Why Waking up Early Is So Difficult

Written by - 26 Comments
Categories: productivity tips, self improvement

Do you drink coffee? Have you ever tried to stop?

Me neither. I like coffee.

But what about getting up early? Have you ever tried waking up early? How did it go?

That was a challenge for me. I used to dread getting up early – especially for work!

I mean 40 hours a week working in a job you don’t enjoy… who the heck wants to do that?

But nowadays I love getting up early. Yeah, you heard me… I absolutely love it.

It’s so much fun to be up before the sun rise. It feels like I have a head start over everyone else… like I have some sort of secret that nobody else knows about – and if you “get” what I’m going to share with you by the end of this article – you’ll know the secret too ;)

Would you like to hear it?

I’m sure you would. But first let me explain something important. There are two different ways you can get up in the morning.

Strategy #1: In my personal opinion, this is the more difficult of the two. It’s like pulling teeth, but you would be surprised how many people still use it. I used it for 28 years because I didn’t know any better because I thought that was how everybody woke up!

Here’s how it goes. As soon as you hear your alarm or start to wake, you either press snooze or turn off your alarm. Then after what seems like an eternity you get this negative feeling in your gut… similar to a feeling you may have had in before when you were late (or almost late) for work. As this feeling starts to intensify, you begin to make pictures of being late for work – and worse – your boss yelling at you. Then when the feeling is strong enough, you scare yourself awake and jump out of bed.

That’s how most people wake up. This strategy works well because it is a moving away from strategy. When you move away from negative feelings you are waking up with this strategy. That’s what motivates a lot of people to get out of bed – that negative vibe.

But there is a much better way. The second strategy is my preference and one I’ve been using for the past 5 some years without missing a beat. Would you like to know it?

I thought you would.

Strategy #2: The second way to get out of bed is to by using positive feelings to wake up. It’s also known as a moving toward strategy. I’ll sit in my bed for a few minutes when I first wake up and think of something positive that feelings good to me. As I sit with that positive feeling for a few minutes I get positive new memories and images floating in my mind.

Sometimes the experience seems so real that I forget that I’m in bed. As these experiences get richer and more compelling I usually thrown in something that I would like to accomplish for that day (as it already being accomplished).

I do this for 15 minutes every day… and when I do, I jump right out of bed because I feel great. And here’s the best part: because I’m influencing the part of my brain that is unconscious, that great feeling – that great vibe carries with me throughout the day. It’s probably one of the best (if not the best) way to get out of bed.

Much better than scaring yourself out of bed.

Use this strategy for at least a month every day and I guarantee it will be the best month you have. This is forward thinking at it’s best. You’re moving towards a future event that inspires you and that’s why it’s so much fun.

Which strategy do you use? Do you have fun waking up early? Why not?

Steve is the creator of Freedom Education: Manifesting Your Desires Download Steve’s 7 Secrets of Rapid Transformation.

Want to feel great every single week? NOW YOU CAN!

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  • Miles C

    Once you find a strategy you should maintain it 7 days a week, even days off

    If off, get up for a few minutes to maintain the habit, then go back to bed

    I find though I have what I call “daymares” in that I have nightmares I remember, if I attempt to go back to sleep, though if I am really exhausted, I go into RIM sleep

  • http://www.transformationalmotivation.com/ M. A. Tohami

    I was eagerly waiting for you to say that we can wake up early full of energy and enthusiasm, only when we’re pursuing our passion.

    Find something you’re passionate about and give it all what you’ve got.

    Passion transforms lives like no other.

  • http://hanofharmony.com The Vizier

    Hi Steve,

    I know what you mean by scaring yourself out of bed. When I was working at a job I didn’t like, that is what I had to do every morning. There was no good reason to wake up other than to go to work at something I disliked.

    Thankfully I don’t have to do that anymore nowadays. My preferred method of waking up is to have a burning purpose and desire. When you create meaning in your life and know what you are living for, you will wake up naturally without effort on your part. The simple reason is because you know why you must wake up and you want to do so.

    Thank you for sharing this post!

  • http://www.ramonaiftode.com Ramona

    Don’t get to sleep LATE!

    I’ve done this for YEARS. I am currently working from home, so I am the one with the schedule. I’d stay up till 3, 4 in the morning and wake up at noon. Tired and dizzy.

    For more than a month I’ve made it a habit to go to sleep at 12. Not later NO MATTER WHAT. I’ve set my alarm for 9 AM, since I don’t need to go to work, so I can wake up at a more “normal” hour. After 4-5 days my body started accepting the new schedule.

    I fall asleep in 2-3 minutes and wake up at 8. Naturally, with no alarms, no nothing. I then move a bit in the bed, look at the clock, just lying there. At 9 I get up, prepare my milk with cicoree (I don’t drink coffee AT ALL) and start reading emails, see what’s on my to do list etc.

    So, this is the main secret: go to bed at a decent hour and do this for some days. Your body will adjust rapidly. Now I wake up with no alarm anymore, I am super fresh and with excellent productivity.

  • http://productivewriters.com John Soares

    I’m usually asleep by 10 p.m. or sooner, and I naturally wake up at 5 a.m. feeling great. If I need it, I’ll doze for another 15 minutes or so.

    Getting up that early allows me to get a big start on the day. I often finish by lunch-time and then get outside for the afternoon.

    And before I get up I think about the fun and interesting things I’ll do that day. I also think about the coffee that will be ready a few minutes after I get up!

  • http://www.balancedworklife.com/blog Bryce Christiansen

    Agreed, waking up is a pain for me sometimes. It’s funny though. I naturally wake up around 5:00am but I don’t get out of bed or anything till my alarm goes off an hour later.

    One thing I do that is nice is to get up early, get all my morning routine done, and then take a 10 minute nap until I need to leave the house. I feel rested and don’t have to worry about rushing out of the house.

  • http://moutasemalawa.tumblr.com Moutasem Al-awa

    Well i use the first strategy and actually waking up late is making me lose alot of productivity in the day as well as positive energy. I will try the second one and wish me luck with it :)

    Thanks for sharing as always

  • http://www.thereflectiveself.wordpress.com Dandy

    That’s a really great tip. I never thought of doing that. It starts the day of positive and it allows us to be gentle with ourselves. I can’t wait to wake up tomorow! Thanks!

    Dandy

  • http://www.timelessinformation.com Armen Shirvanian

    Hi Steve.

    I’d say Ramona hit the nail on the head here in the comments. Sleeping early makes waking up early a piece of cake. Most who have difficulty getting up early don’t focus enough on sleeping early, so that is their main area in need of improvement.

    Discipline for methods like this always starts right now, leading to being ready at night, leading to sleeping early, and the process is then smooth.

  • http://www.andrzejkowasz.com/get_up_5_minutes_earlier.htm Andrzej

    Hi Steve!
    My fav method is to put my mobile somewhere across the room so I have to get up to turn it off. Then I’m already on my feet and thinking about a nice cup of my coffee that calls me from the kitchen. And after that it’s all going well ;)

    And if first thing we hear in the morning is a radio, then it’s also good to set your alarm five minutes earlier instead of later. And why? I wrote about it on my blog lately.

  • http://richlionhearted.blogspot.com Rich Proctor

    I was home the last few weeks with an injury. While I was off I found myself quite naturally going to sleep earlier, and in turn, waking earlier. What I noticed was that I am at my best in the early morning. This was a surprise because I had always considered myself a night person. A profound discovery, to be sure.

    I devote my first hour of every day to improving myself 1%, through study, exercise, and anything else I can find to inspire myself. I call it my Hour Of Power and I love it. I wouldn’t start my day any other way. I get so much juice from this practice, that once this practice became a habit it literally inspires me to spring out of bed every day.

    Thanks for the great post.

  • http://www.creditcardcompare.com.au/blog/ David

    There’s an old saying:

    “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

  • http://www.genejennings.com Gene

    Two things:

    Several years ago, I read about a trick that works every time. It lets nature wake you up.

    Drink 2 glasses of water before you go to bed.

    You’ll wake up. Believe me.

    Tip #2: Wake up at the same time everyday but don’t go to bed until you are sleepy. It’s best to go right to sleep when you get in bed as opposed to laying around in bed trying to go to sleep when you are not tired. This works for me too.

  • http://www.freedomeducation.ca Steve Martile

    @ Vizier: your are welcome! Glad you’re using a fun strategy to get up in the morning ;)

    @ Bryce Christiansen I love naps… even a good 1 hour nap sometimes is extra special.

    @ Moutasem Al-awa; my pleasure… be persistent and you’ll appreciate the results… but make it fun!

    @ Dandy… I can’t wait to wake up either! Seriously, this the best thing since sliced bread…

  • http://www.transformationalmotivation.com/ M. A. Tohami

    @ Vizier: I totally agree with you.

  • http://www.michaelsparks.us Michael Sparks

    The first strategy won’t work for me I work from home.

    As soon as I start waking up I think of the great day I’m about to have, I think of the great customers that I’m going to help, the lives I’m going to touch and they awesome things I will accomplish.

    Getting out of bed is easy because I have something to look forward to.

    My advice is if you dread going to work, getting out of bed will be hard. Find a reason WHY! They say when your WHY will make you cry it will get you through any situation.

  • Krishna

    its feeling good idea, i m going to try the same………..i think it can make a change in my life.

    I was searching for some techniques for avoiding too much sleep. When my school days my parents was boosting me to wake up early, but now as an independent individual i m feeling i have to develop my self with my old memmories

  • http://www.planetnaveen.com Blog Of Winning Ideas

    Nice post.
    Waking up early has its own benefits such as one can concentrate on a complex task and chances are that he may be able to solve or finish it in this sweet and calm morning hour.

    Latest on my blog
    5 Quick Ways To Lose Your Hard Earned Money

  • José A. Pardo

    A year ago, I had to get up at 5am every day, so my strategy was putting a cup of coffee next to the clock, and drink it just when the alarm sounded. Rough but effective. :)

  • willy

    the problem I see in this day and age is that it is so hard to find anything positive to think about. Seems we’re constantly being bombarded with negativity. I tried to search my brain for something good but there is so much crap out here that it took forever. BUT.. I did finally get throgh enough of it to see a picture of one of my sisters who is more kinder,unselfish and all in all the nicest person I know. Using her as an anchor I start to see others in my life who come close and make the world a better place to live.

  • http://pix2brix.com Alison Moore Smith

    I’m writing this at 2:38 am. Getting up is a problem, because getting to sleep is a problem. And has been, very literally, since I was a baby.

    I honestly hate being a night owl, but I haven’t been able to shake it. Drove my parents and my sister nuts when I was a kid. Now it drives ME nuts — not to mention my husband.

    I’m willing to try this. I’ve tried everything else known to man.

  • Stan

    What is interesting is that a lot of emotional problems such as (anxiety/depression/stress/mental fatigue) can all be lessened with the proper lifestyle changes and that lifestyle change is getting enough sleep, so simple yet so effective.

    I know from personal experience that when I wake up early enough that I can do my exercises, write in my journal and meditate before leaving the house to catch my bus, my day is much much better than when I rush out of the house because I am late.

    I guess starting your day off right is VERY important, more important than I thought. The problem is getting to sleep early, for me it feels like I am wasting some sort of opportunity if I go to sleep at 11pm for instance, have to work on that.

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  • guest

    you are awesome .. nothing more