Becoming a Morning Person

Why can't we all look like this when we wake up?  OH!  5:00!  How wonderful!

I think like everyone, I go through different sleep patterns.  When I was little, I hated getting up in the morning, but once I was up, I was happy and alert.  In high school, I jumped out of bed the first time the alarm went off.  When I had Logan and Lindsey, getting up sucked and I hit snooze as many times as I could get away with.  Then when I was in college, I was the annoying girl who showed up first, smiling and cheerful and chatty.  Some have appreciated it and some have been very irritated with my pleasant A.M. demeanor.  When I had the boys, I didn't care whether I was a morning or night person, I was actually neither, because I was so sleep deprived.  Once they began sleeping through the night, I was up again between 5:45 and 6:00 and enjoying my mornings.  The mornings are the only time I get to myself to write, read, or just watch TV without someone asking me a million questions.  I know that most people hate waking in the morning, but I really have learned to enjoy the mornings rather than staying up late.  The mornings are so awesome because you haven't yet had a crappy day.  You haven't had all of your patience tested, no one has cut you off on 75, no one has hurt your feelings, and you haven't failed at anything yet.  If you take care of yourself the right way, you have more energy in the morning and your day is a clean slate. 

I found an article on Fox News about becoming a morning person.  Thank you to Ayren Jackson-Cannady for these tips.  These are some specific things you can do to help yourself:

1.      Shave off an hour of your day.  We often overextend ourselves and setting aside an hour of the day for yourself at night can help you unwind.  Learn to say NO and do not do too many things.  (Easier said than done, I know.)

2.      Eat more protein: You need an energy-filled breakfast after sleeping and going without food at night.  If you just drink caffeine and chew a stick of gum, you will never wake up.  The article says "think Greek yogurt and fruit".  I usually eat eggs, personally.  I feel so much better if I eat protein rather than just carbs or nothing at all.  Also, avoid fat, sugar and crappy foods that make you crash.

3.      Reward Yourself: They say that rewarding yourself with an extra few minutes in the morning in which you don't have to be rushed, to meditate, read the newspaper, etc, can help motivate you to get up and out of bed.  (Mine is coffee and quiet time.)

4.      Pep Talk: Take the "glass is half-full approach".  For example, what do you GET to do, rather than what you HAVE to do.  You never know when your last day is, so make the most of each day and whatever you get done, you get done.  Try to live your life while doing the stuff you don't necessarily enjoy.

5.      Exercise in the morning: I love working out in the morning because you not only have the most energy during your workout (once you get used to it) but you also have more energy throughout the day.  You get those awesome endorphins all day, rather than at night.  (Which will keep you up and make it hard for you to sleep.)  They also say that you burn more calories in the morning.

6.      For the Girls: Try doing your hair at night.  Ummmm, ok.  I don't know how much I agree with this one.  I guess they mean wash it. 

7.      Also For the Girls: Braid your hair.  Ok, that is what they are saying.  They say that you can tell if you are a morning person by the way your hair looks.  That is funny, but true.  You will feel better all day if you actually do your hair, rather than looking like you got caught in a jet engine. 

8.      Revamp your Make-up Routine: Apparently the author of this article knows that the chicks have more to do because this is the third tip that does not apply to men.  Men, you are the biggest whiners.  All you have to do is take a shower and dry off.  OH, and you have to put your clothes on your body.  Poor things.  Ok, girls, they say to use a liquid to powder foundation to cut out a step.  They say to use cream eye shadows and blushes because they are quicker, and to only line the top eyelid. 

9.      Invite Light: Buy a light box.  These boxes can give off natural looking light that help you rise in the morning.  They range from $50-$200.  Unless you sleep in a coffin like a vampire, I am sure you could just open your blinds. 

10.  Turn Everything Off: It is hard to go to sleep if everything is as loud at 9 PM as it is at 4 PM.  Start calming your house before you get ready for bed and this will calm you and make you sleepy. 

Also, a while back I heard Dr. Oz say that you should cool your room to 65 degrees at night and use a red-numbered alarm clock.  Blue and other colors stimulate the brain.  He also says that rather than music, you should use white noise to help you get a good snooze. 

I have a CD alarm clock, well the kids broke it, but I had one.  I used to burn a "happy CD" to wake up to and trust me, waking up to a cheery song is a lot better than the annoying alarm clock sound.  I used to get up at 5:00 for school and I bounced right out of bed the first time I heard my alarm clock. 

I hope that these tips will help you.  I really am a morning person unless there is something crazy going on in my life, and even then, I strive to do these things because they make my life so much more enjoyable. 

Oh, and they said that by reading my blog every morning, you can also become a morning person.  Ok, I made that up. 

Have a great Thursday!

cicatrix \SIK-uh-triks\, noun:

1. New tissue that forms over a wound.
2. Botany. A scar left by a fallen leaf, seed, etc.