Nothing is worse than having to drag yourself out of a warm bed on a cold winter day — but if you want to be a grown-up you have to figure out a way to do it on a regular basis.
The best way to get up on time is to get enough sleep every night so you wake up without an alarm and have a job you love so much that you’re excited to bounce out of bed every day… which, if this is you, congratulations. For the rest of us, there’s this great thread on Reddit on creative ways to get yourself moving in the morning. Here are our 11 favorite suggestions:
1. Plan an nap. “I look forward to getting in another hour of sleep on the train to work.” Getting up on time isn’t so bad if you know you’ll get a little extra shut-eye soon!
2. Look at is as ripping the Band-Aid off. “Realizing getting up is the worst part and everything after that is easy. Plus an extra 5-10 minutes isn’t going to change anything.” Waking up enough to talk to yourself is half the battle.
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3. Go big. “My alarm clock was actually designed for deaf people, so it’s extremely loud and it has an attachment you put under the mattress that vibrates the bed. So often times when it goes off in the morning, it startles me and my heart is beating so fast that it’s impossible to go back to sleep.” But does it make you pee the bed?
4. Add some good vibes. “I have a fitness band that vibrates with the alarm so it’s a fairly subtle wake up.” Bonus: It reminds you to get your workout in!
5. Have a toddler. “How do I make sure I wake up early? Unprotected sex two years ago.” Every parent of a small child is applauding right now.
6. Plan a delicious breakfast. “Thinking about what I’m going to eat usually motivates me.” Maybe think of a Denver omelet or a bagel. Waking up just for plain oatmeal sounds more exhausting, frankly.
7. The ol’ alarm-across-the-room trick. “I put my phone on the other side of my room. That way when the alarm goes off, I need to get up to turn it off. At that point, I might as well get ready for work.” It’s an oldie, but there’s a reason people still do it: It works.
8. Go high tech. “I keep my phone next to me, but I have an alarm that doesn’t shut off until I get up and touch my phone to a NFC tag on the opposite wall of my room.” Another user said they have an NFC tag in the bathroom that turns on their music when they touch it. (Want to try this yourself? Here are some simple instructions.)
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9. Drink a glass of cold water. “I sleep next to a window and it’s cold and snowy outside, so I keep my water bottle on the window shelf thing so it’s like a mini fridge.” Like temperature shock?
10. Make it as easy as possible. “I have coffee ready the night before, and I set out my clothes the night before. I have all my personal items like wallet, keys, badge, leatherman, and cash next to my briefcase.” Congratulations, you are the most efficient human I have ever met.
11. Skip the coffee and go straight for the caffeine. “I stash caffeine pills and water next to my bed. I wake up 30 minutes before I am supposed to wake up and take the pill then go back to sleep. After 30 minutes, I am pretty hopped up on caffeine since I am taking it on an empty stomach and want to get out of bed.” Maybe not the healthiest wake-up call, but it will definitely help you on your sprint to the bus stop. P.s. Please consult your doctor before trying this.
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