If you're like me, getting out of bed in the morning is one of the worst moments of the day. Who has the right to drag me out of the warm, comfy cocoon my bedsheets have enveloped me in?
No one, that's who.
Alas, we have to get out of bed at some point and start our days. Whether we're in a rush to get to the office, walk our dog, make breakfast or go to the gym (yikes), getting out of bed is the first step.
But I'm over this “You can learn to be a morning person” garbage. I firmly believe everyone is either an evening person or a morning person.
Yes, you can learn to get up a little earlier, go to bed a little earlier, drink tea, whatever... but we will always have our preferences ingrained in us, no matter what habits we enforce.
If getting out of bed is as rough for you as it is for me, try some of these tried, true and tested methods of making your morning routine a little less miserable:
1. If you can, try not to take a nap in the afternoon.
Naps were one of my favorite activities in college. Who can resist the call of a comfy pillow and mattress topper, especially if it lets you procrastinate studying for that test... even if just for a few extra hours?
But if I DID nap, I always had an incredibly tough time falling asleep that night, due to the extra zzz's I'd had earlier on in the day.
By skipping nap time, you will have an easier time going to sleep when you want to. You will wake up feeling even more refreshed.
2. Have something to look forward to in the mornings.
If you have to wake up earlier, wouldn't you rather have it be for a nice cup of coffee and an episode of your favorite Netflix show? No one wants to wake up to a doctor's appointment or rush to get out the door on time.
Set up something in the mornings you can get up and look forward to.
Don't have enough time for your friends? Set up a coffee date to catch up before work.
Feel like you don't spend enough time with your pet? Make it a mission to take your furry friend on a walk in the morning.
If we look forward to something, we are much more eager to get out of bed.
3. Have an active “snooze.”
Stay with me on this one: Once your alarm goes off, hit snooze and STAY out of bed. Do something slow and easy, like making yourself a cup of coffee or picking out your outfit for the day.
By the time your snooze alarm goes off, you will be fully awake and ready for the day.
4. Take advantage of waking up naturally.
If you are one of the lucky ones who wake up just a few minutes shy of their alarm clock, you should seize the opportunity to get up. That wake up likely occurred while you were in a lighter sleep stage, making the transition to fully awake that much more bearable.
Going back to sleep for a few minutes, on the other hand, will likely render you more exhausted than when you previously woke up. This is because it will re-enter you into the sleep cycle, therefore interrupting you in the middle of a deeper sleep state.
Once you've given every item on this list a shot, you're sure to be waking up a little less miserable every day.
