Productive Pixie: October 2021

October 30, 2021 No comments

Phones are very convenient, and you probably bring yours almost everywhere. Whenever you have a few extra minutes of free time you probably pull your phone out and scroll on social media... again. You don't have anything better to do with your time, right? Nope, there are plenty of fun and productive things to do online right now, and I'll be sharing them today in this article.

12 Productive + Fun Things to do Online Right Now

Side Note - This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you buy something from one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. For more information, you can read my privacy policy. Thank you for supporting my blog. :)

Updated for 2024

Do you have trouble being productive while on your phone, laptop, or even your smartwatch? I already have an entire article written on how to increase your productivity when you are online. AKA if you don't want to get distracted the next time you are working on something, this is the post for you to read.

This post though is not going to cover how you can be more productive online. Instead, this post is going to provide you with a bunch of fun and productive things you can do online when you have free time and you don't have anything else to do.

You might even be reading this post for that very reason. 😂

Just as a quick side note, some of these ideas may not be very "fun", but I wanted to include them on this list as well because they are things you can do to be productive online. Who knows? You might find sifting through and organizing old photos on your device to be fun!

Here are twelve fun and productive things you can do online right now!

Fun + Productive Things to do Online Right Now

1. Take a Free Course

Courses hold a wealth of information... and you don't have to pay either. There are tons of free courses online to take covering a variety of subjects so you are sure to find something that will pique your interest.

Here are a few places you can find online courses for free.

Currently, I'm really enjoying taking courses on EDX, but in the past, I took the Google Digital Garage certification (so I could be certified in the fundamentals of digital marketing), and I just barely completed a course on Alison that I enjoyed as well.

Try them all out and see which platform you like best!

2. Listen to a Podcast

Podcasts are wonderful because you can do other tasks while you listen! I'm a big fan of listening to podcasts while I'm out running. Here are a few of my current favorite personal development podcasts.

Design Your Dream Life With Natalie Bacon
Where There's Smoke
Before Breakfast

All of these podcasts are wonderful for personal development so check them out if you are interested!

3. Watch a TED Talk

There are tons of TED Talks and new ones are published almost daily on the TED Talk website. Talks are on average only seventeen minutes long, so if you have time to scroll on social media, why not watch a TED Talk and get inspired instead?

I have been creating the habit of watching a new TED Talk every day, and it's one way I have been finding inspiration daily. Plus, when you use the TED Talk website, new videos are recommended based on what you've already watched. Basically, it's the YouTube of TED Talks!

4. Start a Blog

What can I say? I am a little biased. I love blogging! If you enjoy writing, this might be a new hobby (or business!) for you to pick up. Blogging takes a lot of work, but it is worth it. I currently make money blogging seven days a week, even if I don't work on my blog for a day or two so it is a passive income source. A big thank you to you for making this possible!

If you want to get a better idea of what blogging takes, you can read some of the below posts on my blogging journey from the very beginning.

If you want to start a blog, there are tons of articles out there on the internet on how to start a blog, so I haven't written one myself. If you would like my tips for blogging, you can contact me via social media or my contact page, and I would be happy to send you some tips! :)

5. Organize Your Device's Files

Not going to lie... this one might not be that fun unless you like to have things organized. Sometimes, I really enjoy organizing things so it can be fun or it can be a chore.

This is a great task to add to your monthly or weekly to-do list because it is sooo much easier to find a file if your entire device is organized!

6. Go Through Your Pinterest Boards or Your Bookmarked Sites

A more enjoyable version of organizing your device is going through your Pinterest boards or your bookmarked sites. How many times do you actually go through all of the inspirational pins you pin on Pinterest?

Not often, I'm guessing! Now's the time to actually do those things that you have saved! Read those personal development articles, do those crafts, and print out those recipes so you can actually make them.

7. Learn a New Language

Have a few minutes of time? Why not work on learning a new language. I'm a fan of using Duolingo because there is a free version, and it is very easy to use.

You most likely won't be able to become fluent in another language using only Duolingo, but it is a wonderful resource to start with. Right now, I'm learning French!

8. Take Surveys

Want to earn some extra money in your spare time? Me too! 😂

In the past, I have earned more than just a couple hundred dollars with Swagbucks and MyPoints. (Please note that both of these links are affiliate links, so I will earn points if you sign up through my links at no cost to you.)

It's free to join both of these sites, and then you can make money by taking surveys, playing games, watching advertisements, and getting cash back on purchases.

9. Shop Online

Planned purchases are always better than impulse purchases, so if you need to buy something, and you haven't bought it before, it's a good idea to search online and read some reviews before you decide to buy it. This way, you can make better-informed shopping decisions.

If you want to save money and time, here are fifteen tips you can use to save time and money when shopping.

Christmas shopping while sitting next to a cozy fire and drinking hot chocolate, anyone?

10. Read an E-Book

I'm a big fan of paper books, but e-books are definitely more convenient because you can access so many books right from your phone!

I haven't found a great place for finding free e-books yet (I'm all about getting a great deal lol), but if you know of one, make sure you leave a comment down below. I would love to know where you find your e-books!

11. Bullet Journal or Planner

I'll be totally honest here. I have been bullet journaling or using a planner for many years, and I have never tried a digital bullet journal or planner. I've always preferred using paper, but a digital bullet journal might be the planning system that you never knew you needed until now!

A digital planning system has tons of perks such as always being able to erase mistakes, never running out of room in your bullet journal, and being able to store your bullet journal in your pocket.

12. Do a YouTube Workout

This one might not belong on this list because you can't technically do it anywhere with just a digital device, but I thought I'd include it anyway. Who knows? Maybe I'll see you doing a quick yoga pose while waiting in line at the grocery store lol.

Anyway, you should back up from your screen, and do a quick workout every once in a while. Here are a few of the YouTubers whose workouts I like to follow along to.

Some of these workouts are ten minutes or even shorter, so if you are looking for a quick workout then these ones are great!

Fun +Productive Things to do Online Right Now

The next time you feel like binge-watching YouTube videos or scrolling on social media, try doing one of these twelve fun and productive activities instead. Remember to unplug, and take some time away from your devices too. :)

Read these other productivity posts if you have a few minutes!

Thank you so much for reading this post! If you enjoyed it, please share it or leave a comment below!

Don't have time to read the whole thing? Pin it and come back later!

October 23, 2021 No comments

Journaling has amazing benefits! (If you are a journaling skeptic, I'll be going over the benefits of journaling regularly in just a second) It can be hard to create habits. REALLY hard. You might want to start journaling daily because you've heard of how journaling daily has helped other people, and you want those benefits in your life too. Well, you are in the right place! You can effortlessly start journaling daily with these tips!

How to Effortlessly Start Journaling Daily (Create the Habit Now)

Updated for 2024

I have been journaling daily for years now. Some days I'm only able to write a line or two because it's late and I'm in a hurry to get into bed, but journaling is something I always do every day.

How have I been able to journal every day for years so effortlessly?

A lot of it has to do with turning journaling daily into a habit. But journaling should also be something that you enjoy doing if you want to turn it into a habit!

If you don't especially like journaling, but you want some of the benefits below, don't worry because there are lots of little no-stress ways to journal!

The Benefits of Journaling Daily

1. You Have a History of Your Life

This is probably the most obvious benefit of journaling. When you are older, you can go back through your journal and reread all of the fun things you did in your life, and after you are... *ahem* gone your ancestors can read it.

Who knows?

Maybe your journal will be the next "Anne Frank's Diary", and tons of people will read it to see what it was like to live when you did. You have a unique perspective on life so you should write it down!

2. You Won't Forget Important Events

Very similar to the one above, but it's a tad different so I wanted to add this one to the list. For example, one of your friends might have a birthday coming up, and you know what month it is, but you don't know what day it is on.

No problem!

All you have to do is go back through your journal to see what day your friend's birthday is on. That is if you wrote down what day it was on last year!

If you didn't, well then... this really isn't going to help you.

3. Sense of Accomplishment

When you are in your eighties or maybe even your nineties, you'll probably have a couple of journals filled. That's a huge accomplishment!

But journaling has immediate benefits too. If you didn't have a very good day, before you go to bed you can journal for a few minutes. Even if you didn't achieve anything else that day, you can go to bed knowing that you documented your personal history or opinion for the day.

4. Journaling Helps You Become a Better Writer

You don't have to be a writer (not even close) to journal, but journaling helps you to become a better writer. Here's a little secret for you, if you feel like you aren't a good enough writer to keep a journal: no one else has to read it so it doesn't matter how good of a writer you are.

5. You Can Release Emotion

You can be entirely honest in your journal. No, you don't have to do the "Dear Diary, [insert rant about your day]" version of a journal. If you have a bad day though, you can write it all down.

If your life isn't working out, you can think things out on paper, and no one is going to judge you.

6. Journaling Helps You Understand Yourself

As you journal about your day, you can go back and read about previous versions of yourself to see how you've changed.

You don't have to journal about your day though. You can use journaling prompts or you can journal about things that are of interest to you.

6. Journaling Helps You be Creative

Your journal can be whatever you want it to be! You can do creative writing, drawing, or decorating. You might write stories or you might have a gratitude journal. It could be a bullet journal that contains a bunch of these elements.

It's all up to you!

How to Effortlessly Start Journaling Daily

1. Pick a Journaling Format That Works for You

First, and foremost, you need to pick a journaling format that works for you. It should be convenient, and enjoyable.

If you prefer paper and pen, then use paper and pen. If you prefer a digital journal, then use a digital journal. It's still a journal even if it is an app!

If you want to use a paper notebook, then move on to the next tip, but if you want to use a journaling app, here are a bunch of high-rated journaling apps for android (may also be available for iPhones) that you can try!

(Please note that I haven't tested any of these apps myself so I can't guarantee that they will be amazing, but they all have 4+ stars. If you are interested in me doing a post on the best journal and bullet journal apps, just let me know in the comments.)

2. Choose Supplies You Like

If you are using an app, then you already have everything you need. You can move on to the next tip. If you are using a paper notebook, then you need to find a pen you like.

Have you ever been frustrated while writing with a pen that doesn't work properly?

Yeah, me too! It's awful to write with a pen that contains ink that doesn't flow smoothly. At the beginning of your journaling journey, you should allow yourself a new pen that you'll want to write with.

And for those of us who love stationery, I don't think it will be hard for us to treat ourselves with a new pen! 😂

3. Do One Line a Day to Start

One of the easiest and best ways to make a habit stick is to start out as small as possible. If it only takes five seconds of your day, it's not going to be much of a bother to do it daily, right?

To start your journaling habit, you can write just one line every day for around thirty days, and then you can write as much as you want.

Think about the most important thing that happened to you that day, and then summarize it in one sentence. If you want to draw in your journal, then you might consider doing one doodle a day.

4. Bullet Journal + Diary in One

If you already bullet journal, then adding journaling to your life will not be hard! You can choose to either journal in your bullet journal or journaling in a separate notebook. Keep in mind that if you journal in your bullet journal, you will use up your notebook quicker.

If you journal in a separate notebook, you can tie that into your already existing bullet journaling habit, by writing in your journal right after you update your bullet journal.

If you have an old unused planner, you can use that for your journal. Just cover up the old dates, and write in the current ones. You have space to write for each day!

5. Incorporate Journaling Into Your Day

I could give you a bunch of tips here on how to incorporate journaling into your day, but I already have quite a few detailed posts on how to easily create habits so I'll link them below.

If you don't have time to read all of those articles, here is a quick tip for you to help you incorporate journaling into your day: try and journal at the same time every day and make sure that you link the task to a task that you already do every day.

6. Use Journaling Prompts

You know how it goes. You open your journal, you grab your pen, and then... nothing. What did you even do today? What do you want to write about?

It's happened to me sooo many times! Using journal prompts will eliminate this problem for you once and for all!

I started using journal prompts a few weeks ago, and it has made journaling a lot more enjoyable. I'm planning on writing a post with journaling prompt ideas that you can use, but if you want to get started now, I've been using the journaling prompts in this post.

How to Effortlessly Start Journaling Daily (Create the Habit Now)

Good luck with your journaling habit! Keeping a journal has been a huge benefit in my life, and I hope that it will be for you as well. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. :)

If you liked this post, you can read these ones too!

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Save this post for later, if you want to create a journaling habit that sticks. Thank you!

October 16, 2021 No comments

Does prioritizing your to-do list sound kind of tricky or daunting? Yeah, I understand that! You might think it's easier to just create the to-do list without prioritizing it or to not create a to-do list at all. I mean, you barely have time to create your to-do list so you can save time by not prioritizing it, right? Wrong. By creating your to-do list the right way, and prioritizing it, you'll be able to save time and be more productive! Today, I'll be sharing tips you can use to prioritize your to-do list so you can smash your daily goals!

Prioritize Your To-Do List With These Easy Tips

Updated for 2024

By prioritizing your to-do list you can fully streamline your day to help you be more productive. You won't have to complete a task you need to do, and then try to remember what the next thing on your to-do list is. You will be able to do a task on your to-do list, and then smoothly transition into the next task on your to-do list.

It can help if you already have some routines. Routines will definitely help you save time! Check out the posts below, if you want some help creating your daily routines.

Let's get into how you can easily prioritize your to-do list!

Prioritize Your To-Do List With These Easy Tips

First, before you can prioritize your to-do list, you need to figure out what format you want to use for your to-do list.

Are you a big fan of paper? Or do you prefer digital?

Do you already have a planner? Or do you like using sticky notes?

1. Paper or Digital

The first step is deciding if you prefer paper or digital planning. Mostly, it will come down to convenience, and preference.

I prefer paper, and I find having a to-do list on my phone or laptop too distracting. If you don't know what format you like better, you can test each one out for a few days so you can see for yourself which one works best with your lifestyle.

2. Monthly, Weekly, or Daily

Some people will use multiple to-do lists to keep themselves organized. This has a number of pros to it because you can more clearly see what tasks you need to complete in a certain time period, and you won't have to be overwhelmed by having all of your tasks thrown together in a jumble. No one likes that!

I use to use monthly, and daily to-do lists, but now I use a running master to-do list and a weekly to-do list using the Alastair method. (The Alastair method is amazing, and I can't recommend it enough. If you are looking for a new weekly planning method, then check it out!)

Once you have picked your format, we can get into the methods you can use to prioritize your to-do list.

7 Different Ways to Prioritize Your To-Do List

1. Hardest to Easiest or Easiest to Hardest

Some people want to do their hardest task right in the morning, and this makes sense for good reason. Once you get your hardest task out of the way you will have more time to enjoy your day, and you won't be trying to do your hardest task when you are tired at the end of the day.

The only downside to this is that you might procrastinate getting out of bed because you don't want to have to do that hard task! In this case, you have another option, which is to do your tasks easiest to hardest.

The longer you put the task off though, the more you will dread doing it, so if you don't want to do your hardest task first thing, I would recommend doing one or two quick easy tasks before you do your hard task.

2. Most-Time Consuming to Least Time Consuming or Least Time Consuming to Most Time Consuming

I love checking items off my to-do list, and so it goes without saying that I don't like long tasks. These tasks are generally the hardest ones to do too!

Going along with the first method, it's probably a good idea to put your most time-consuming tasks first, or you can break up your time-consuming tasks into smaller chunks so the task doesn't look so daunting.

By the way, if you have any problems with procrastination as it seems 99.9% of us do lol, I have some tips for you in the post below.

3. The Eisenhower Method

I haven't tried the Eisenhower method (yet), but from what I've read, it seems like a wonderful way to get your priorities straight. Literally!

For the Eisenhower method, all you need is four boxes in a two-by-two square, and you'll be writing down your tasks in these boxes.

On top of one of the columns you'll write "urgent" and on top of the other column you'll write "not urgent". Next to one row, you'll write "important" and next to the other row you will write "not important. Now you can fill in all of the tasks you need to do.

I'm going to be testing out the Eisenhower method in my bullet journal and I'll be writing a full post on what I think about it pretty soon, but for now, you can find more information about the Eisenhower method in this blog post.

4. Hard Task, Easy Task or Short Task, Long Task

What is the purpose of this? To give yourself a break, without giving yourself a break. Yeah, it's a little bit sneaky! Breaks are very important for productivity. I've emphasized this point many times over the years I've been blogging and I'm sure you know that breaks are important, but what about when you don't have time for a break? What about those days when you have so much on your plate that you can't sit down and take a break?

That is where this method comes into play. Organize your to-do list so you can do a hard task, then an easy task, and then a hard task again. This way you are getting a break without taking a break.

Another way to use this method is to do activities that will use different parts of your body. Sounds kinda weird, I know, but you'll get it in a second.

For example, this would be washing the dishes and then writing an email for work. Exercising, and then writing a report for school. You would switch back and forth between tasks that require your brain and tasks that don't.

5. Batching Tasks

Scan your to-do list and see if there are any similar tasks that you can batch together so you can save time. This might be doing all of your dishes at night before you go to bed, or doing all of your homework for school at once.

Generally, I'm not a fan of batching tasks because it makes the task larger so I procrastinate more. It's easier for me to complete the smaller task, rather than doing all of them together. But with that being said, try out this method if you haven't already to see what works for you!

6. Time-Blocking

You might think time-blocking is too rigid, but this method is probably different from the time-blocking you are thinking of. You don't have to block in every hour of your day with this method. All you have to do is put your to-do list in chronological order of what you need to get done that day.

I'm a big fan of doing this! Once I complete a task, I already know what I am going to be doing next. This makes it easy for me to transition from task to task quickly and efficiently without having to read my whole to-do list.

If you want, you can figure out what you are going to do every hour, but that is not required for this method!

7. By Deadline

Lastly, you can organize your to-do list by deadlines. Everything with a closer deadline goes at the top, and everything that has distant deadlines can be done later.

Currently, for my weekly to-do list, I have everything that I need to do multiple times including habits on one side, and on the other side of the layout I have tasks with no deadline, and tasks I need to do once.

This way, at a glance, I can see what I need to do for the day, and I can see a whole list of tasks that I can do if I have "extra" time.

Prioritize Your To-Do List With These Easy Tips

Figuring out the best way to prioritize your to-do list will take a while. Test out each of these methods, and see which one works best for you. It might be a mix of a couple of these methods or it might be a new method!

Remember to switch things up too! After a while, it can be a little boring to have the same to-do list day after day. Switching up how you complete your to-do list can keep things fun! Or if not fun (because sometimes day-to-day tasks are super boring), at least not monotone!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you give the ones below a read.

Thank you for reading this post! Have a happy and productive week! How do you prioritize your to-do list?

Pin this post for later!

October 09, 2021 No comments

Can you really become a morning person or do people just wake up early in the morning because they have to? I've never been a night owl, but then again, I've never considered myself to be a morning person until I started to wake up at 5:30 in the morning because I wanted to. Waking up early in the morning and getting my day started right away always allows me to be more productive. Today I'll be sharing my best hacks you can use to become a morning person! Let's wake up early in the morning and love it!

Become a Morning Person Now: Hacks for Rising Earlier

Updated for 2024

Becoming a morning person can be really tough, but it is worth it! I use to never wake up at 5:30 unless I had to, but now I wake up at 5:30 and am excited for the day!

When you wake up earlier in the morning, you have more productive time to do what you want. You might still have the same amount of time in your day, but you won't be as tired because you won't be staying up half the night trying to get things done.

I'm super excited about this post because I have plenty of hacks to share with you! I use to regularly wake up sometime between 7:00 AM to 7:30 and around 8:30 on the weekends, but now I wake up at 5:30 consistently, and maybe a little later on the weekends. It's not a huge change, but I am always more productive in the morning, so this gives me more time in the day that I can use to knock my to-do list out of the park.

I tested out most of these hacks myself, to see what helps me wake up earlier in the morning, but I'm going to share a variety of tricks you can try because what works for me might not work for you. Become a morning person by testing out these hacks for yourself!

Become a Morning Person Now: Hacks for Rising Earlier

1. Figure Out What Time Your "Early" Is

So you want to become a morning person? Before you can do that, you need to figure out what is early for you. What time are you going to actually be able to consistently wake up at?

Just because I wake up at 5:30 AM, does not mean that you should wake up at 5:30 AM too. Some people wake up at 4 AM every morning, but I sure wouldn't want to do that!

Try waking up at different times and see what you like. I don't like to wake up too early in the morning because I like to go running to start my day, and I can't do that in complete darkness.

2. Figure Out How Much Sleep You Need

From what I've read, the recommended amount of sleep to get each night is around 7-9 hours. (Don't take my word for it though. I'm not a doctor or a health expert of any sort so please don't think that I am. 😂) Because this is just a range, you should figure out how many hours of sleep you need each night.

The easiest way I've found to do this is to track what time you wake up, and what time you go to bed at for at least a week. A month would be ideal. You can use this data to help you become a morning person.

Recommended Post - The Simple Strategy to Discover Where Your Time Goes

Then you can add up those hours and divide it by the number of days you tracked your sleep for, and voila there is the average number of hours you sleep for. If you usually don't get enough sleep, you should try to wake up without an alarm for a few days so you can see what time you naturally wake up at.

3. Stick to Your Sleep Schedule

Now that you know how much sleep you need on average, you should try to wake up every day at the same time. Yes, even on the weekends. I know it sounds daunting, but the more you wake up at the time you want to, the easier it will be to become a morning person.

Consistency is key.

With that being said, it is important to get enough sleep. If I am going to bed at a later time than I usually do, sometimes I will not use an alarm, so I can still get my average hours of sleep. If you are going to bed an hour later than usual, you can turn your alarm on for an hour later in the morning to help compensate.

Sticking to your new sleep schedule will definitely help you become a morning person.

4. Think of Something You Are Excited For

Always have something to wake up for in the morning! I try to think of something I am excited to do the next day every night. This way in the morning, I'll want to jump out of bed in the morning so I can get started on my day.

If you can't think of anything that you are excited to do, here are some fun and productive habits you can add to your day.

5. Have a Consistent Night Routine

Tomorrow starts with today. Become a morning person by starting tonight. Set up tomorrow for success by having a consistent night routine. There are many things you can do tonight to make your day tomorrow run smoother. Here are a few ideas you can try...

Pick Out Your Outfit
Make a To-Do List
Plan Your Meals for Tomorrow

For more ideas to incorporate into your night routine, you can read Why You Need to Start a Night Routine + How to Create One.

6. Have a Consistent Morning Routine

No social media in the early hours of the day! Are you really waking up an hour earlier so you can use social media for an hour longer?

I certainly hope not! There are plenty of habits you can create to improve your day, and ultimately your whole life.

If you need some ideas on how to create a morning routine, you can read Tips for Creating a Productive Morning Routine to help you become a morning person. It's easier to get out of bed in the morning and be productive when you already know what you are doing, especially if you are a little bit sleepy lol.

7. Have Tomorrow Already Planned

Don't make hard decisions in the morning, or even easy decisions if you don't have to. Honestly, who wants to wake up and get out of bed if they know they have to make a bunch of decisions early in the morning?

Add these tasks to your night routine instead, and you'll be on your way to having a more productive morning.

8. Don't Go to Bed Worried

Going to bed worried or anxious will not set you up for a good night's sleep. Instead, here are a few things you can do if you feel worried or anxious before going to bed.

Journal - Write what you did for the day or what you are grateful for. It can be very relaxing! :)
Meditate - Even a few minutes can be a big help!
Brain Dump - Write whatever is on your mind. Just throw it out on the page, and you can worry about it again tomorrow.
Listen to Calming Music

You can even do breathing exercises, yoga, or a stretching routine (This is one I like) in your bed.

9. Keep Your Alarm Across the Room

This is one of my favorite tips for getting out of bed earlier, and one I use whenever I use my alarm! I use to keep my alarm clock on my nightstand, but I would wake up when my alarm went off, and then I would turn it off, and promptly fall back asleep.

A few months ago, I moved my alarm clock across the room so I have to get out of bed and cross my room to turn it off. Yes, I have to hear the beeping for longer, but by the time I turn my alarm off, I don't feel like going back to sleep!

If you have a problem with getting out of bed in the morning, then I definitely recommend trying this, and turn the volume up on your alarm so you don't just put a pillow over your head so you can get a few more minutes of shut-eye. 😂

And just a quick note, I would also recommend not using your phone for an alarm because then you have to make the decision to not check notifications early in the morning, which can be tough.

10. Keep Your Room Darker

This is just a personal preference, but I wanted to throw this out there because it might work for you too. I find that the more light I have in my room the harder it is for me to fall asleep. If you have trouble falling asleep, this might be something you want to test out.

It's also easier to wake up to natural light, so maybe try opening a window shade right when you wake up in the morning to let in some sunshine.

11. Exercise During the Day or in the Morning

Exercising will make you tired, and when you are tired, it will be easier for you to fall asleep, so you can fall asleep quicker. This way, you can have more time to do what you want, and it will be easier for you to wake up in the morning because it won't have taken you as long to fall asleep.

Recommended Post - How to Find Time to Exercise More + Stay Motivated

You can read the post above if you have trouble finding time to exercise. With the tips in that post, I am able to find time to exercise for 2-3 hours daily!

12. Don't Press "Snooze" on Your Alarm

I've never pressed the "snooze" button on my alarm. Yep, you heard that right. I usually just turn it off, and then stay in bed if I'm super tired! 😂

It's not going to do you any good to get up earlier in the morning if you are really tired, and then you have to take a nap later in the day. It's better to simply turn your alarm off and go back to bed if you can afford that luxury.

When you press "snooze" on your alarm, you are beginning your day by procrastinating. Yeah... it's not the best way to start your day.

13. Give Yourself Time to Adjust to Your New Schedule

Give yourself some grace when you start a new sleep routine. When you start a new sleep routine, it's not going to be a lightbulb moment. In fact, you might feel tired the first week, if you try to change your sleep schedule drastically.

Instead, it's best to change your night routine by 15 minutes every few days or every week. This way, you are making a lasting change to your routine.

14. Watch What You Eat

Eating food with high levels of caffeine right before bed is not going to help you sleep, but I'm sure you already know that. Eat enough food for dinner, that you won't have to wake up for a late-night snack, and so you won't be starving in the morning.

15. Track Your Energy Levels + Mood

When do you have the most energy and when are you the most productive? If you aren't the most productive early in the morning, then maybe you shouldn't be trying to wake up super early in the morning.

If you get more done at night, then you could stay up a few hours later, and then have a super quick routine in the morning. Tracking your energy levels and your mood will help you figure out what time you should go to bed at and wake up at.

16. Don't Nap or Rest a Lot During the Day

This one is probably pretty obvious. The more you sleep during the day, the harder it is going to be to fall asleep at night, and the harder it will be to wake up early in the morning.

17. Make Your Bedroom for Sleeping

If you eat, you work, and you relax in your room, it will be harder to fall asleep at night because you might feel like eating, or working instead of sleeping. And *gasp* scrolling on your phone in your bed is definitely a big NO.

It's best to keep your room for sleeping.

18. Listen to Music in the Morning

Make a high-energy playlist of your favorite songs and turn it on in the morning when you wake up. Only do this, if you can resist checking other notifications on your phone.

Bonus points if you exercise while listening to your music playlist!

Become a Morning Person Now: Hacks for Rising Earlier

Those are my 18 hacks for rising earlier in the morning. I hope you can use these to finally become a morning person! If you already are a morning person, I would love to hear your hacks so make sure you drop them in the comments. :)

Read these posts too!

Good luck with becoming a morning person! Don't forget to just turn your alarm off instead of hitting "snooze" tomorrow!

Pin this post so you can read it again later. :)

October 02, 2021 No comments

183 Journal Prompts to Inspire a Better Life

183 Journal Prompts to Inspire a Better Life

Fun + Productive Things to do Online Right Now

1. Take a Free Course

2. Listen to a Podcast

3. Watch a TED Talk

4. Start a Blog

5. Organize Your Device's Files

6. Go Through Your Pinterest Boards or Your Bookmarked Sites

7. Learn a New Language

8. Take Surveys

9. Shop Online

10. Read an E-Book

11. Bullet Journal or Planner

12. Do a YouTube Workout

Fun +Productive Things to do Online Right Now

The Benefits of Journaling Daily

1. You Have a History of Your Life

2. You Won't Forget Important Events

3. Sense of Accomplishment

4. Journaling Helps You Become a Better Writer

5. You Can Release Emotion

6. Journaling Helps You Understand Yourself

6. Journaling Helps You be Creative

How to Effortlessly Start Journaling Daily

1. Pick a Journaling Format That Works for You

2. Choose Supplies You Like

3. Do One Line a Day to Start

4. Bullet Journal + Diary in One

5. Incorporate Journaling Into Your Day

6. Use Journaling Prompts

How to Effortlessly Start Journaling Daily (Create the Habit Now)

Prioritize Your To-Do List With These Easy Tips

1. Paper or Digital

2. Monthly, Weekly, or Daily

7 Different Ways to Prioritize Your To-Do List

1. Hardest to Easiest or Easiest to Hardest

2. Most-Time Consuming to Least Time Consuming or Least Time Consuming to Most Time Consuming

3. The Eisenhower Method

4. Hard Task, Easy Task or Short Task, Long Task

5. Batching Tasks

6. Time-Blocking

7. By Deadline

Prioritize Your To-Do List With These Easy Tips

Become a Morning Person Now: Hacks for Rising Earlier

1. Figure Out What Time Your "Early" Is

2. Figure Out How Much Sleep You Need

3. Stick to Your Sleep Schedule

4. Think of Something You Are Excited For

5. Have a Consistent Night Routine

6. Have a Consistent Morning Routine

7. Have Tomorrow Already Planned

8. Don't Go to Bed Worried

9. Keep Your Alarm Across the Room

10. Keep Your Room Darker

11. Exercise During the Day or in the Morning

12. Don't Press "Snooze" on Your Alarm

13. Give Yourself Time to Adjust to Your New Schedule

14. Watch What You Eat

15. Track Your Energy Levels + Mood

16. Don't Nap or Rest a Lot During the Day

17. Make Your Bedroom for Sleeping

18. Listen to Music in the Morning

Become a Morning Person Now: Hacks for Rising Earlier

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