HOW to become a morning person (and it's simple).

Now that you all are 100% convinced the morning hours should be spent awake, instead of snoozing (right?), I will give you some steps you can take to get there.

First off, set your alarm to 5 am and just get up when it buzzes/rings/screams.

Not. (that even sounds miserable to me!)

No, but seriously. Here are a few ways to help in that transition. And I CHALLENGE YOU. Just try this for a week (and com'mon, if you can do the #whole30 deal for a whole month, you can do this for a week...though I would bet some of you might do it longer when you see how wonderful life is hee hee)

So. Now you're committed. Please. I beg of you. DON'T JUST SET THE ALARM FOR 5 AM TOMORROW MORNING (sorry. this is how my hubby is. he loves Dr. Pepper to the moon and back, and then randomly swears off it for a year or so...cold turkey. It never works) You've got to do this gradually. So gradually, you won't even notice it. :) Some of these steps might be easier to do than others. That's just fine! Start with the easy ones and gradually add steps as you go. These aren't in any special order, because really, they are all pretty important.

Okay, let's get to it already!

1. Set the alarm 5-10 minutes earlier than normal. This one is so easy. Depending on how quickly you want to become a morning person, you could even do 15 minutes early. I wouldn't recommend doing more than 15 minutes, or you might have too hard of time getting up (yah. my hubby would set the alarm three hours early and last one day) ;) You need to give your body time to adjust. So do you normally get up at 7:30 am? Set your alarm for 7:25. In a couple days, set it for 7:20. Keep doing this. Trust me, as you add minutes to your day (and yes, I still feel like I have a longer day than everyone else...it just FEELS like it) you won't be able to keep that smile off your face. (right.)

2. Get to sleep on time at night. This one is SO critical, no matter if you are an early bird or not. You need to count backwards 8.5 hours from the time you get up. So if you arise at 7:00 am, you need to be going to bed around 10:30. But I thought you only needed 8 hours...?? Yep. That's right. But you KNOW as well as I do, how long it actually takes to go to bed. That extra half hour gives you a little time to pitter-patter around (or get the kids pjs on, brush teeth, read bedtime story...hm...maybe give yourself 1.5 hours) :) But this one is critical. You've GOT to set a bedtime for yourself. And yes, our boys stay up later sometimes. But as long as I've helped my hubby with that bedtime routine and all that's left is actually putting them in bed, you CAN simply go in your room, shut the light off and crawl between the sheets. Honestly, I KNOW kids might still crawl in with you, but as long as the light is off, they will either lose interest fast or fall asleep themselves. :)

3. Set out your clothes the night before. This one seems like it's not that big of a deal, but it is. It's funny, because a number of these step we enforce with our child(ren). Why? Because we know what is best for them, and what makes their life (and ours) run smoothly. So why does it change when we are adults? It doesn't really. It's just that we don't have to listen to anyone anymore. So we fall off the bandwagon. Now. Where was I? (ahem). Oh yes. Set your clothes out. Do it. In that extra half hour you've set aside in "going to bed" go put out your clothes. I do take the easy route sometimes right now, and simply throw on a robe in the morning. However, this step is critical for when I exercise in the morning. I've got to even have the tennis shoes set out. Also, my oldest will be starting school this fall (look for a billion blog posts as I sort through my emotions on this) and I have a funny feeling that I shouldn't bring him to school in my robe.

4. Have something specific (and FUN) in mind for every morning. Now this might sound like a lot of work right off the bat. It's not. It can be something as little as your cup of coffee (in the quiet stillness of your favorite Laz-y-Boy). You trying to tell me that's not fun? Or it could be those beautiful mornings that call your name from the mountain, bike path, beach or road (depending on where you live in the fabulous country we call America..."AMERICA AMERICA, GOD SHED HIS GRACE ON THEE"....sorry, that song popped to mind and I inherited the "sing at every chance from my grandmother") and seriously, you might not be in America anyways....but you should come visit sometime! Now. What on earth was I talking about. Oh yah. Make it fun people. You've got to. What's the point of getting up and staring at a wall.

Oh and btw, this is the PERFECT TIME....I need to repeat this. THE PERFECT TIME to work on any sort of small business ideas you have. I started (and still do various aspects of the biz) mylittleclothesline in these morning hours. It definitely got me out of bed. So if you are running an Etsy shop, writing a book or blog or what have you, this is a huge block of time you get with no distractions.

5. Do not consume caffeine (chocolate, coffee, soda) after 4 pm. This one can be a tuff-y. I'm pretty good at the coffee and soda part, but chocolate...? ....sigh..... But no. This is a habit I have been working on for many years. My favorite time to eat used to be in the evening/night just before going to bed. Not only do the calories triple (I swear they do anyways) in anything consumed before bedtime, it also can disrupt your sleep. There have been times when I lay exhausted in bed, but my mind Will. Not. Shut. Off. The next morning, I remember that I had a chocolate chip cookie (or 4) the night before. So I've had to train myself to eat any sweets etc in the afternoons, after lunch and after putting my littles down for naps. If your littles don't go for naps, your just doomed to eating your treats with them. :D Sometimes though, I still want just a little "something". Then I drink some hot apple cider (you could do tea) or just water. Pretty boring with just water, but your body needs as much water as possible. And frankly, I find I'm so tired at night, that my interest to eat and drink has diminished. Which leads me to another rule I have. NEVER EVER EVER EVER EAT ANYTHING UNHEALTHY FOR YOU IF YOU AREN'T ENJOYING IT TO THE MAX. It just simply isn't worth the calories.

6. Leave your cell phone (or anything electronic) outside your room. Now, this being said, I don't use an alarm to get up anymore. You too can get to this point, but might need the alarm on your phone for now. That's fine. But you will need the superhuman will power to simply turn your phone upside down and not look at it. This does make a difference in your ability to fall asleep quickly AND deeply. Eventually, you might not need the alarm, and you simply get up when your body wakes up. How peaceful :) I also like to read a magazine (usually this Parents magazine) just before drifting off. Sometimes I only get a few pages in, other times 10 minutes. But is does relax me.

7. Take a warm shower. This one only applies to you "night shower" people, and isn't too critical. If you take showers in the morning, don't sweat it (seriously. the sheets will stick to you..ha. ha.)

8. Wake up at the same time every morning. Now this one is after you've adjusted your sleeping habits accordingly. You really should get up at the same time every single morning, even on weekends. It keeps your body's clock regulated. I will admit, I'm not the best at this. During the week and even on Saturday, I do it no problem (unless I have a newborn....I never set a schedule in any way, shape or form until they sleep through the night) But Sunday. I just love cuddling up to hubby until the boys wake up. And...it's okay. :)

9. DON'T HIT "SNOOZE" (and don't lounge in bed). If you do, you are just wasting precious time. Once your body wakes up in the morning, you simply can't fall back asleep without feeling groggy or tired later. We have all done this. You hit "snooze" and drift off again...hit "snooze" again...When you finally get up, you feel tired and just groggy. It is not worth the effort. If you simply get up when your alarm or body wakes you, you feel the best. After all, you just slept 8 hours (or around there) and your day is ready to begin. This one can be hard to start, but it's just a habit that can be changed.

10. If you really are getting desperate, get a "text" buddy. If you want to be an early riser, but just can't seem to do it, find another early bird in your circle. Set a time that you will text them, and you will feel some accountability. This works.

So? Are you up to the challenge?