When was the last time you woke up at 5 am? Not because you had to lest you be late to work, but because you wanted to, in the name of productivity? Or in the name of just being a morning person?!? I know, I know…you’re like HA HA HA YEAH RIGHT ERICA. Hilarious. Slapping my knee before I slap you for such a crazy thought.

…But really though.

For as much as we all love to sleep, we also love not feeling like a total zombie first thing in the AM. Enter the terribly tricky and all-too-often-Googled art of becoming a…” morning person.” Personally, I’m definitely most productive in the morning. But that whole wake-up-with-the-sun thing to get even more done? nothankyou.

But, I totally get where science is coming from. Waking up earlier supposedly leads to a more optimism and proactive thinking, and it definitely means getting a head start on the rest of the world. At the end of the day (or rather, the beginning), it’s best to be a morning person. So here are 13 ways to up your morning person game…this morning.

P.S. If you’re a fan of podcasts, I’ve got one of those! Don’t miss Episode 2 of THRIVE to learn even MORE about maximizing your mornings!

P.P.S. Feel free to pin this image for later! 😉

• Pre-plan

Being good in the morning starts with being good at night! Perhaps the #1 key to my morning success lies entirely on what I did (or did not do) the prior night. Before bed each night, plan out your following day to a T. Outline everything you need to do and when you’ll do it. It’s a lot easier to set clear intentions when you’re clear-headed instead of groggy, and you’ll be setting yourself up for major productivity when it matters most.

• Set a motivated alarm…

They always say to keep your alarm away from your bed. That used to work for me…until I started just getting up, turning it off, and taking it back with me to bed. HA. Instead, it might help to give yourself a lil’ pre-meditated pep talk with your alarm. On iPhones, when setting an alarm, you can type in a message to be displayed on screen when the alarm goes off. So, I’ve got “I can do all things through CHRIST!” nice and big on mine, so that I’m starting my day with my favorite verse and an important reminder.

• Actively choose sleepwear 😉

If your best intention is to workout first thing, don’t let AM groggies and doubts get you off course. That would hurt your day’s overall tone from the get go, and life’s too short. If you want need to start your day movin’ and groovin’ to make it happen, sleep in your workout gear so you can literally roll out of bed and go.

• Sleep it off

Newsflash: It’s a lot easier to wake up earlier if you’ve…gone to SLEEP earlier! Of course you’ll feel like crap if you continue with your usual bedtime and only shift wake up – that’s called torture. Just because you’re rising sooner doesn’t mean you need any less sleep, so if you’re going to be intentional about the morning, it requires intention at night, too. Know how many hours of sleep your own body needs and GIVE IT THAT.

• Practice gratitude

Grateful people are happier people, point blank period. I’ve always been quick to thank God or thank others whenever something goes right, but I’ve been trying to be more regular with nightly gratitude journaling. When you go to bed with a big smile on your face, praising Him for the blessings in your life, I swear it becomes easier to perk up in the morning!

• Eat something yummy

Make sure your fridge is fully stocked so you can wake up and make a yummy breakfast of whatever floats your boat. More often than not, the *only* thing getting me up is food and/or coffee. Any morning person would likely agree…#ButFirstCoffee.

• Make your routine 3 P’s

I once read the importance of crafting a morning routine under the 3 P’s: positive, physical, and productive. You don’t necessarily need your morning to be all three to succeed, but you should focus on what works for waking you up and keeping you content. If positivity gets you goin’, make gratitude journaling the first and foremost task. If adrenaline pumps you up, roll outta bed and to the gym. If productivity inspires you top o’ the mornin’, check out some hacks to be productive and start grinding out quality work. Just make sure you’re clear and consistent with what works for you, because with any routine, consistency is key!

• Stop snoozing.

Like, seriously. Stop. Snoozing literally destroys your sleep and leaves you feeling MORE tired. When you snooze, you never go back to REM sleep – aka, the only sleep that leaves you coming outta the other side feeling more rested. So, it’s SO not the route of choice when you’re trying to ease into mornings! Demetri Martin said it best: Hitting the snooze button in the morning doesn’t even make sense. It’s like saying, “I hate getting up in the morning so I do it over and over and over again.” 😉

• Play a mind game.

If you just canNOT stop hitting snooze, try an “inverted snooze.” Tap the button, but get out of bed, giving yourself full permission to be a zombie for the next 5-9 minutes of “snooze” time. Walk it off, brew some coffee, stretch, hum, pray, sing a song…whatever it takes to start feeling a teensy bit more alive and alert before the alarm sounds again. You might not be able to force your brain + body to believe you’re truly a “morning person”, but you can at least start maximizing your mornings until you get there!

• Treat yo’self.

My favorite mantra. When you have successfully woken up at your earlier goal for, say, a week straight, reward thyself for a job well done. Don’t go crazy with it, because if the goal is to get consistent with a new routine…too many treats won’t necessarily feel great after awhile. Ha! But set small markers for yourself to track success, whether that means a piece of chocolate, a Starbucks, a bath bomb, or an extra hour of your favorite show. See – being a morning person ain’t that bad! 😉

Are you a morning person?

I’d lovelovelove to hear what works (or doesn’t work!) when you’re waking up en la mañana. How do you get motivated to get up and get rockin’?