Two things I struggle with the most – and many of you would agree with me – is waking up early and going to sleep early.

Building a new routine, and sticking to it, can be incredibly hard even when you have the motivation to do it.

You are never quite ready to go to bed at a strict time. You also do not want to get out of bed when the blankets are so cosy and warm.

I think I was my most productive during April of 2020. I was waking up at 6 am every day as well as going to bed at a reasonable hour.

If I had to give credit, it was likely because of my creative writing goals. I wanted to work on a different project every week, so I was determined to wake early in the morning to write.

While I have fallen off the wagon, so to speak, I'm slowly, slowly rebuilding my morning and evening routine to be what I want them to be. I want to incorporate the activities I did in April alongside some new habits.

Today, I'm sharing some tips and ideas for your morning and evening routine that will help you wake early and go to bed at an earlier hour. If you are looking for some inspiration for habits and lifestyle, stay right here and read the rest of this post!

Morning routine

1. Start the day with gentle exercise. Such as stretching, deep breathing, and yoga poses. As soon as you wake up, throw off the blankets and settle down on your yoga mat or a comfortable rug in your room. Exercise is a great way to move your body and wake up your muscles and limbs. I prefer to do 10-20 minutes of gentle yoga, as I’m easing myself into practising yoga daily.

2. Listen to a podcast episode. Hearing someone speak in a clear, loud voice in the morning is a great way to jolt your mind awake. Have you ever overslept as a teenager and then your parents had to call you, and suddenly you sprang out of bed? To me, listening to a podcast has the same effect. My favourite topics are mindfulness, personal development, creative writing, and marketing/business. You can use this time to learn something new. You can also listen to the podcast WHILE you practise a gentle exercise.

3. Ignore social media in the first hour of the morning. We check our phones a lot in the morning, and it is too easy to get drawn into the endless scroll of social media. It’s one of my worst habits, and thankfully, I only tend to do this over the weekend. When you wake up in the morning, do not open or check social media for at least 1 hour. Use that time instead to do the necessary parts of your morning routine.

4. Splash cold water on your face for several minutes. It is a recommended habit if you are struggling to wake up in the morning. And I’ll tell you the truth, it works. Turn on the faucet for as cold as it can get and apply cold water to your face. Splash and massage it into your face. It’ll also help with puffiness and make you feel a little more refreshed.

5. Set an alarm every 30 minutes. Some people prefer to hit the snooze button if they’re not ready to wake. I like to set 1 alarm tone for every 30 minutes. This way, I can wake at 6 am, and if I’m not ready I can still wake up again at 6:30 am. Even if you do jump out of bed at the first alarm, you can use the alarms to have more time management to your morning routine – if you desire to be so organised. Similarly, it also helps to place your phone far away from your bed because this will force you to get out of bed to turn it off.

Night routine

6. No social media 1 hour before bed. It's similar to the rule of no social media in the morning. Tuning out of social channels at the end of the day will help prevent you from spending too much time scrolling through feeds, and also clear your mind before you go to sleep. Similarly, tuning out of social media before bed will help you sleep better.

7. End the day with gentle exercise. Just as it is necessary to unwind before starting your day, it is also a great idea to unwind before you go to bed. You’ve likely been on your feet all day or sitting behind a desk. So you want to soothe and ease any tension left behind after a long day.

8. Do a mindful activity. Such as meditation, deep breathing, journaling, reading a book, colouring in, or more. Do something calm and creative that makes you focus on the present and yourself. Not only is this a great way to practice daily self-care, but it is also beneficial for your physical and mental well-being.

9. Brew a hot cup of tea and drink it before bed. Sometimes it is the soothing herbal blend of the tea itself and sometimes it is the act of holding the warm cup between your hands. My favourite tea to drink before bed is chamomile tea because it’s amazing for relaxation and stress relief. I don’t add anything to it – no milk or sugar to dilute the flavour. There is also a range of other blends you could try – sometimes specific to falling asleep.

10. Be vigilant about your bedtime. I can’t say it more clearly than that. If you decide to go to bed at 10:00 pm every night, go to bed at 10:00 pm every night. Plan your evening routine so that you’re ready for bed by 30 minutes beforehand, at least. Sometimes it can feel like a chore to go to bed early, especially if you want to stay up late and there are things you want to do. but when you prioritise your bedtime you’re prioritising your wellbeing. It’s essential to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep as an adult. Being strict about your bedtime can help you with that.

There you have it! These are the 10 activities you can start doing to wake up and go to bed early every day. you can begin incorporating these habits whenever you want; and it may even help to track them in your journal for the first few weeks to help motivate you. I hope you found this post useful. Good luck with your daily routines!