I know that it's difficult to imagine that anyone actually wants to be a morning person, but I love it! In the beginning I was that college kid who would make sure that I didn't take a class earlier than 10:00am, because I was usually doing my homework till 11:00pm. However when I was abroad, I began getting up earlier and earlier because I wanted to see as much as I could, while still completing my homework and any other class assignment. It also helped lower my anxiety and stress, which lead to a better night sleep, better grades, and a better attitude. This is why I have continued to go to sleep at 10:00pm to wake up around 6:00am. Here are my tips on how I began to wake up earlier.

1) The 6:00am wake-up call doesn't happen in one day: A person can't just decide that they are going to be a morning person and start going to sleep at 10:00pm so they can wake up at 6:00am or earlier. The number one thing, is to start going to sleep around 15 minutes earlier and wake up 15 minutes earlier. By working up slowly, you are letting your body get used to waking up early and going to sleep early.

2) This means weekends as well: When a person wants to begin waking up earlier, they have to realize that it begins with consistently waking up early. This means weekends, so that you don't have a case of the Monday's. It's difficult to wake up on Monday's, because the entire weekend you have been waking up 3 hours later than you might usually have been, but it only takes a couple of days for your body to get used to waking up later. If you still woke up at 6am on Saturday and Sunday, Monday would just feel like any other day.

3) No More Coffee in the Morning: I can't drink coffee because of my anxiety. Back in college I used to drink a small cup of coffee in the morning during breakfast, and then a medium latte in the afternoon while I was doing my homework. Coffee makes you feel as if you can't wake up without it. Since I have switched to tea, I feel less guilty for drinking it because I enjoy the taste, and don't rely on it for a caffeine boost.

4) Make a Routine that you Look Forward to in the Morning: Every morning I wake up, watching youtube in bed for an hour, go to my desk and watch tv while I make my to do list for the day, I feed my cat, make myself breakfast, and then take some time for myself before I start doing work, or applying for jobs around 9:00am. This isn't a big routine, but it's something I do every morning that helps me get ready for the day. Afterwards I feel like I have enjoyed my morning, rather than scrambling and feeling as if there isn't enough time in the day to complete my work and relax. You routine doesn't have to be the same as mine; but having a routine that doesn't involve doing work helps de-stress your day and make you feel more accomplished and have a better attitude when stress does arise.

I hope this helps anyone who is/wants to be a morning person and be more productive throughout the day!