Last week I came across an article by Karson McGinley on how to become a morning person.

Research has concluded that morning people are more productive, happier, and healthier than people who stay up late. So for those of use who are naturally night owls,  This topic gives you some easy steps to transform yourself into a morning person with 10 easy to follow steps.  Lets review the first 6 steps from last week!   If you want to read last week’s newsletter for more information and you misplaced it, call us at 402-333-4848 and we can resend it.

1) Shift your self talk.  Self talk is powerful and you won’t make the transition to morning person if you keep telling people your a night person.  Shift your actions of thought and speech and your body will follow.

2)  You need to find the “WHY”.  if you have a great reason for shifting you can accomplish that task much easier.  Writing down the benefits is the most powerful way to do this.  Fill your head with positive reasons for being a morning person by reading blogs and books and watching videos and listening to podcasts.

3)Commit to doing this.  don’t just “Try” to do this.  If you get defeated by the alarm clock and stay in bed, it’s because you didn’t commit to doing it.  Habits are powerful and it takes commitment to overcome them but the more you exercise your willpower to get up when the alarm rings, the more powerful you willpower will become so you can focus that on fitness goals and eating well.

4)  Set your alarm clock and don’t hit snooze.  It is incredibly empowering to wake up with a purpose before the sun rises to do something for your future self.  Set your alarm clock across the room and go to bed .  When the alarm goes off, get up put your feet on the floor and follow through.

5)  Make a plan and say bedtime affirmations.  Before you go to sleep, set your plan for the next morning.  Write down what you want to accomplish in the first hour at least.  Then make your last thoughts positive ones.  Tell yourself your sleep will be refreshing and give you the energy you need for the day.

Last weeks steps were about mindset.  The ones for this week are all things you do during the morning

6)  Brush your teeth/Wash your face.

Now you are out of bed – Congratulations, you did it!!  Go straight to the bathroom to brush your teeth and wash your face.   This 5 minutes of self-care will remove the toxins in your mouth and on  your face the developed during the night and it will leave you feeling alert and refreshed!!

7. Drink a Cup of Room Temperature Lemon Water

Jump-start your system by drinking a full glass of room-temperature water first thing in the morning. Better yet, add lemon wedges to your water to stimulate your digestive fire, which will boost your metabolism or an Arbonne B12 energy fizz powder.   The water will naturally get things moving, and help you enjoy a mindful and healthful morning.

8. Follow the Plan to Do Something that Enlivens You

So now what? You’ve gotten up early, you’ve washed your face and hydrated your system. Now, what do you do with all this extra time? Prioritize this precious first hour of the day, and then follow the plan. This is where the rubber meets the road. Your first hour of the day becomes your dedicated personal development hour, your spiritual practice, and your opportunity to do what successful people do.  develop a routine for personal development such as a workout routine or a meditation session.  Then work on the goals you set the night before.  It is easy to let that extra time slip away so keep your focus.

Choose meaningful activities that inspire you and have a strong return on investment. Create a routine around something you’ll be excited to do when the alarm goes off.

9. Be Consistent!

Now that you’ve got the hang of this morning thing, remind yourself that consistency is key. The more you reinforce your morning habits, the more you’ll grow to love them. A key step to any habit is regularity, so try to keep it up, even on the weekends and while you travel.

You may feel like you “deserve” a morning to sleep in on the weekends,but instead see the weekend morning  routine as an even more special gift to set the tone for an enjoyable and relaxing day. Anytime you disrupt your positive efforts, you delay the formation of the habit itself. Set a goal of waking up earlier for 30 days in a row, and see if the results are all the motivation you need to keep it up.

10. If at First you Don’t Succeed, Guess What … You’re Perfectly Normal!

I know that I started and failed at this many times, but I didn’t let it stop me.  I kept pushing through and now 5:30 seems like sleeping in.  If you do miss a day or more, keep your thoughts positive and start again.  once you hit 30 days, the habit will be in.

If you want to become a morning person, become one! You’ll be glad you did.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jack Belitz, DC

PS  If you are finding it impossible to get this accomplished, it may be a problem with your thyroid or adrenal systems.  When one of them is not working correctly, your energy can be affected to a big extent.
If you are having a tough time with this, give me a  Call 402-333-4848 and schedule a consult to find out if this could be the problem. We are here to help you!