I’ve pretty much been a morning person all my life, but ironically when the Fish office relocated to Fort Lauderdale (and as a result was now located two blocks from my apartment), those days were over. I thought that because I lived less than 5 minutes from work, I could start sleeping in until 8:15 a.m. everyday. And although I was always still on time thanks to my close proximity, I found that getting more sleep was somehow making me less productive in the morning. Slowly but surely, I realized that in order to maximize the most of my energy and my time, I needed to revert back to my early-bird ways.
At first, the transition was tough. I couldn’t believe that there was once a time that I regularly woke up at 4:30 a.m. just to make a workout class (for the record, that was a little too early). However, I’ve luckily adjusted my schedule over the past several months and am proud to say that I’m once again a morning person. In fact, I’m writing this blog post at 7:30 a.m. from my couch. Waking up early is such a great way to ensure that you give yourself some “me time” each day and head into the office with a clear head and prepared to take on the day. Here are a few tips that helped me get back to my up-with-the-sun lifestyle.
- No more nighttime binging. TV binging that is (although avoiding binging on snacks is also a good idea). We are all Netflix/Hulu/HBO Go/etc. addicts at Fish, but what’s helped me so much is keeping my binging confined to the couch. This helps me avoid that “one more episode” trap where before you know it it’s 2 a.m. and you have no idea why you rewatched an entire season of The Office.
- Say No to weeknight plans. Telling a friend you can’t make Tuesday night drinks does not make you antisocial. There’s nothing wrong with prioritizing sleep and your routine – there’s always the weekend! Unless you’re meeting for dinner at drinks at 4:30 p.m., even the most lowkey plans can throw a huge wrench in your schedule.
- The “10 things” rule. I learned this one from one of my favorite blogs, Sweats in the City. Before going to bed, put away 10 things around your home. You’ll be amazed the impact having a clean and tidy home can have on you as you’re falling asleep and as you’re waking up and starting your day.
- Listen to the radio or a podcast before bed. My dad used to fall asleep every night listening to Howard Stern, which I used to think was WEIRD. But every since I got an Alexa, I’ve been listening to podcasts or Andy Cohen’s radio show (which is a masterpiece for all my Bravo fans, by the way), and it’s been such a great way to unwind. I guess it’s true that we all really do eventually turn into our parents!
