similar Greek Key pillows // similar starburst mirror
Jill Sorensen bedding // Lulu & Georgia chevron lamps
For the majority of my life I have been a night owl. From middle school onward, I always thought I did my best work at night, staying up into the wee hours of the morning to finish assignments, read books, write blog posts and whatnot. This is just how I've always been! Recently, though, I started feeling like it was taking a toll on my health - I was going to bed too late, stressing out before bed, not sleeping well, feeling groggy in the morning and being less productive during the day. I made a pact with myself to start "becoming a morning person" and, guess what you guys! I love it.
Research has proven that people who wake up earlier tend to feel more optimistic and proactive, and can even be healthier and less stressed than those who sleep late... and I believe it's true. Here are my tips for becoming a morning person:
1. Cut out electronics
In order to go to bed earlier, you have to cut out the thing that makes you stay up later. Since my job revolves around social media, this was the toughest one (yet most important) for me! Almost every single night, you could find me laying in bed, finishing my blog post on my lap top, responding to emails or scrolling through Instagram or Twitter and planning out what content I could post the next day. This was having the opposite effect on me: revving up my brain and increasing stress right before I was supposed to fall asleep at night. Then, when I finally did turn off the electronics, my brain would be buzzing with ideas and "to do's," making it nearly impossible to fall asleep. Cutting out technology before bed has made the biggest impact: I don't look at my computer, iPad or even my phone for the last twenty minute before I plan to go to sleep.
2. Establish a Calming Night Routine
If you have a calming night routine and an extra comfortable bed, I promise you will look forward to it all day long! Put on a pair of cozy pajamas and make yourself a cup of nighttime tea that you can sip as you unwind. Take a bath with a drop of lavender essential oils, light a candle with a soothing scent (I just ordered this one), or try out a hydrating overnight face mask. Pampering yourself before bed will quiet your mind and help you sleep better, and if you make it into a habit, you'll train your body to recognize the signals that it's time for bed.
3. Keep a Notepad on your Nightstand
Even after cutting out electronics and establishing a calming night routine, I still sometimes have random, urgent thoughts pop into my head as I'm trying to fall asleep at night. I'll remember that I still need to sign a contract or respond to an email, and my brain automatically starts revving up and I can feel my stress levels rising. Keeping a notepad next to your bed is the biggest way to combat this! When an idea pops into my head late at night, I write it down on the notepad so that I remember it first thing in the morning. Then I can fall sleep with a clear mind, knowing that the "urgent thing" will be taken care of the next day.
4. Open the blinds
Now that we've talked about ways to fall asleep earlier, let's talk about how to wake up earlier. If it's really dark in my bedroom, I don't care how many alarms I have set, I will sleep forever! If I keep my blinds open all night, then the sun pours into my room in the morning and helps my biological clock wake up.
5. Pick a New Wakeup Time
Set a goal for a time you'd like to wake up, and gradually work towards that goal by setting your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier each day. (This also works in reverse! You can set a bedtime goal for yourself too.) Waking up earlier gradually is the way to go, because you can train your body.
6. Establish a Morning Routine (and look forward to it!)
Just like a bedtime routine makes it easier to fall asleep, the same rule applies to waking up. Have a set schedule that you do for the first 15 minutes every morning, so that your mind doesn't have to think as it begins to wake up. The trick is to making your routine enjoyable, so that you look forward to it. The first thing I do in the morning is make a big cup of coffee (with my favorite creamer), give George a treat and snuggle on my couch while watching a few minutes of "Good Morning America."
7. Cook Breakfast
Cooking a yummy breakfast is a surefire way to get me up in the morning, because I always wake up hungry! Try out a new omelet recipe, make banana pancakes (I blogged about them here) or treat yourself with some Nutella toast - whatever it is, make a breakfast that you enjoy and look forward to. I also like making a big batch of healthy blueberry muffins in advance... I think about them right before I fall asleep at night and it gets me excited to wake up in the morning.
8. Give Yourself Five Minutes of Inspiration
The morning is a really important time because your mindset sets the tone for the whole day. Giving yourself five minutes of inspiration is a wonderful way to improve your mood. Read something encouraging, watch a funny video, or seek out quotes that motivate you to love life - do whatever is going to pump you up to start the day and contribute something beautiful of your own. I personally like reading a devotion book for five minutes every morning and spending a few minutes in prayer - I own this devotional and love it.
9. Be Productive During the Day
If you usually stay up late working (like I did), find a way to complete these tasks during the day. My biggest problem was wasting time during the day and then scrambling to get everything done at night. Now I start every work day by making a prioritized list of things that need to get done that day. Since I know I can't rely on nighttime hours to get things done, I feel obligated to be productive during the day. Keeping a list really helps me stay organized... and there's nothing more satisfying than crossings things off!
10. Treat Yourself!
Learning to become a morning person is TOUGH if you're not naturally that way! There is nothing wrong with shamelessly bribing yourself with a few treats ;) Buy yourself a cute mug like this one for your coffee or tea in the morning. If you take showers before work, indulge in a fancy shower gel or a new leave-in conditioner (I'm obsessed with this one). Invest in a new soft, cozy robe to make brushing your teeth less of a chore. And, my personal favorite, new makeup products! Try out a new highlighter, a new tube of pink lipstick, or buy a set of new fancy brushes you've seen all the YouTubers use. If you have something to look forward to, rolling out of bed won't be so tough.
Are you a morning person? If so, I'd love to hear your tips!
Jill Sorensen bedding // Lulu & Georgia chevron lamps
For the majority of my life I have been a night owl. From middle school onward, I always thought I did my best work at night, staying up into the wee hours of the morning to finish assignments, read books, write blog posts and whatnot. This is just how I've always been! Recently, though, I started feeling like it was taking a toll on my health - I was going to bed too late, stressing out before bed, not sleeping well, feeling groggy in the morning and being less productive during the day. I made a pact with myself to start "becoming a morning person" and, guess what you guys! I love it.
Research has proven that people who wake up earlier tend to feel more optimistic and proactive, and can even be healthier and less stressed than those who sleep late... and I believe it's true. Here are my tips for becoming a morning person:
1. Cut out electronics
In order to go to bed earlier, you have to cut out the thing that makes you stay up later. Since my job revolves around social media, this was the toughest one (yet most important) for me! Almost every single night, you could find me laying in bed, finishing my blog post on my lap top, responding to emails or scrolling through Instagram or Twitter and planning out what content I could post the next day. This was having the opposite effect on me: revving up my brain and increasing stress right before I was supposed to fall asleep at night. Then, when I finally did turn off the electronics, my brain would be buzzing with ideas and "to do's," making it nearly impossible to fall asleep. Cutting out technology before bed has made the biggest impact: I don't look at my computer, iPad or even my phone for the last twenty minute before I plan to go to sleep.
2. Establish a Calming Night Routine
If you have a calming night routine and an extra comfortable bed, I promise you will look forward to it all day long! Put on a pair of cozy pajamas and make yourself a cup of nighttime tea that you can sip as you unwind. Take a bath with a drop of lavender essential oils, light a candle with a soothing scent (I just ordered this one), or try out a hydrating overnight face mask. Pampering yourself before bed will quiet your mind and help you sleep better, and if you make it into a habit, you'll train your body to recognize the signals that it's time for bed.
3. Keep a Notepad on your Nightstand
Even after cutting out electronics and establishing a calming night routine, I still sometimes have random, urgent thoughts pop into my head as I'm trying to fall asleep at night. I'll remember that I still need to sign a contract or respond to an email, and my brain automatically starts revving up and I can feel my stress levels rising. Keeping a notepad next to your bed is the biggest way to combat this! When an idea pops into my head late at night, I write it down on the notepad so that I remember it first thing in the morning. Then I can fall sleep with a clear mind, knowing that the "urgent thing" will be taken care of the next day.
4. Open the blinds
Now that we've talked about ways to fall asleep earlier, let's talk about how to wake up earlier. If it's really dark in my bedroom, I don't care how many alarms I have set, I will sleep forever! If I keep my blinds open all night, then the sun pours into my room in the morning and helps my biological clock wake up.
5. Pick a New Wakeup Time
Set a goal for a time you'd like to wake up, and gradually work towards that goal by setting your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier each day. (This also works in reverse! You can set a bedtime goal for yourself too.) Waking up earlier gradually is the way to go, because you can train your body.
6. Establish a Morning Routine (and look forward to it!)
Just like a bedtime routine makes it easier to fall asleep, the same rule applies to waking up. Have a set schedule that you do for the first 15 minutes every morning, so that your mind doesn't have to think as it begins to wake up. The trick is to making your routine enjoyable, so that you look forward to it. The first thing I do in the morning is make a big cup of coffee (with my favorite creamer), give George a treat and snuggle on my couch while watching a few minutes of "Good Morning America."
7. Cook Breakfast
Cooking a yummy breakfast is a surefire way to get me up in the morning, because I always wake up hungry! Try out a new omelet recipe, make banana pancakes (I blogged about them here) or treat yourself with some Nutella toast - whatever it is, make a breakfast that you enjoy and look forward to. I also like making a big batch of healthy blueberry muffins in advance... I think about them right before I fall asleep at night and it gets me excited to wake up in the morning.
8. Give Yourself Five Minutes of Inspiration
The morning is a really important time because your mindset sets the tone for the whole day. Giving yourself five minutes of inspiration is a wonderful way to improve your mood. Read something encouraging, watch a funny video, or seek out quotes that motivate you to love life - do whatever is going to pump you up to start the day and contribute something beautiful of your own. I personally like reading a devotion book for five minutes every morning and spending a few minutes in prayer - I own this devotional and love it.
9. Be Productive During the Day
If you usually stay up late working (like I did), find a way to complete these tasks during the day. My biggest problem was wasting time during the day and then scrambling to get everything done at night. Now I start every work day by making a prioritized list of things that need to get done that day. Since I know I can't rely on nighttime hours to get things done, I feel obligated to be productive during the day. Keeping a list really helps me stay organized... and there's nothing more satisfying than crossings things off!
10. Treat Yourself!
Learning to become a morning person is TOUGH if you're not naturally that way! There is nothing wrong with shamelessly bribing yourself with a few treats ;) Buy yourself a cute mug like this one for your coffee or tea in the morning. If you take showers before work, indulge in a fancy shower gel or a new leave-in conditioner (I'm obsessed with this one). Invest in a new soft, cozy robe to make brushing your teeth less of a chore. And, my personal favorite, new makeup products! Try out a new highlighter, a new tube of pink lipstick, or buy a set of new fancy brushes you've seen all the YouTubers use. If you have something to look forward to, rolling out of bed won't be so tough.
Are you a morning person? If so, I'd love to hear your tips!
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