was thrown off balance- the time I ate my meals, the time I studied, the time I had for myself. What worked for me was not the cold turkey method, but rather gradually making small changes. I started by making sure I didn’t drink any caffeine past 11 am so that I could sleep earlier. I then had my dinners prepared beforehand, so I didn’t need to spend my evenings cooking for too long. I made sure that I planned my weeks out each Sunday, so I had a rough idea of what I needed to do each day. Finally, I started by getting into bed earlier and then, with time, my body became more and more accustomed to the 4:30 am wake-ups.

3) Sustainable routine

I have days where I know that my body needs more rest, so I make sure that I’m not too hard on myself for straying away from my schedule from time to time. Sometimes you start your day off by things not going your way. That’s the beauty of a slow morning- hiccups happen and you have time for flexibility. Be real and kind with yourself, not idealistic.

4) Bask in the alone time

It can sometimes get lonely when you feel like the rest of the world is quiet. Take that time to really enjoy the time you have with yourself. You will find yourself feeling more focused, less stressed, and getting more done within a day. Becoming a morning person is about finding what works for you and what doesn’t. Being able to make positive changes in your life will leave you feeling happier and you might surprise yourself with what you’re capable of getting accomplished.

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