Janey Holliday knows the benefits of productive mornings
better than most. The personal trainer, wellbeing and motivational coach, and
single mother to four-year-old twins, runs two businesses: outdoor bootcamp
company Fit For A Princess (fitforaprincess.co.uk) and the international online
coaching hub for women, Making Things Easy (makingthingseasy.com). She rises at
am and works until 6.30 when her twins wake up, gets them ready, then heads off
for her own workout once the nanny has arrived.
Regardless of the fact I’m an early bird, what I’ve found
through my work is that once people get into the habit of getting up early, it
completely changes their lives,’ she says.
‘The only thing you miss out on when you rise early is
sleep, but you can always gain that back later. And it’s worth noting that
sleep experts say an hour of sleep before midnight is worth the equivalent of
two hours after midnight. So the more sleep you get in before midnight, the
more refreshed you’ll feel when you wake.’
Regardless of the
fact I’m an early bird, what I’ve found through my work is that once people get
into the habit of getting up early, it completely changes their lives,’ she
says.
Getting things done early on also means once you’ve finished
work, you can do what you want and enjoy more relaxed evenings. Still, if the
thought of waking at am or 6am still fills you with dread, Holliday says fear
not; with time and training, anyone can get to bed earlier and change their
sleep patterns over time.
Don’t snooze
Holliday suggests having three alarm clocks set to go off
within a few minutes of each other, with the final one on the other side of
your bedroom to get you moving about. (And this is stipulated in all her
trainers’ contracts!) ‘Snoozing is the worst thing you can do, because you go
into a deep sleep state that makes it even harder to get up,’ she explains. Set
different songs to play that you find inspiring or motivating. Also, make a
mini vision board and keep it by your bed. Make it really personal to you,
filling it with statements or images that relate to the goals you want to
achieve - visual tools can really help to remind you why you’re getting up
early and stop you going back to bed’
‘Snoozing is the
worst thing you can do, because you go into a deep sleep state that makes it
even harder to get up,’ she explains.
Weekend magic
Holliday also suggests you gradually go to bed and get up
five to 10 minutes earlier over time. This will help you to reset your body
clock gradually, rather than shocking your body into early starts. She also
suggests going to bed an hour or two earlier at the weekend if you’re tired,
rather than sleeping in late. Research from the University of Texas says that,
contrary to popular belief. sleeping in doesn’t help you catch up on lost sleep
from the week, but rather plays havoc with your body clock, making you feel
sleepier come Monday morning.
‘It’s all about your priorities,’ says Holliday. ‘To effect
change, you have to change your behavior. You can’t change your lifestyle, have
more energy, fit in more exercise and do better at your work without making the
most of the hours of your day. Mornings can become the most magical part of
your day, but you have to train yourself to be able to enjoy them.’
Holliday also
suggests you gradually go to bed and get up five to 10 minutes earlier over
time.
Make more of your mornings!
These tips will make your early hours the best of the day
1.
Track your time
‘To spend your time better, you need to know how you’re
spending it now. Track, in detail, Because the solution to morning &
dilemmas often lies in other time of the day. Ask yourself: “what absolutely to
happen in the morning and what doesn’t?” You might think many things are
necessary, but understand that many of them are choices and not something you
“have” to do.’
2.
Picture the perfect morning
‘Once you know how you’re spending your time, assign your
priorities. Ask yourself what a great morning would look like for you. It might
include a work out, a morning run, having sex as the sun rises or a hearty homemade
family breakfast. Or it could be the time when you formulate and plan your
personal, defining project. Dream big.’
You might think
many things are necessary, but understand that many of them are choices and not
something you “have” to do.’
3.
Think through the logistics
‘Ask how this vision can mesh with the life you have. Map
out a morning schedule and establish how much time you’d need to make it work.
What time would you have to get up and (most importantly) go to bed to get
enough sleep? Do you need to trade off child-care duties with your partner?
Come up with a plan and assemble what you need, but whatever you do, don’t
label this vision as impossible. Explore all your options.’
4.
Think through the logistics
‘Turning a desire into a reality requires lots of willpower
and takes time. So start slowly. Choose one new habit at a time to introduce,
and put all your energy into making that activity a habit before trying
something else. Chart your progress. Habits take several weeks to establish, so
track how you’re doing for at least a month. Choose things you actually enjoy
doing, so you want to get out of bed.’
