Morning Routine Rituals - Jan 15, 2024 Newsletter

Rise and shine, sleepyhead! 🛌 Today’s edition will teach you how to actually become a morning person with a few simple steps.

PLUS: An easy-to-use habit tracker to help you stay on top of your goals! 👇

If you’ve ever read into it, you probably know that being an early bird versus a night owl is believed to be determined by a person’s genes. 🧬

That’s right — that’s why some of us can jump out of bed in the morning and start working right away, while others seem to be at their most productive in the late hours of the night. And no matter how we try to change it, our body has its own preference, regardless of what we’d choose for ourselves.

And here’s the thing: scientists have recently discovered an additional layer to what makes morning people, well, morning people. It’s possibly bits of DNA passed down to us by the Neanderthals, who lived 400,000 years ago.

The reason they developed this inclination to “morningness” was because it gave them an advantage as they migrated to previously unexplored surroundings: it allowed them to adjust to seasonal changes in both daylight and temperature.

That’s likely what winds up our circadian clocks a certain way to this day! 🦖

So, next time you sleep through your 8 alarms in the morning and arrive to work late (again!), you can try saying you’re simply less Neanderthal than your coworkers. (We gest. Don’t do that!)

How you can really become a morning person ☀️

Waking up early doesn’t have to be a drag. 🌞 Although, to most, it’s a challenge. You set five alarms and snooze until you have to wriggle yourself out of bed. Then you feel rushed and  somewhat guilty for getting up at the final hour.

If this feeling of guilt is a daily occurrence, then now is the ideal time to make a conscious change to how you wake up in the morning. And I don’t mean making drastic changes!

Since our bodies are programmed with an internal clock, you’re going to be all out of whack if you try to wake up hours earlier than usual. Instead, make it a gradual process of waking up 10–15 minutes earlier each day until you reach your desired time.

Here are a few tips to set you up for success: 🏆

1. Start the night before: Create a relaxing routine from the previous evening. Turn off your devices an hour before bedtime, and do something calming to wind down like reading a book. Try to go to sleep half an hour before usual to ensure you get that much-needed shuteye.

2. Put your alarm clock out of arm’s reach: Eek! I know this sounds torturous, but if you’re likely to hit the snooze button, it’s the only way to actually get you up on time. You’ll thank me later! ✌️

3. Add some light into your room: 💡 If you sleep with blackout curtains, your body is more likely to stay in a deep sleep. That said, natural light helps your body wake up naturally. You could open your curtains or blinds slightly. Alternatively, there are plenty of alarm clocks that mimic the sunrise.

4. Plan tomorrow’s breakfast: This tip is for all the foodies out there! What better way to get you up in the morning than a lovely breakfast? A yummy fry-up, pancakes and maple syrup, or a healthy smashed avocado 🥑 will gear you up for the day ahead.

— Joanna Zambas, Career Expert

Habits are meant to be tracked

Tracking your habits reminds you to act, helps you evaluate what you achieved, and keeps you motivated. And our editable Habit Tracker will help you do just that. (It’s on us!)

Stay tuned for more awesome gifts….

Wave goodbye to these morning habits 👋

Do you like to start the morning with a hot shower and a bowl of cereal? While that might sound like an excellent way to kick off the day, you may want  to reconsider your choices. This is what the experts say about our morning habits! 😴

Catch you on the flippity flip :)

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