Let me start by saying this is not an every morning situation. But, at least two days a week I like to get up early and start my day before the sun even has a chance to peek through the morning clouds. Mostly this is because I want to make it to Pure Barre before work and the only time that works with my schedule is the 5:45am class, but getting up early has also given me the chance to work on my own brand before starting my work day.
As someone who loves sleep and is always up for lazy mornings, getting up this early was challenging at first. Honestly, there are still days, like today, where getting up this early isn't exactly the easiest thing I've done. The thing is though, I still do it, because I know it will benefit me in the long run.
When people find out I get up at 4:30am on Mondays and Fridays they typically ask "Oh my gosh, why do you do that?" followed quickly by "How do you do that?". I've made a list of all of the things I do to help make these early mornings a little easier, just in case you want to try getting up early some day!
Give Yourself a Reason
For me, the reason I choose to get up this early isI two-fold. One, I schedule a 5:45am Pure Barre class (and I refuse to miss it) and two, I want to have a little bit of time to work on my own brand before heading into work. Waking up at 4:30 gives me time to wake up and work on some simple, but important brand tasks before heading to Barre.
I think it's so important to give yourself a reason for waking up this early. When I was in college there were days where I'd tell myself I was going to get up an hour or so earlier for class "just because" and let's face it, the snooze button was used more times than usual on those days. Giving yourself a reason to get up is key. Maybe it's an early morning workout, or you want to give yourself time to get some things done around your house. Whatever it is, make sure it's a reason that will really motivate you to get out of bed.
Think about when you travel! Early mornings aren't so bad when you have a flight or a vacation to look forward to! Try finding something that will motivate you almost as much as vacation!
Put Your Alarm Across the Room
This is something I try to do everyday but I think it's incredibly helpful on these super early mornings. I wish I could say I was one of those people who jumped right out of bed at the first alarm, but I'm not there yet. So, until then I use my Alexa and my iPhone as my alarms. I have my Alexa set up in a different room, that way she can't hear my early morning mumblings telling her to "stop" or "be quiet". Likewise, my phone is set up far enough across my room to where I have to get up to shut it off. I've found it's been so much easier to get up to my alarms if I'm forced to get out of bed to deal with them.
Make Your Bed Right Away
Again, this is something I do regardless of what time I get up. Making my bed as soon as I get up and turn on the lights has saved me from crawling back into it countless times. I I also find making my bed helps me feel a little better first thing in the morning. Keeping my space looking clean and put together helps me get in the right mindset for the day, so I find making sure to make my bed immediately, rather than waiting even a few minutes, really helps me focus on what I'm doing - especially super early in the morning.
Get Dressed
Now, I typically like to get dressed a little later into my mornings and would usually prefer to start my day staying in my pajamas. That being said, I find when I'm getting up super early, getting out of my pajamas as fast as I can keeps me motivated to stay awake. Since I know I'm headed to workout first thing, I'll put my workout clothes on for the day but you can switch it up! You don't even need to put your outfit for the day on, just something to get you out of what you slept in will help give you the boost you need to keep pushing through your morning.
Make a Cup of Coffee
I suppose if you aren't a coffee lover like me this isn't really a required step for you, but I definitely couldn't get through early mornings without it. Making a cup of coffee first thing helps me get through these sleepy mornings. I usually make my cup of coffee while I'm making my bed or brushing my teeth so that it's ready as soon as I walk into the kitchen. It's something I enjoy and I find that doing little things you enjoy first thing in the morning makes getting up that much easier.
There you have it, the main things I find help me get up at 4:30am. What time do you all start your day? Let me know below and let me know if you give any of these things a try!