Tips for Starting Your Work at 6 a.m

PowerPoint PresentationBefore 7 a.m
Overview
There are plenty of morning people out there. They enjoy waking up early, they love to get a head-start
on their day while everyone else is sleeping in as much as possible, and they're always ready to greet you
with a cheerful "good morning!" while you're still trying to muster up the energy to sip your coffee. But
there are a lot of people who are the opposite, and find waking up at the crack of dawn to be miserable,
no matter how many often they have to do it. If you're one of these people, and you have to be at work
by 7 a.m. each day, then you are probably desperately looking for some hacks to make waking up a little
easier.
Benefits of starting work before 7 a.m
• Shorter commute times: When you need to get to work by 5 a.m., this means you're commuting at
earlier times when there is less traffic. This can lead to shorter commutes, saving you more of your
personal time.
• End work earlier: If you work an eight-hour day that starts at 5 a.m., you can be done with work by 1
p.m. This gives you the rest of the day to enjoy, though you may need to go to bed earlier.
• Get more work done: When you start the workday early, you're more likely to work in solitude since
everyone else is still asleep. This gives you the opportunity to work in a distraction-free work
environment for several hours.
often much easier if you're well-rested. Getting
adequate sleep is also beneficial to your overall
health and well-being. To ensure that you can begin
your workday at 6 a.m. with a positive state of mind,
consider going to bed the night before at a time that
allows you to receive a healthy amount of sleep.
Turn Off Electronic Devices An Hour
Before Bed The Night Before
Start getting your body into a better sleep pattern
by turning off your electronic devices at least one
hour before falling asleep. Studies have shown that
artificial blue light is going to keep you awake and
ruin your sleep more than any other kind of light.
Instead of scrolling through Instagram until bed,
read a book or meditate.
Move to an early wake-up time
slowly and steadily
wake-up goal, consider it relative to when you
currently rise and move toward the new time
slowly. Say you want to get out of bed at 6:30
a.m., but you normally haul yourself off the
mattress at 8:15 a.m. Tomorrow, set the alarm for
8 a.m.. The next day, set it for 7:45 a.m.. And so
on.
Having a job where you look forward to going to
work can motivate you to adhere to a schedule
and wake up early. For instance, if you have a job
where you feel productive and passionate about
the work you're doing, you may feel more
motivated to get up early to begin your work.
Finding different ways to create excitement
around your current job can also help motivate
you to begin work early.
Hydrate consistently
water to hydrate yourself. Maintaining consistent
hydration throughout the day is important, so
starting your early workday with a glass of water
can help start a positive, healthy habit for the day.
Drinking a glass of water plus a cup of tea or
coffee before work can also give you an extra
boost of energy.
When you get up in the morning, consider performing
some stretches, yoga or a light workout to relax your
body and ease any stiffness you may have from sleeping.
Stretching or doing a light workout can help to wake
your body up and may make you feel more physically
ready to begin your workday. You may even consider
going for a short walk or run to energize yourself.
Prepare meals ahead of time
You may find it helpful to prepare your meals
ahead of time. You might prepare your meals during
the weekend or the night before each workday.
Doing this can help you save time in the morning,
possibly allowing you to get more sleep or to
spend that time accomplishing something else in
your morning routine.
sometimes be challenging, but pacing yourself can
prove extremely helpful in achieving this new
schedule. Consider beginning by gradually
changing the time you wake up in the morning,
adjusting your after-work activities and shifting the
time you go to bed at night. Gradually
implementing small changes, rather than multiple
alterations at once, can help you successfully
adjust to a new schedule.
Reward yourself
to getting out of bed. If you have something
especially exciting to do after work, reminding
yourself of that activity may help motivate you to
get started. Promising to give yourself a reward if
you begin your workday by 6 a.m. might also act as
an incentive.
It's helpful to place several clocks around your
living area to ensure you're aware of the time.
You might place a clock in each room you
typically frequent while performing your morning
routine, so the time is readily available wherever
you may be in your home. Having a constant
reminder of the time can aid in pacing yourself
and adhering to a schedule.
Remind yourself why you're starting
early
Perhaps you want to start your workday early so
you can arrive home earlier to spend time with
family or achieve a future goal. Consider your
reasoning behind beginning your workday early and
write it down on a piece of paper. Stick it to your
bathroom mirror or place it on your nightstand to
remind yourself of your motivation.
Step Outside
If you're waking up at 5:30 a.m. in the middle of the
winter, it's probably going to be pitch black outside,
and you may not want to venture out there. But if
it's early and the sun is out, get into that sunlight
ASAP. Sunlight is a message to your body that it's
time to wake up, and it's the best natural way to do
so. Getting outside, even for a minute, is also
helpful: the fresh air and change in atmosphere will
snap your body into motion.
Set Up An Early Appointment
One of the best reasons to get up and out of bed
is that you have somewhere you need to be.
Make your appointments for earlier in the
morning so you're forced to wake up. Set up
early doctor appointments and early meetings
whenever possible. If you're going to exercise,
book an early morning workout class you can't
cancel without paying a fee for. It's more
motivational!
Make yourself a healthy breakfast when you wake up
to give yourself an activity to focus on other than
how tired you are. Eating in the morning will give you
energy and help wake you up.
Consider all of your options
Any time you are considering a non-traditional work
situation, you may benefit from taking time to assess
your options. Determine if you can perform at your
best when waking up early for work and whether
there may be alternative options to do your job if
you don't feel that an early start time is best for you.
Also consider what you need to succeed, both from
yourself and your employer, if you switch to a 5 a.m.
start time.
Your family is an excellent resource when
considering a switch to your work routine. Your
loved ones know you well and can use that
knowledge to offer you advice or their opinion on
the potential switch. You may also want to consider
the impact of a switch for them, too. For example, if
you are married with children, consider the pros
and cons for your partner and children if you
switch to a new work schedule.
Create a defined schedule
it becomes even more important to be efficient
with your time in the morning. Having a set
schedule that makes the most of your time
allows you to maximize your sleep without
affecting your performance, which can be
particularly beneficial when you have to wake up
early in the morning. This includes being mindful
of scheduling events, going to sleep at a certain
time and choosing which tasks you complete at
night and in the morning.
Create a sleep-friendly environment
Just as working at 5 a.m. may mean waking up in
darkness for several hours, it can also mean going
to bed when the sun has not fully set in order to
get a full night's sleep, especially in summer when
days are long. Purchasing opaque curtains that
effectively block out sunlight in your bedroom can
help you create a dark space even if it's still bright
outside.
No two people are the same, and changing to a
new schedule can affect you differently than it
might affect someone else making the same switch.
It's important to pay attention to how you feel
when making a switch to a 5 a.m. work start. If you
find you are still feeling tired after an adjustment
period, consider going to sleep earlier or making
some of the adjustments in the section below to
improve how you feel. If you continue to feel
negative side effects, you may benefit from
switching back to a later start time.
Once you're awake, get up
Snoozing can be a great pleasure, but it's a bad habit.
Once you are awake, force yourself to get up and
out of your bed as quickly as you can, even if you're
still groggy. You do yourself a great disservice
lingering under the covers, no matter how warm
and cozy it feels: You will likely end up feeling
sluggish all morning, and you can undo the progress
you have made in establishing an earlier rising time
by throwing off your body clock.
Be consistent, even on weekends
Unless you went out hard on Friday, wake-up time
should be the same on Saturday as it is during the
week. So too on Sunday. Once your body learns to
get up early, you won't even want to stay in bed
longer. And think of all that free time.
Limit booze, screen time, and food at
night
morning wake-ups. Go easy on alcohol, don't eat
within the hour before bed, and try not to look at
a screen in that time, either. (Or wear glasses that
block blue light if you must.
Conclusion
Creating a routine is always a challenge, but your new routine of getting up before 7 a.m. will create
more opportunities for productivity and enjoyment! Get down to business and be the early bird you
know you can be!