There’s just something about starting your day in solitude and accomplishing something while most everyone else is still sleeping. Although I could use a couple more hours of sleep each night, it really starts my day off right if I can get in an early morning workout and journal and read before anyone is awake to ping and pester me.
However, in my opinion, it is difficult to wake up when it’s cold and dark outside. Your warm and cozy bed is so much more enticing than starting your day. Additionally light, sunlight in particular, tremendously helps with our circadian rhythm and signals to our body to wake up. To me, the incentive is hardly there to wake up early in the winter time.
Yet, the winter time is my favorite time to wake up early and as long as we keep doing the Daylight Savings ritual every year and ‘fall back’, it is the *perfect* time to train yourself to start waking up earlier.
How to Use the “Fall Back” Daylight Savings Time to Your Advantage
Stick to your “original” schedule.
Use your body’s natural tendency to want to fall asleep and wake up earlier to your advantage! As I mentioned before, even though I could use that extra hour of sleep, instead of snoozing I always try to get up at my “original” time even though the clock says its an hour earlier. On the same token, when you’re like “geez it’s only 7:30 and I’m exhausted”, use that physiological cue to start getting ready for bed earlier and go to bed sooner! I am so guilty of seeing the clock and saying “oh great, it’s only 7:30 I can crank out a little more work or have more time to do ‘xyz’”. And this year I want to put an end to that thinking and start getting to bed earlier so I can wake up earlier!
Save the Sunlight for When You Need Brain Power
Our body’s circadian rhythm and sleep cycle really like to rely on sunlight. However, you’ll hear a lot of early bird exercisers say that they love to workout in the morning before their brain has a chance to comprehend and talk them out of their workout. Even though I don’t necessarily recommend mindlessly working out and exercising, there is evidence that working out wakes us up and gets our brain going after all that blood is flowing.
For those that like to workout at night, this could also work in your favor. I know some people think that working out at night helps tucker themselves out so that way they can sleep better. I loved working out mid-day as a pick me up, but this principle can still apply: do the mindless things you need to do in the dark.
Bottom Line: It Works & Creates the Habit When You’d rather Not
I have a tendency to start a habit in unideal conditions or inopportune times and my philosophy is: if I can do it when I don’t want to do it, then I have no excuse moving forward. 🤷 It works for me. I’ve been doing this daylight savings trick for years and it really helps kick start some good habits. Why not give it a go? Try to keep this up for 6-12 weeks and I think you’ll be on your way to becoming an early bird.