We’ve all been there. The alarm goes off and immediately you hit the snooze button. This happens at least five times before you stumble out of bed and wearily go about your day. I was the same way, but I didn’t want to be. So I’ve spent the last few years trying to figure out how to get the most out of my morning and wake up with energy.

So the first step takes place weeks before that morning we want to dominate. Weeks before we need to be developing our sleep cycle. This means waking up at a certain time and going to bed at a certain time, making sure to be consistent about it. First of all, it helps you get enough sleep so you can wake up and not feel so tired. And secondly, it helps your body become accustomed to the rhythm so you wake up more naturally and aren’t surprising the body every morning. I’m still finding my sweet spot for when to go to sleep and wake up.
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The second step takes place the night before. The night before, we need to get ready for our day. I like to spend some time before I go to bed and think about what I want to accomplish in my life and what I can do tomorrow to help me get closer to those goals. Another tip I’ve found helpful is to think of one thing that makes me excited for tomorrow. It could be simple as remembering you still have one more chocolate bar left or something big like going to Disneyland. I don’t know about you, but when I have something exciting happening the next day, I wake up with so much more enthusiasm than usual. So think of one thing that you’re excited about tomorrow and even write it down so you see it when you wake up and are immediately energized.

Something I’ve also been doing is writing down in my journal three tasks that I have to accomplish the next day. That takes away the confusion and stress of having so much to do each day. If those three tasks are crossed off, my day was a success. This also makes me feel like I’m actually moving forward with my life and doing something meaningful instead of being stuck doing the same thing day after day.

And now we come to that morning. The first thing I hear in the morning is my awesome ringtone, Believer by Imagine Dragons. I love that song. It’s my new anthem and is one more thing that helps me get up with energy. I immediately go into a short meditation to help my transition into a more awake state of mind, collect my thoughts, and focus on my goals for the day. If I’m feeling particularly energetic, I’ll meditate later. Then I go into my exercise routine. It’s a simple full body stretch and workout that usually lasts about 15 minutes.

Another way I’ve been keeping up my energy in the morning is to drink my cup of coffee a few hours after I wake up instead of right away with my breakfast. What I’ve found is that you have a natural chemical called cortisol that helps your mind wake up and provides natural energy. I’ve also been experimenting with drinking coffee again in the afternoon around 2 or 3 to keep me focused. As I said, I’m a morning person and once lunchtime hits, I lose a massive amount of energy.

Here’s your action plan.

  • Prepare weeks in advance by forming a sleep cycle
  • Prepare the night before writing down three main tasks to accomplish and one exciting thing that happening the next day!
  • Then wake up that morning to an awesome ringtone, go into a meditation and exercise, and hold off on the coffee until your natural chemicals have run their course.

You’ve got this. And if you have a tip for me on waking up with energy, I’d love to hear it!