You know the opening sequence of Devil Wears Prada when they montage all of the glam ladies getting ready for work? That was my childhood dream. (I was in junior high when the movie came out but you get what I’m saying here, right?) To have everything so well put together, dressing up in the chic outfits, totally on top of the game was something I aspired to. Something I still aspire to. And while I do enjoy fun matching underwear sets, they give me the feeling that I absolutely have my life all together, I wear workout clothes to work so it’s safe to say I’ve let the majority of that dream become tailored to my reality.

Despite not throwing out Devil Wears Prada vibes each morning, I am still known for being a morning person.

Moment of truth, I am NOT a morning person. Like, not even a little bit. My coworkers would be shocked to hear that. My mother, not so much. She thinks it’s hilarious that anyone would ever ask my advice on how to “become a morning person”. But they do ask, all the time.

So what’s my secret? How do I go from being a self-professed Night Owl to a fully functional Early Bird?

First of all, I get paid to be at work before dawn, so let’s not pretend that that isn’t a motivator. Does it help that I love my job and the people I get to work with at 5am? Absolutely! But would I get up this early if I didn’t get paid for it? Probably not, no.

As someone who has been going to work in the pre-5am non-commute for over a year now, I can officially say it has altered my entire life. Largely positively, too!

So, when I had a whole week of going into work at a “normal time” I was curious if I would still get up extra early each day or give into the blessed snooze button. I rationalized that I would be better off staying “on schedule” rather than sleeping in since my schedule would be back to normal at the end of the week and I didn’t want to suffer through a week of super early mornings having slept in the week before. It was with this thought in mind that I set my alarm for 4:30am each day.

Um, guys, there is a whole universe of activity you’re missing out on if you sleep in! I watched sunrise, worked out, made breakfast, read a book, and got some work done each day before work! I’m officially turning in my night owl status for an early bird moniker! Everyone should try it!

And after a year and a half of crazy early mornings, I’ve got all the tools to help you get there!

Here are some of my best tips to make yourself into a morning person:

1. Give yourself a genuine bedtime

   1. My friends all know that bedtime is 7pm for me and there are only very special reasons I will break that, like my grandma’s birthday or something. Everyone else has to wait for the weekend. Your body needs sleep to function! I cannot even tell you what a massive difference getting the proper amount of sleep does for my energy, attitude, and apperance!

2. Turn off your blue lights!

   1. The blue light from your phone will keep you up longer because it stimulates your brain. Switch up your settings so you can turn on a soothing red light the half hour before your bedtime. You’ll be far more ready for bed that way!

3. Hydrate!

   1. You may be drinking a cup of joe (I don’t but as a Seattlite I understand the popularity of the whole culture) each morning but if you’re not drinking enough water then your body isn’t absorbing the caffeine and you’ve just wasted your coffee’s power to help. Plus, hydrating is good for your organs, both internal and external!

4. Eat enough the night before

   1. Nothing is worse than waking up hangry! Your whole day is going downhill fast if you’re cranky when you wake up. Do yourself a favor and make sure you’re getting enough fuel the night before!

5. Turn off your TV

   1. Similar to the blue light on your phone the activity in your brain is stimuated when your tv is going making it harder for you to fall asleep easily.

6. Find your motivation

   1. Everyone has a different reason for getting up early, figure out what yours is and make sure it’s strong enough to pull you out of bed even on those mornings when the blanket has accepted you as one of its own.

7. Give it a genuine chance

   1. It takes 21 days to form a new habit so give yourself a chance to really stick with it! Life can get in the way but you’re the master of your own fate and can decide that giving up after week one isn’t for you even when week one wasn’t all smooth sailing!

Let me know how it goes!

xo,

Kate