Conquer Your Mornings Using This Simple Trick
Waking up early has never been so easy.
Waking up early is so hard. Why is that?
This morning my alarm went off at 5:15 am. Every fiber in my being wanted to roll over and keep sleeping. Let’s look at these two scenarios:
Option A: Stay in bed and sleep
If I choose option A, I have an instant feeling of satisfaction. I immediately feel a sense of relief because I now get to have an extra hour and a half of sleep.
I don’t have to face the day quite yet. I get to stay under my cozy warm duvet and rest.
My alarm then goes off at 7:00 am. I press snooze because I want to keep sleeping.
I know I need to get up but I just don’t want to.
I finally drag myself out of bed by 7:15 am and I am in full-blown panic mode. I rush to put my clothes on and make my bed. I rush to get my food together and get my little one ready for school.
Forget about having a little “me-time” and meditating or writing. That’s out the window. Now, I’m just chasing my day.
Option B: Get my ass out of bed
If I choose option B, I immediately hate my life. Okay, that’s a little dramatic, but I swear it’s true for at least 15 minutes.
I get up and continue to yawn every 30 seconds. The narrative in my head goes something like this:
Why the hell am I up right now? This is so stupid. I’m going to be so tired by 2 pm. UGH.
This continues over and over until I finally wake up and do what I set out to do.
By 7:00 am, I have worked out, journaled, meditated and showered.
By 7:30 am, I am patiently waiting for my little girl to get out of bed so I can greet her with a smile.
By 7:45 am, I feel like I’ve won the day.
Clearly, option B is the better option. Yet, we struggle with the initial resistance we face when we want to get up in the morning. At the moment, the pay-off just doesn’t seem worth the price.
I believe if you can tackle this initial feeling of dread and negativity, you can literally do anything.
My suggestion to you is to read “The 5 Second Rule” by Mel Robbins. Don’t read? Let me give you a breakdown.
The 5 Second Rule is a tool you can use to interrupt that initial negotiation period. You know, that internal dialogue that happens once you realize what’s happening? It goes something like this:
Shit. It’s 5:30 already? I don’t HAVE to get up. I have nothing pressing to do…
I can totally just snooze this alarm. I think it would be better for me to get more sleep anyways. I can always work out tonight.
Aha! You know what I’m talking about now, don’t you?
The point is to interrupt this thinking process that will ultimately lead to you justifying why it’s okay not to get up and attack your day.
How do I do it?
The moment your alarm goes off, say out loud “5, 4, 3, 2, 1”. When you hit 1, get up immediately. This is meant to replace the negotiating phase with something you physically say out loud.
It sounds simple, but it actually works.
You can also use this process in anything you don’t want to do. Feel yourself justifying not doing something? Interrupt it by saying “5, 4, 3, 2,1” then just DOING it.
The payoff of waking up a little earlier to focus on your personal development is worth the 10 minutes of tired yawns and grumpy groans. Give this trick a try and watch yourself grow into the best version of you.
For more inspiring health, fitness and wellness posts, follow my Instagram page at Wellness By Lindsie.
