Tired of Waking Up in a Slump? Here’s How to Get Motivated in the Morning

Rise and shine! Do you loathe the sound of your alarm every morning and rush to hit the snooze button? If you wake up groggy and miserable, then this post is for you! Finding the motivation to face your day head-on might require you to dig deep. I have some tips for your morning routine that will boost your motivation, and I want to share them with you.

I know, I know—it’s SO easy to roll over and go back to sleep, hit the snooze and stay in be a little longer. Maybe you are just exhausted from the stress of everyday life, or maybe it’s procrastination as you feel overwhelmed with the task list looming before you. You might struggle with distractions that throw off your morning focus, like getting caught up in a game on your phone or browsing a social media feed.

You wake up in a slump most mornings and something has to change.

Yet, we still manage to get to work (maybe a little late sometimes), juggle our responsibilities and survive the day. But, I want to stop you right there. That’s exactly the problem; the mindset that you survived your day is a pretty bleak outlook on your life. If you are struggling with motivation and positive feelings about your day, something is wrong. You shouldn’t have to work so hard to feel positive—you shouldn’t have to feel like you need to just survive daily life.

I want to help you thrive—and thrive like those pesky morning people who just seem to wake up in a glow of buzzing energy, ready to tackle the day. As irritating as it is, you envy their drive as you drag yourself out of bed! What they’ve figured out is what the rest of us have to learn: those early morning hours should be your friend.

It’s time to learn how to make your morning work for you!

10 Tips to Wake Up Motivated and Ready to Shine

Remember the saying: The early bird gets the worm.

None of us actually want to end up with any worms, but the point is clear. Morning is a great time to get a head start on our day. The tone of your morning will play a part in how the rest of your day goes. If your energy is weighed down by dread and irritation, you start your day with an uphill battle in front of you. If you find the secret to making your morning highly productive and energizing, those positive vibrations will help clear your path for a more successful day.

These 10 tips will help you wake up and face the day with gusto.

1. Get up EARLIER

Yes, you read that right. Sounds like the opposite of a tip to help you enjoy your morning, doesn’t it? But, by getting up earlier, you will experience more peace and less rush. Ben Franklin wrote a saying about this as well:

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

Most of the time, we lose productivity at night. As we get tired, it’s harder to stay focused and energized. Going to bed early allows you to get those hours of sleep and still set your alarm for an earlier start. As long as you are getting adequate amounts of sleep by going to bed earlier, you should be able to set your alarm earlier and wake up successfully. This gives you time to jumpstart your day with:

• Morning workout
• Healthier breakfast
• Non-work-related activities
• Meditation or morning ritual
• Focused intention
• An unrushed morning routine

2. Display Your “Why”

What is truly driving you? It could be your favorite hobby or your loved ones. Your “why” might be who you want to become. I’ve talked before about working on using the Law of Attraction in every aspect of your life. As you find inspiration and start to visualize what that means (how does that “you” act?), it will become your “why.”

These dreams will become your underlying purpose and power your motivation, so post it up in clear view! You can use a sticky note or window paint markers on your bathroom mirror—write out your “why” or positive mantra that will inspire you each morning.

3. Fuel Your Body

Food impacts us in several ways. You can support your body with healthy foods and impede your body with poor food choices. How we feel will impact our motivations and energy level. Research has shown that a higher intake of fruits and vegetables directly led to predictably higher levels of well-being, creativity and curiosity! We feel better and then we do better.

Find the foods that make your body feel strong and powerful. Avoid the foods that make you feel sick or sluggish. A good rule of thumb is to avoid processed sugars and simple carbs (white bread, pasta, white potatoes, etc.). Focus on increasing whole grains, vegetables, protein, healthy fats and raw fruit.

Eating a healthy breakfast is really important for fueling your body to meet the day and curbing your hunger so you make smart food choices later. By providing your body with nutrition-based foods, you can avoid that common afternoon crash too.

4. Rethink Your Alarm

Jolting your consciousness into action every morning isn’t a pleasant way to start the day. Consider an alarm clock that plays calming music that increases in volume to wake you up. There are even clocks that control the lighting to help your biological clock get on board. There are sleep masks and room lights that can help you wake up to a sunrise stimulation that mimics the sun for the time you want to get up. This signals to your brain that it is the right time to get up.

Studies have shown that dawn stimulation can help with winter depression and useful for treating mood disorders. Light helps boost your melatonin, improve your daytime cognitive performance, and enhance cortisol awakening response, regulating your biological rhythms.

5. Work Out

You’ve probably seen a lot of science behind just how exercise is important for a healthier body. But, working out actually feels good too! Exercise boosts our mood and lowers stress by increasing our dopamine and serotonin levels.

It might seem counterproductive to try and schedule a workout session when you can barely muster up the energy to get out of bed, but exercise generates energy! At first, you will probably feel extra tired, but there is a certain adrenaline rush that happens when we are proud of exerting effort. And, soon, you will be more in shape and less impacted by your workouts. Stick with it and make cardio part of your morning routine at least three times a week!

Daily exercise doesn’t have to be long or complicated—a brisk walk around the block before you get ready for work will help you feel fully awake and refreshed.

6. Remind Yourself of Wins

During the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, I wrote about how to combat a lack of motivation during quarantine. My mantra every morning became:

“I wake up, I get up, I show up.”

That helped me focus on my successes. Just showing up was a win! This isn’t the attitude of “Thank God I survived another day,” but a challenge: How do I show up today? Getting out of bed is a big step. Being present mentally, emotionally and spiritually is a HUGE step.

Counter your “bad days” with a master list of recent wins. You can keep it on your nightstand or wherever it is easily reachable. Pull it out on mornings where you are struggling to get up and show up.

7. Make “Me” Time

What makes you happy? Choose an activity or event that boosts your mood. Maybe art, music or reading is your passion. Perhaps you like to cook or garden. You might enjoy organizing things or building machines. Happiness is tied to job performance and purpose. If you aren’t feeling the pride and satisfaction of a job well done at work, you need to be sure you have a hobby that makes you feel accomplished and excited.

Whether you take a short swim, read a chapter of a book, take a long bath or make a great cup of coffee, you will feel your personal life improve. These acts of self-care will impact your career in positive ways too, as waves of positivity a pushed out from you and into the universe.

8. Make Your Bed

A quick alignment of your sheets and a little tucking can go a long way. Making your bed will provide you with an immediate sense of accomplishment. It only takes a few minutes, but it will lower your stress and put you in a positive state of mind that impacts the rest of your day. Keeping your bedroom tidy is a good habit that will help improve your organizational skills and clear thinking.

9. Journal Your Thoughts

Before your day gets overtaken with your to-do list, write. Get your thoughts out on paper to clarify your feelings and release pent-up energy. This needs to be done in handwriting (no computer or device!) and should take around 30 minutes. Connecting with the paper, you will come face-to-face with your deeper thoughts. Understanding the reasons behind your actions will help you make more informed choices moving forward.

10. Meditate for Awareness

Calming your state of being and dialing down into your inner being allows you to find SO much energy! Through meditation, like chakra sound healing, you find deep relaxation, by activating your parasympathetic-nervous system. Even though you are focused on yourself (your breathing and stillness), you gain insight into the larger picture. Meditation can help you reduce stress-induced headaches and anxiety. Keep those positive mantras in mind and avoid negative self-talk.

Prepare for Increased Motivation Every Morning

To successfully increase daily motivation, you need to define how these 10 tips will occur regularly. Every day, you should have multiple tips in action. It’s easy to start with the best of intentions and revert to old habits. Avoid returning to the rut with these four tips for solidifying your morning ritual.

Prepare with Your Nightly Routine

Every night I write in my journal what I want to experience the next day. This simple action helps me define my goals for tomorrow. It doesn’t have to be a long entry or deep discovery, just set your intentions for the day and consider what you face. Maybe write a new mantra you want to focus on for that day. Oftentimes, I write my intentions as if they’re already done.

Remove the barriers that might keep you in bed a little longer. Set out the clothing that helps you get ready faster the next day. If you want to rise early to workout or complete a yoga routine, lay out appropriate workout clothes and gear, like weights or a yoga mat. Don’t give yourself any room for excuses when you wake up! I leave my journal with those defined intentions open next to my bed, allowing the energy to set my day.

Prepare to wake early by scheduling your bedtime early. You need a good night’s sleep to wake up earlier and feel good about it. If you feel too keyed up at night, get off your device at least an hour before your scheduled bedtime, helping your brain relax. You can use this time for meditation, calming music or a relaxing yoga routine.

Avoid eating close to bedtime and drink a big glass of water. Eating too close to sleeping can cause you to feel sluggish in the morning and trigger acid reflux. Sometimes reflux, or GERD, doesn’t present like heartburn but may feel like more of a breathing issue—like something is affecting your lungs. Studies have found, eating late at night can make it harder to control your weight too.

Set Defined Goals

When you think about your whole week, how many times will you plan to work out or meditate? Don’t just say, “Oh, I should definitely do that more.” Define that goal with a number. If you aim for three times of exercise a week, define which days. The more detailed you can get in what your goals will be for the week, the more likely you are to meet those goals.

Defining our goals lets us set our intention and visualize our success. Use the Law of Attraction to consider what it will take to become that person. As you see yourself waking early and getting things done, how will you act and what will change? Keep the “new you” in your sights as you start to shift new habits into familiar ones.

Consider Underlying Issues

All of this is great but may not fully address underlying issues that could be impacting your mornings.

If you are struggling with mental health, like depression or bipolar disorder, the issues go beyond routine. While daily routine changes will make a big difference, you need to seek professional help as well. Find a therapist who can provide a diagnosis and treatment options. For me, my depression was the catalyst, and getting that brain imbalance under control really helped me turn the corner on my lack of morning motivation!

Your sluggishness could also be related to being pulled in too many directions. If your schedule is too full or demanding, your body may just choose to start protecting your well-being by shutting down. You may need more sleep or smaller “to-do” lists. Increase your “me time” goals, and set boundaries for yourself to protect your mental energy.

Another thing that could be driving this struggle each morning is a toxic relationship. If you aren’t sure about this one, I’ve written before about how to recognize if you are in a toxic and unhealthy relationship. People can drain your energy, so watch out for that.

Establish a Motivational Routine

Give this time to make a difference. Setting your goals and addressing those deeper issues will start to make a huge difference over time. Think of this as a marathon and not a sprint. Most importantly, give yourself grace if you have a tough day.

More than likely, that old ugly head of lethargic indifference will return, sabotaging your new daily routine. This is normal when you are trying to change an old habit. Don’t let it knock you off course. Set your new intentions for the next day with a fresh perspective. Take this opportunity to recognize how far you’ve come (where one bad day stands out), and feel gratitude towards the process. Over time, you will have fewer “bad” days and get better at changing the energy sooner.

I hope you will join me in my Healing Center. I think it would be a huge resource for you right now. We go through some really powerful lessons and I have many resources there to help you on this journey of healing.