Three Easy Steps To Fool Yourself (and Others) Into Thinking You’re a Morning Person

Nothing irritates me more than a morning person. Bright and bubbly at 9am, they have squeezed in a workout, made time for a healthy breakfast and already cleared their inbox, all while looking perfectly put together. I, on the other hand had the tendency to snooze until the last possible minute, arriving to work still rubbing the sleep from my eyes and relying on coffee to get me through the day.

It was humbling to realize that my annoyance stemmed from the simple fact that I longed to be a morning person myself. And once I accepted this truth, I became determined to create a simple (and speedy) morning routine that would set me up for a productive and happy work day. Once I got the hang of this morning thing, I found even more reasons to wake up with the sun until finally… I too, became an annoying morning person! 

These three one-minute tasks done first thing upon waking set me on my path to early bird victory. 

1. Spend an Extra Minute in Bed. Yes, I realize that getting out of bed is the goal here. But my greatest advantage to the war against the snooze button is knowing that I’ll basically be waking up to take a nap. I simply turn off my alarm and sit up- maybe I’ll splash some water on my face and return to bed- and just spend a minute in quiet meditation. When I open my eyes, I feel calm, awake and refreshed. 

2. Drink Water. Imagine not drinking a drop for the next 8 hours. Well, that’s exactly what’s happened while you’ve been catching those zzzs. We wake up dehydrated, so guzzle a bottle of water first thing to flush out toxins, get your metabolism going and feel your entire body hydrate and get energized. For bonus points (and if you have an extra 30 seconds), squeeze half a lemon into your water for amazing digestive benefits. 

3. Move Your Body. Now that you’re on a water high, go ahead and do a few jumping jacks, push-ups or your favorite yoga stretches. You’re body and mind will thank you for it. 

And that’s it, folks. In just about 3 minutes you can improve your day, your career and your overall well-being. Go ahead and get ready for work now. Notice if you feel more present. Was your commute unusually smooth this morning with less subway delays or lighter traffic? Did you smile at babies and laugh at dogs? Were you more focused at work or feeling more creative? Setting aside a bit of ‘me’ time in the mornings can set the wheels in motion for a pleasant day. And in the long run, isn’t a great life just a string of great days?