I have found that waking up early was one of the best things I have done when I started to change my Life. The magic is not only in greeting the new dawn but also in getting a couple of extra hours to do the most important things in our life. You might like to know that I am up at 4.30-5.00am every day, and my life has changed drastically over the years, due to my early rising.
For many years I was a late riser, just about getting out of bed like everybody else, hurrying through the morning coffee while barely reading the newspaper, getting ready and rushing to work. Over the years as I started practising Yoga, I started getting up by 5 Am. Of late I have started running on alternative days and I happen to get up by 4.30 Am and hit the tarmac. Some days when I am really tired or hit the bed late then I still manage to get up by 5.30am which is still a decent time to get up. Here are some of the tips I would like to share to help you become an early riser.
Allow yourself to sleep early:
You might be used to sleeping in late after a heavy dinner and watching television or browsing the net. Somewhere you have to draw the line especially with the latest finding indicating that sleep deprivation and lack of exercise is a ticking time bomb which all of us are facing. If you continue with these habits and continue to get up early, sooner or later one of it is going to give way and most probably it will be with you trying to become an early riser. I would suggest going to bed early and even if you are not sleepy, try reading a book or even better declutter your mind(More on this later).With so much of stress and commute time on Indian roads, in no time you will go to sleep once you start practising this. It would also help, if you move the television out of the Bedroom. Television in the bedroom is the number one culprit which plays havoc with our sleep patterns.
Do not make drastic changes:
Just practice getting up 15-20 minutes early everyday and eventually move towards your final objective of getting up at the crack of dawn. By doing this, one is slowly conditioning the mind to accept change gradually which in the long run is sustainable. I personally used this technique for a period of a month till I eventually got used to getting up by 5.30 Am.
Place your alarm clock as far away as possible:
If you tend to keep your alarm clock or mobile close to you, then it is easy to shut it off and go back to sleep. However if you keep it at a little distance where you might have to take a few steps to turn it off, then the first initial steps have already been taken by you. Once you walk a few steps then head out of the bedroom either into the wash room or grab a big glass of water which would hydrate you wonderfully. By now you are up and you just need to stay up. I always drink half a litre of water and head out immediately to the wash room to put some cold water on to my face. This still works for me and I see no reason why it should not for you.
Make waking up early a pleasure activity
Yes, it might be that initially that you are forcing yourself to get up early, but once you make it pleasurable, then you will never regret the decision. The mind always works with you, when you link it with a pleasure activity. Once you link it to a pleasure activity then you will look forward to getting up early, fully charged and with high expectations. My reward even now post my run/yoga is to sit with a hot cup of coffee with the day’s newspaper for waking up early, and using it productively. Other rewards for you might be watching the sun rise or mediating or even doing deep breathing exercises. Find something that’s pleasurable for you, and allow yourself to do it as part of your morning routine.
Yes, it might be that initially that you are forcing yourself to get up early, but once you make it pleasurable, then you will never regret the decision. The mind always works with you, when you link it with a pleasure activity. Once you link it to a pleasure activity then you will look forward to getting up early, fully charged and with high expectations. My reward even now post my run/yoga is to sit with a hot cup of coffee with the day’s newspaper for waking up early, and using it productively. Other rewards for you might be watching the sun rise or mediating or even doing deep breathing exercises. Find something that’s pleasurable for you, and allow yourself to do it as part of your morning routine.
Take advantage of the extra time
Do not wake up early and do things which are not productive, make use of this extra time to do some of the most important things which will impact you positively in your life. It might be mediating or even exercising, or for some, reading a book. It is a huge opportunity to get a jumpstart for the day and do not miss grabbing this opportunity with both your arms.
Enjoy the break of dawn
There is magic in witnessing the dawn breaking out. It gives us new hope and changes our belief structure. So make it a point to at the least, see a minimum of 4-5 dawn breaks in a week, which I shall guarantee, will change your life drastically. There is absolute magic in the air when darkness changes over to light and it is beautiful and pleasing to see. It has become a favorite time of the day for me and getting up early has become a reward in itself for me.
As usual I would love to hear from you as to how this article impacted you positively. Do share this article in your social network circle amongst your family and friends. If this article has impacted you positively, then you need to share this with your dear and near ones. I am putting in my thoughts to reach out to maximum people and create a positive difference in each one of your life. I would never be able to do this alone, only with friends and family’s help would I be able to do what I have set upon to do. Thanks for spending your time in going through my thoughts.