How to Be More of a Morning Person

Having trouble waking up early? You’re not alone! A 2022 study by YouGov indicated that 59% of sleep-deprived Singaporeans will hit the snooze button on their alarm, showing difficulty in waking up. With a few small habit shifts, becoming a morning person might be easier than you think.

Not everyone is born a morning person, some of us consider ourselves to be more of a night owl. However, in a fast-paced city like Singapore, waking up early is not only a sign of productivity, but it can also make a real difference to how your day will go. Needing to catch the MRT or bus to get to work on time can mean stressful mornings of rushing, shuffling, and forgetting things. But being a morning person doesn’t mean waking up at 5am to make it less stressful. There are simple, sustainable, and effective ways your mornings can look and feel different too.

 

If Mornings Feel Rushed and Overwhelming

Do this: 

• Prepare the night before. Get your next-day to-do list done, clothes laid out, bags and things needed ready by the door.
• Sleep at the same time every day. Try to discipline yourself to follow a set bedtime, including weekends, to get your circadian rhythm on track.
• Avoid screen time before sleep. An article explains, “exposure to blue light at night suppresses melatonin production, tricking the brain into staying awake. This results in difficulty falling asleep, frequent nighttime awakenings, and overall poorer sleep quality.”

Why this helps: Waking up to a morning where everything is set and ready, after a restful sleep, will tremendously improve your mood and your overall perception of mornings will become more positive.

 

 

If You Wake Up Tired and Unmotivated

Do this:

• Start your day with gentle movements. Light stretches and deep breathing are small things that will benefit you greatly.
• Avoid intense workouts. As your body is just waking up, you may not have sufficient energy for anything too strenuous.
• Get daylight exposure. An article cited, “Exposure to natural sunlight early in the day helps optimally set our mood, cognition, immune function, and circadian rhythms, including our sleep-wake cycle, enabling us to achieve higher-quality sleep at night.”

Why this helps: Gentle exercises and sunlight exposure is the perfect combination to boost serotonin, giving you the energy you need to feel less sluggish, in a kopi-free way.

 

 

If You Dread Mornings Altogether

Do this:

• Create something to look forward to. It can be something as simple as a shower playlist or a fancy gourmet breakfast to start off and expand into a whole morning ritual, like a meditation and tea hour.
• Get a feel-good activity going. For example, dancing is not an activity you would simply do as you wake up, especially when you’re not a morning person, but force yourself to dance to the shower playlist anyway. Eventually, your body and mind will align and it will feel good.
• Avoid early morning gadget time. It is a known habit among Singaporeans to check our phones first thing in the morning. However, try practising a habit where you go about your mornings without looking at your phone first. The simplest way is to place the phone away from your bed as far as possible.

Why this helps: By having something to look forward to or something to accomplish, your mornings will feel more intentional, and having a feel-good activity will create a positive association with your morning routines. 

 

 

Being a morning person is not an overnight process, and it shouldn’t have to be. However, if becoming more of a morning person is a goal you have or perhaps a New Year’s resolution you plan to accomplish, then try preparing ahead, improving sleep habits, easing into the day with gentle exercises, and creating moments you genuinely enjoy. Mornings set the tone for your day and build into your evenings, so it’s all the more reason to start loving it!

 

Health Tips: Answering Your FAQs About Beating Stress

1. Is it bad if I’m not naturally a morning person?

Not at all. Chronotypes differ, but consistent routines and better sleep habits can still improve how you feel in the mornings.

2. How long does it take to become more of a morning person?

Most people notice improvements within 1–2 weeks of consistent sleep and morning habits.

3. Can improving my mornings reduce overall stress?

Yes. Research shows that calmer mornings improve emotional regulation, productivity, and stress resilience throughout the day.