Okay, becoming a morning person may not be high on your list of goals, but indulge us for a second.

Consider your answers to these questions:

• Do you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to tackle your ever-growing to-do list?
• Do you spend the first hour of your day feeling groggy and resenting the morning?
• Is caffeine an absolute nonnegotiable in order to feel like a human?  

Most of us can probably answer  ‘yep’ to at least one.

You may think being a night owl suits you just fine, or maybe you find those who chirp about the “early bird”  annoying. That may be the case, but studies consistently show that there’s a slew of advantages to being an early riser including a more optimistic outlook, better ability to anticipate problems, and even an easier commute.

I’ve blossomed into a morning bird over the past few years out of necessity. When working and living in Manhattan, I adapted to a late start to the day. My boss rolled in no earlier than 9:30 a.m. and the culture was very much sleep late, work late.

Now, I see clients at 6 a.m. most days and rise before the sun. This a career essential, so I’ve adapted to become one of those annoying morning people. However, I feel much more productive throughout the day and much less pressure to get everything done with an earlier start.

Do you want to become an early riser too?

Here are 7 steps to become a morning person:

1. Go to bed earlier. This is number one for good reason: If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll be groggy and irritable when you attempt to wake up earlier. (Duh.) Adjust your bedtime by 1 hour and assess how you feel. Skimping on sleep is not cool: Our bodies are made to rest, with most adults needing 7-8 hours per night. 
2. Reassess your evenings. If you put off bedtime in favor of scrolling Instagram or staying up late with Conan and Jimmy, you might not be in the relaxed state that’s conducive to sleep. Try to hop into bed with a good book, (this is my favorite!) enjoy some bedtime tea and ignore electronics. These calming rituals will ease your psyche and body into a relaxed state, making it easier to fall asleep.
3. Prepare the night before. Organizing your morning the night before is super-helpful for waking up when it seems our brains aren’t fully functioning. Setting out your outfit, packing the gym bag and prepping breakfast and/or lunch will make the morning feel less stressful.
4. Look forward to breakfast. This one is big for me, since I’m motivated by food! The anticipation of a tasty breakfast routine makes it easy to hop out of bed when the alarm beeps. Need some good make-ahead ideas? Try a chocolate kale smoothie or yummy protein muffins.
5. Let exercise motivate you. A morning fitness habit is a main reason adults choose to get up early. Sweating it out early in the day (when you’re barely cognizant and can’t make excuses) helps your body adjust to the routine. Before long, you may even crave it.
6. Put your alarm clock as far away as possible. Placing your alarm clock across the room forces you to move and prevents you from hitting the snooze button. If you rely on your iPhone to wake you up, try charging it for the night away from your bed.
7. Reward yourself. Use extra morning time to create enjoyable rituals. Savor your coffee and breakfast with family or in peaceful silence. Read the newspaper or a guilty pleasure blog. Listen to music while getting dressed. Or, roll out the yoga mat and start the day with stretching. Regardless of how, take in the difference of a smoother and less frantic day when you start it right.

Readers, what morning rituals help you wake up earlier? Tell us in the comments.

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Beth is a Health and Wellness expert who believes sustainability goes hand-in-hand with self care. She’s the girl whipping up kombucha cocktails at parties, and extolling the benefits of canning vegetables to anyone who will listen. View all posts by Beth Funari