5 Things That Can Help You Become A (Better) Morning Person
I know you don't like morning people, or morning itself. But you have to wake up anyway and get work done. These tips will help you get up better.
When I first saw this tweet, I laughed at the hilarity of it; how can anyone wake up in the morning and boom, they are on top of the world? But as I slowly (re)assessed myself, I started to feel attacked. Am I one of those morning persons? What a betrayal!
Then I started to ask myself, what is the shame of being a morning person? In fact, I have been feeling sad of late because I have not been morning-ing as I used to, causing my productivity to suffer a dent. This is therefore an accountability post as much as it is a productivity hack.
Let’s get into it!
“No one who can rise before dawn three hundred sixty days a year fails to make his family rich.” ― Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success
Advantages of being a morning person?
Dr Haley Perlus (PhD), a psychologist in sport and performance psychology, says that waking up early to complete your tasks can help give you a more positive mindset throughout your day.
“A sense of accomplishment at the start of the day creates energy that can carry through the rest of the day,” she says.
“When something negative happens [during a productive day], you are more set up to stay positive and optimistic than if you hadn’t been that way already in the morning.” Studies also show that being a morning person can improve your ability to concentrate, your reaction times, and overall conscientiousness when compared to a night owl.
Other academic findings also indicate that being a morning person can help you to be happier, have better mental health, sleep better, be more productive, lose weight, lower your risk for diabetes, among several other things. So, why not?
Five things that can help you become a better morning person
Breathing exercises/Meditation
The advantages of meditation have been well documented. Asides from the general merits of reducing tension, helping you to focus, meditating in the morning, or doing simple breathing exercises can help you to visualise your day and give you clarity. If you are not opposed to planning ahead, a clearer mind also means you get to plan better. My fav breathing exercise aid:
Drink water
If there is a good execution of Davido’s “wake up and jump-start,” it is drinking water. It awakens your system while giving you a relaxed feel. Being a morning person does not mean fire and brimstone; drink water and get to your business.
Exercise
I am not using ‘workout’ deliberately because people think every morning person runs to the gym, work out intently for hours while listening to some EDM, before running back home, getting in the shower, getting dressed for work, and getting to work in time. Okay, there are some morning persons like that.
But that is beside the point. You can do simple stretches. Do brisk walks. If you have the space, you can just try getting out of bed and walking around your house.
Eat some breakfast
This is where many people draw the line. Even for me, I have not done this in a while. But of course, I told you I was getting back on my feet. Breakfast, by the way, does not have to be heavy. It could be fruits. A slice of bread or two. Just try to get something into your system to let it know that it is morning. Some use coffee but I wouldn’t recommend it (because I h*te coffee!).
Let the light in
This is the one simple activity most people hate doing — especially those anti-morning bandits. Opening your window and letting light in tells every part of your body the simple truth you have been avoiding by snoozing your alarm; IT IS MORNING!!! While your room colour itself can affect how you feel, you can’t feel much in a dark room … except darkness.
Bonus point: LISTEN TO MUSIC!
TEA
The first public edition of NAN went out on Feb. 1, 2021. I think, maybe because I am a biased parent, I was more excited for the first anniversary of the first private post than for this. To make it up to you, NAN will be giving out a 1-year premium subscription to 1 lucky NANer. To win, Tweet at NAN and tell us the one principle/hack that you can’t stop using that you learned from NAN. Use the tags #NANHistoryMonth #NANiversary. The winner will be announced next NANday.
ICYMI:
Are there topics you want me to write on in future NAN episodes? Shoot me an email, leave a comment, or send a dm on Twitter.
Here is what I’ve been reading:
My friend (and an ardent NANer) started his newsletter recently. Please subscribe to support him.
I read this immersive investigation that was converted into the Netflix series; The Tinder Swindler. Read here.
I read this ‘philosophy’ article that I found some useful nuggets in.
And this one on overcoming productivity dysmorphia.
My current favourite long read is about Space. It’s simplified for anyone to understand. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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Be nice to other people, smile as much as you can, and live freely. Have a great week.
*cover image credit: Geber86/Shape Magazine