8am calls. 7am classes. Workouts in the dawn’s early light.
And it’s all a little more fun in the week after Daylight Savings Time starts. (You’ve changed your clocks by now, right?)
As much as a performer’s life may focus on afternoon and evening appearances, there are still plenty of rehearsals, coachings, teaching commitments and religious services that may drag you out of bed before the hour of preference. But whatever feels unbearable to you may yet be surmountable with a little awareness, planning, and practice of new habits. If you’re too frequently bleary-eyed and cranky pre-latte, consider one or more of these solutions:
Sleep by numbers
Make sure you’re getting enough rest! Sleep debt piles up over time, creating a cumulative lethargy, making it harder to focus, increasing cravings for unhealthy food and bringing adverse effects on metabolism, blood pressure and more. New apps such as SleepBot make it easy to track your habits, see where you’re losing winks, and assess your own patterns. Click here to read more about sleep debt (and how to catch up), with research and advice from the smarties at Harvard Health.
Plan ahead
You’ve probably already thought of setting out your clothes for the next day, packing a lunch ahead of time, or buying a coffee maker with a timer. (This little one may be all you need.). All of these can help. But the simple act of making out a to-do list the night before, just before you go to bed, can help your subconscious let go of the never-ending whirlwind of tasks you’ll face the next day. Having that list available as soon as you get up can also give you the kick in the butt to help start the new day with increased focus and motivation. Click here for a few more “night before” possibilities.
Find your ritual
The biggest element of morning success is habit. You may already have one or two things that you do every day when you first wake up: go to the bathroom, take a shower, 
feed the pooch, drink some coffee, blow your nose… (Your order may vary, of course — some pooches are more demanding than others!)
But if you can identify and expand your existing habits to include a short walk, a little writing, a good stretch or a bit of meditation (try Headspace!), a simple positive habit of just a few minutes can make a huge difference in how you start each day. More morning rituals
But wait, there’s more:
“How to Become a Morning Person“
“7 Ridiculously Easy Things To Do Today To Have A Better Morning Tomorrow“
“Learn to Become a Morning Person with This Free Email Course“
