HOW TO BECOME A MORNING PERSON

“Our brains are hardwired to be more alert in the morning, providing a mental boost to help you focus and concentrate and giving you the energy you need to get through the day”…..Dr. Ayish.

This implies that a morning person is one who rises from sleep fairly easily and is most productive and active in the mornings. If you’re a morning person, your brain is most alert in the morning, and you’re generally very good at harnessing this energy and focus to get tasks, work and chores done.

In this context, human beings fall into two categories; morning lark and night owl. Whether you are a morning lark or night owl, both are influenced by your internal clock. Internal clock is a natural tendency that controls mood, behavioural pattern, sleep/wake cycle and even the feeling of hunger/ satisfaction. In most cases, internal clock is influenced by the individual’s age, sex, environment and genes. Research over time have shown that the internal clock is different with people buts its primary function in a person is to regulate the tendency to be asleep at night and the ability to stay awake during the day.

There is no doubt that being a morning person is quite beneficial, but if you are an evening or a night person you should stick to it because there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, studies have further proven that early risers who exposed themselves to 20 minutes of sunlight between 8am and noon had a significantly lower body mass index than those who had light exposure later in the day. According to Phyllis C. Zee of Northwestern University, “if you do not get sufficient light at the appropriate time of day, it could de-synchronize your internal body clock, which will alter metabolism and lead to excessive weight gain”.

If you are not a morning person and wish to become one, here are few steps you should take to build up;

A shift in mindset. Waking up early is at first going to feel like a daily chore. So your internal dialogue needs to change from I am not a morning person to I am becoming a morning person. With this, you have prepared your mind to embrace change and be ready to absorb any shock or challenges that might come with the change.
Get more sleep at night. You could be morning person if you would just give yourself the chance to get some more sleep at night. Getting sufficient sleep for your body gives you the energy, health, and motivation to get things done in the morning and throughout the day.
Establish a consistent length of sleep and wake up time. From the initial stage of becoming a morning person, it could be tempting to stay up a little late and sleep in on days when you don’t have work or other early morning responsibilities, but keeping a consistent daily routine will help train your body. For you to further succeed, you need to maintain an average length of sleep every day until you are able to wake on your own without the help of an alarm clock.
Keep your window blinds slightly open. This alone can help rewire your internal clock and it does not require an alarm or a snooze button. If you leave your window blinds open, the natural light will enter your room as the sun comes up. The night owl in you might remember getting angry every morning that you forgot to close the shades the night before, but the determined morning person you’re becoming may find it much more peaceful than your conventional alarm clock.
Create a morning routine. If you find it difficult to concentrate when you wake up early, engage yourself in meaningful exercises like short meditation, road walk or hitting the gym. However morning routine varies with different persons. Find out which works for you best so your mind and body does not remain idle.

Learning to become a morning person and changing your internal clock might feel like an impossible feat, but with the right tools in place, it’s possible to become someone who wakes up early with no alarm at all. Devote yourself into doing the right, put in enough energy and time because success itself requires energy and consistency.

By Archibong Archibong