Learn How to Meditate in the Next 5 Minutes: The Quick Start Guide to Mindfulness Meditation

Don't get enough time to yourself? Busy schedule overwhelming you? Is even a full night's rest not doing the job? That's where meditation comes in, like a caped crusader ready to BLAM! KERPOW! and CRUNCH! your enemies to dust.

OK, not quite. But mindfulness meditation really does help with all of the things I listed above. And the great thing is, it's as simple as can be. With as little as 5 minutes a day of mindfulness meditation you can begin attaining total rest and relaxation. And there's no "gear" or equipment required. As soon as you're done reading the simple mindfulness meditation instructions below you can start your meditation practice.

Transforming the stress and anxiety that comes from a busy schedule into peace and happiness is possible with a simple and consistent mindfulness meditation practice. When I first started meditating it was for just 5 minutes once per day. After a few weeks I noticed all traces of anxiety and stress had disappeared and what replaced it was a subtle inner peace and pervading happiness. Mindfulness meditation can have the same benefit for you.

So whether you're on your lunch break sitting in your car, you just put the kids down for a nap at home or or simply haven't let yourself take a few minutes to yourself lately- stop. Stop right now and begin the practice that can change your life. After all, it only takes 5 minutes to learn the basic practice and as little as 5 minutes to do it.

NO ONE is too busy for meditation (of any kind). The Quick Start Guide to Mindfulness Meditation is as simple as S.B.M.:

Sit

• Find a quiet place where you won't be interrupted.
• Sit on the floor in the full or half lotus or simply cross-legged. Or, on a chair with your feet planted on the ground.
• Acquire proper posture. Back and neck straight. Hands in your lap, palms facing up with one hand on top of the other, the left hand's finger joints on top of the right hand's. Thumbs touching at the tips creating an oval shape inside of your hands. Elbows point outward and shoulders square off. Tilt your chin slightly. Keep your eyes open and look down slightly a few feet in front of you.

Breathe

• Focus on your in breathe and out breathe. Breathe in, breathe out. Put complete focus on your breath....do not attempt to control your breath, simply observe it silently. Your silent observation will slowly begin to calm your breathing.
• Count each inhalation and exhalation. Inhale...one. Exhale....two. Count to 10 like this. If a thought distracts you, start the 10 count over from 1. When you get to 10, start over and attempt to count to 10 again. Do this for as many weeks or months as it takes until you can count to 10 with little to no effort. Then count each inhale + exhale as one. Then, when that becomes easy, stop counting and simply follow your breath. Don't rush this step, progress slowly.

Meditate

• Thoughts will come, do not push them away. Meditation is acceptance, not avoidance.
• Your body will itch and creek, do not move to accommodate them.
• Gently acknowledge any thoughts and impulses.
• Immediately recapture focus on your breath. This will be difficult at first, you'll lose focus on your breath constantly. Stay focused, after a while your mind will begin to grow quieter and you will start gaining control over your mind. This may take a few weeks or even months.
• Meditate for 5-10 minutes, once or twice a day, and increase your sessions by 5 minutes  at a time whenever you feel comfortable. You should feel gradually able to sit down for longer and longer periods.

Want to learn meditation from the ground up? Have questions about your practice or just looking for some tips? Do you just want to know what the heck meditation really is? Check out The Beginner's Guide to Meditation.

7 Ways Zen Buddhism Can Change Your Life

Years ago, Zen Buddhism caused me to have a mental breakdown of sorts.

I understand how that sounds, but let me explain. It wasn't quite the crazy-eyed, hair pulling, stress-induced brain collapse you might envision when hearing the phrase "mental breakdown", but it was a mental breakdown in the sense that I had felt like much of what I thought I knew about the world was falling down around me, like a great big curtain had been covering had been covering my eyes all along and it was just now being lifted.

Zen led me to question so much of what I believed at the time:

• I tried to find every way possible to save time, speed up and become more productive.Zen suggested I slow down.
• I (thought I) wanted to be successful, powerful and make a lot of money.Zen told me I just wanted those things in order to be happy and at peace and that I'd never discover true peace and happiness from attaining those things.
• I judged others and didn't easily forgive.Zen said I should practice compassion and understanding. It suggested I forgive everyone because we're all intrinsically connected. What I do to others I do to myself.

Zen Buddhism shattered those, and other, preconceived notions which I had held for years. More than anything I was focused on realizing my best self and I thought that meant becoming successful, owning a business and making a lot of money. Not that any of those things are inherently bad. They aren't. They can be tools for great good.

But those things don't bring us peace and happiness like so many of us think. They can give us some peace and happiness, but not true peace and happiness. You can only get that by working from within. Seeing through the illusions, breaking free from attachment and discovering your true nature. Those are the things that need to be your focus.

And if the backdrop of that is, for instance, owning your own business- a business that treats people with compassion and where employees support and nurture each other's happiness and well-being and the happiness and well-being of their families and your customers- then that's fine. But your focus is not making money, becoming more successful or more powerful. Your focus is your practice of peace, happiness and treating people, including yourself, with compassion.

The Way to True Peace and Happiness (A Note on Zen Practice)

Zen Buddhism, put simply (perhaps too simply) shows you the way to the true peace and happiness I'm speaking of. It only shows you the way, though. The Buddha didn't prioritize teaching what enlightenment (or "awakening" in Sanskrit) was, he taught how to achieve it.

Concepts have some importance, but it's the actual path to be walked which is important, not theorizing what something might be like without having actually walked the path yourself. Buddhism, especially Zen Buddhism, is ultimately about direct experience.

Throughout all schools of Buddhism, it's important to study the text, or "sutras", to learn but the heart of your practice is to then verify that with your own direct experience. The Buddha was quick to tell his disciples that you should never believe in or follow something simply because someone tells you to do so (including himself).

This is part of what I appreciate so much about Buddhism. You're asked to take nothing on blind faith but rather to study the wisdom of the texts and then verify them for yourself through dedicated study into your own mind. The practice is ultimately a process of working to achieve moments of insight (think wisdom gained through direct experience with meditation or some other exercise) in order to realize these truths for yourself.

I know each one of these points can change your life because each of them changed my own life. But I can only hope to point the way. Real change happens when you experience something for yourself. I know this can feel a bit overwhelming. So, after reading the article I'd suggest picking your favorite one or two points and focusing on those. When you're done implementing the point(s) come back to this list and select another one or two.

Lastly, keep in mind that some of these points blend together and it can be hard to tell them apart. This is only natural given the nature of the practice itself and what you're studying, so you're really just choosing somewhere to start to get yourself walking along the path and taking action.

Here are seven ways Zen practice can change your life: 

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Living Zen Spirit...Coming Soon

If you're interested in learning how to bring more authentic Zen spirit into your life, then you'll love my upcoming book Living Zen.

If you'd like to be notified when more information is available, as well as get some cool exclusive book bonuses from here until release, fill in your name and email below!

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7 Ways Zen Buddhism Can Change Your Life

1. Sitting Meditation / Zazen

   Zen sitting meditation, called zazen in Zen Buddhism, has had a significant impact on my life. I had never been particularly susceptible to stress and anxiety but after my first son was born I started to feel like time was running out for me. Still having not achieved any of my major life goals, I raced every day to try to get somewhere only to end up causing myself more and more stress and anxiety.

   When I was first introduced to Zen Buddhism I immediately started my sitting meditation practice. After just a few weeks my stress and anxiety disappeared. All of it. I felt completely different. I slowed down and yet I was more productive. This is probably because I wasn’t doing things with as much of a “monkey mind” as before. I was happier. Noticeably happier. I also felt more resilient. Anytime I met a challenge during my day I was less affected by it. I felt like I had developed a shield around my mind and could handle anything that came my way.

   I have kept a sitting meditation practice ever since. This is just touching on the huge benefits of meditation, though. You can read my guide: The Ultimate Guide to Meditation: The What, Why and How of Meditation Including FAQ’s and Additional Resources for a complete breakdown of meditation practices and detailed instructions on how to practice zazen, or mindfulness sitting meditation. For a quick introduction to mindfulness meditation you can also read my guide: Learn How to Meditate in the Next 5 Minutes: The Quick Start Guide to Mindfulness Meditation.

   For a great introduction to Zen Buddhism in general, including Zen meditation, I’d suggest The Beginner’s Guide to Zen Buddhism. I’d also highly suggest Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki and Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation.

2. Mindfulness: Meditation For Everyday Life

   Mindfulness is, essentially, meditation in action. In The Miracle of Mindfulness, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh describes mindfulness as “keeping one’s consciousness alive to the present reality”. This generally involves following the breath.

   Our breath is always there with us, no matter what we’re doing, so it works as an ideal anchor. By keeping our focus on our breath, whether we’re driving, walking or talking on the phone, we can stay grounded in the present moment. There are many benefits to mindfulness, but most of all is a renewable peace and happiness independent of outside circumstances.

   No matter what is going on outside you can always take a moment to stop and follow your breath, or you can practice mindfulness while doing a basic activity like walking in order to regain your sense of peace and happiness and take back control of your emotions. Adopting the practice of mindfulness has had such a deep and resounding effect on me that it’s difficult to put into words. I discovered an infinite well of peace and happiness.

   I used to worry about getting enough time to work on “my” things. It’s hard to describe, but, now I feel like I have an infinite amount of time. Every moment is mine, whether I’m working on my own things, sitting down with my son or spending time with my wife. This is because most of us want our personal time in order to nourish our minds and bodies. Especially after a long day.

   But mindfulness is the most nourishing practice of all. It allows you to find true happiness as opposed to the temporary and shallow fixes so many of us resort to using such as watching TV, buying something new or eating sweets and you can do it at any moment in the day. No matter what you’re doing.

   Want to learn more about mindfulness? Check out What is Mindfulness? A Simple Guide to the Power and Practice of Mindfulness. I’d also highly suggest reading The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh in order to begin your practice of mindfulness.

3. Cultivating Compassion

   Buddhism teaches us the power of compassion. This is a major aspect of all Buddhist teaching including Zen. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said that compassion is an aspiration, not just a passive emotion. By working to express compassion towards others we realize the true nature of our existence and discover a deep sense of peace and happiness.

   Barbara O’Brien of the buddhism.about.com blog explained the importance of compassion in her article Buddhism and Compassion:

   The Buddha taught that to realize enlightenment, a person must develop two qualities: wisdom and compassion. Wisdom and compassion are sometimes compared to two wings that work together to enable flying, or two eyes that work together to see deeply.

   She went on to say…

   What does being nice to others have to do with enlightenment? For one thing, it helps us realize that “individual me” and “individual you” are mistaken ideas. And as long as we’re stuck in the idea of “what’s in it for me?” we are not yet wise.

   Compassion helps us see the greatest illusion of all- the illusion of self. This is one of, if not the, most fundamental teaching in all of Buddhism. Everything in Buddhism is built upon awakening from the illusion of a separate self.

   This is the deepest of Buddhist teachings and a part of Buddhism that is impossible to properly put into words. It can only be experienced by clearing away all illusions and attachments through the dedicated practice of looking within yourself.

   This can be a lot to take in at first. Just know that aspiring to live with compassion will change your life and the lives of the people around you in a significant and measurable way. Practicing compassion is probably one of the most difficult things you’ll do in your life. But for good reason. As soon as I began practicing compassion towards others I started feeling many positive effects.

   As opposed to feeling stressed when someone did something that would typically anger me I’d seek to understand why they would do that thing (whatever it was) and come to terms with it in my mind. I began feeling less stress, all the close relationships in my life grew stronger and things stopped getting to me as much as they once did. Compassion takes a lot of strength. Real strength. But it’s worth it.

4. Discovering the True Path to Happiness (and About Our Need for Success, Power, and Money)

   Zen led me to one of the most profound realizations of my life thus far- the realization that everything we do is to be happy and at peace. This includes the pursuit of success, power and money. So many of us don’t see it, but we just want those things so that we and the people around us can be happy.

   Everyone from the stock broker on Wall Street, the musician following their dream with no guarantees of success, the factory worker toiling his years away in hopes of living out his golden years in peace to the woman or man searching for their soul mate so that they can fall in love and build a family.

   And while some of those things can bring us further happiness, joy and better overall well-being, true happiness doesn’t exist outside yourself. If you can adopt the practices of  living fully in the present moment through mindfulness, looking deeply into yourself through sitting meditation and seeking to understand those around you and treat everyone including yourself with compassion, then you’ll be able to achieve a true peace and happiness that is like nothing else you’ve ever felt.

   This happiness is renewable. It is available to you in every moment and under your total control. This is true power.

   I’d highly suggest reading The Art of Power by Thich Nhat Hanh on this subject. It’s a decent sized book but more than worth reading in its entirety.

5. Learning Mindful Consumption

   This includes not only what we eat and drink but also what we watch, read and listen to. Anything that comes into your body via the 5 senses is a part of this category. The conversations you have or listen to, the TV shows and movies (and advertisements) you watch, the books, magazines and websites or blogs you read and the substances you put into your body including food, drinks and drugs.

   Most of us need lot of work here. We talk about people behind their backs negatively, complain about our day at work when we’re home or about home when we’re at work. We watch reality shows filled with nothing but people fighting and insulting one another for entertainment. We read articles and blogs about Hollywood drama and partake in bashing our politicians and government officials instead of trying to create that positive change ourselves.

   Take it one step at a time. First, cut off most TV and begin reading a new self-help book. Then a week or two later stop reading gossip articles and begin reading a few self-development articles each week instead. Next work on the conversations you have at work or at home, if you feel you could use work there. Whatever it is, the point is take it one step at a time.

   If you’re looking for a simple and easy change to make that can have profound results then work on this. It’s easy to change what we consume and quickly changes how we feel and act. And keep in mind, being perfect isn’t the point. You likely won’t follow your plan exactly, especially at first, and that’s OK. As long as you keep your focus and make progress.

6. Discovering Your True Nature

   Zen doesn’t necessarily speak of finding your purpose in life, but it does talk about discovering your true nature (Buddha Nature). That is a great example of Buddhist wisdom. So many of us search for a sense of purpose in life. And many of those people search in all the wrong places.

   What’s important isn’t so much finding a purpose as it is quenching the feeling of being lost and disconnected. Most of us don’t know it but it’s what we’re really after when we go searching for a purpose in life. This is a major aspect of discovering your true nature.

   By doing so you see that (part of) your true nature isn’t you at all, it’s in the oneness of all beings. Your are a separate person, but that’s the “small you”. The “big you”, or true you, is your true nature.

   My favorite explanation of this is by Thich Nhat Hanh in his book Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers. He explains the “little you”, or the phenomenal world (the world we all know and see), as a wave and the “big you”, or the noumenal world (the ultimatedimension, a world where there’s no separation between you and me), as the water. This makes it very easy to understand.

   But as I mentioned earlier, Zen Buddhism isn’t about understanding. It’s about direct experience and gaining insight. In order to begin on the path to receiving insight and discovering your true nature you’ll have to practice. In Zen this is primarily through meditation (and there’s many forms of it, not just one). This is difficult to do and can take some time.

   What’s important to take away right now is to know that what we want isn’t so much a sense of purpose as a sense of connection. A sense of connection to the world around us. Generally this sense of connection with all others leads one to want to contribute to the greater good, but you can work it the other way. By contributing you can find that deep sense of connection to others.

   You can do a million things in your life. But, whatever you choose to focus your time on, make sure it’s something that allows you to help to others. You’ll begin to feel that sense of connection as well as a deep sense of fulfillment in your life. And this doesn’t have to happen through your job or career. You can satisfy this simply by the way you live your everyday life.

7. Simplifying Your Life

   Zen Buddhism shows you how to naturally simplify your life. It does this by showing you, through your practice, what is essential and what is not. Adopting a practice of meditation and mindfulness will naturally lead you to simplify your life by revealing to you not just the mental illusions that have been in front of you all along but also the physical ones. It will free you from your craving for material items.

   This doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with wanting a larger house for your growing family or a second car now that both you and your wife are working again. But this does mean that you will cease to desire material objects for your happiness. Your practice will help you realize that these things never gave you true peace or happiness.

   A key aspect of all Buddhist practice is becoming aware of the illusions that are all around us. To see reality as reality, illusion as illusion. This goes together with simplifying your life. In Buddhism this refers to primarily mental illusions, but I’ve found simplifying my life in a physical aspect to have had a positive impact on my noticing of various mental illusions as well.

   There really is no separation. Those physical things are there in your life typically because of an idea in your mind you felt it necessary or desirable to uphold. Once you see the idea for what it is, an illusion, you can rid yourself of it. Also keep in mind, I’m not just talking about simplifying your life in a physical sense. As I said, there’s no separation. Simplifying you life includes mental constructs and ideas as well.

   This isn’t something directly a part of Zen teaching (greed and seeing with clarity is, but not simplification itself), but it is a natural byproduct of Zen practice and something that people seem to really benefit from especially in today’s world. There are some great blogs whose central topic is simplicity. Two of my personal favorites are zenhabits.net and becomingminimalist.com.

For a great introduction to Zen and Buddhism in general I’d start by visiting the buddhism.about.com blog. Barbara O’Brien’s writing for the buddhism.about.com blog is really informative. She has a clear understanding of all things Buddhism including Zen and explains them in a way that makes them easy to grasp. She does a fantastic job of explaining the basic principles of Zen Buddhism. So if you’re interested I’d suggest starting here: What Is Buddhism? An Introduction to Buddhism and then here: Zen 101: An Introduction to Zen Buddhism.

I'd also suggest reading The Beginner's Guide to Zen Buddhism by Jean Smith. That's the book I started with and it's a great introduction to Zen Buddhism. If you'd like to dive straight into the practice of Zen meditation and mindfulness I'd start by reading The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by ThichNhatHanh as I mentioned earlier. It's one of my personal favorites and probably the best book I've found on the basics of Zen meditation and mindfulness.

Zen can only be properly understood through direct experience. No book or blog will ever give you a complete understanding of any wisdom. I can only hope to help point you in the right direct. That's the very basis of Buddhism so beginning your own meditation and mindfulness practice is necessary.

To that end, you can search for a nearby zendo (Zen temple) or Buddhist temple which should hold a regular introductory class of some sort for free. But you don't have to visit a zendo for that, you can do it in your own home and in your everyday life.

If you're interested in learning how to bring more authentic Zen spirit into your life, then you'll love my upcoming book Living Zen.

If you'd like to be notified when more information is available, as well as get some cool exclusive book bonuses from here until release, fill in your name and email below!

How to Become an Early Riser: The 12 Techniques I Used to Go from a Night Owl to Waking up at 4 AM Daily

When my first son was born I began feeling starved for personal time.

I love my son, but that didn't keep much of the time I once had to myself from being swallowed up by my new responsibilities.

I sought to squeeze extra time out from wherever I could, but nothing gave me a significant, and definitely not a consistent, amount of extra time.

One day I read an article about the sleep schedule of Buddhist monks, which for most is something akin to 10 PM - 4 AM, and something about it convinced me to give it a shot.

I want to be sure to mention that I was as much of a night owl as they come.

I went to bed somewhere around 2-3 AM for much of my life, by choice, and when I did wake up I did so with just enough time to get to work or wherever I needed to go.

So, needless to say that when I began working on waking early it was a bit of a shock to my system. I also did this with a wife and a newborn son, so I had to fight off the excuses at every turn.

I'm not saying everyone should become an early riser. Maybe you have your best ideas at night and feel great waking up late. That's fine. Do whatever makes your body and mind feel best.

However, in general, I've found that people who adopt this kind of schedule feel more rested, at peace, more productive and more ready to handle the day ahead- and life as a whole- among other things.

There's a lot of science to back up why this sleep schedule makes your body feel better too. So, if you've never tried it I'd give it a go and see what it does for you. It absolutely transformed my life. 

The benefits I've taken from becoming an early riser is a list in itself:

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The Benefits of Being an Early Riser:

1. I have more energy

Both waking early and the accompanying hours of personal quiet time in the morning have increased my energy like nothing else.

Whether you sit in silence and meditate, do some simple task while practicing mindfulness, sit and read or just go outside for a moment you'll feel refreshed and ready to take on the world by the time you have to get on with the day.

2. I'm more productive

The extra time in the morning was a huge boost to my productivity, especially with the responsibility of two children requiring so much of my time.

The peace and silence of the early morning had a clear effect on my productivity. It wasn't just about having more time, it was about the quality of the time I had.

3. I'm more creative

Most of my best work comes when I'm sitting in the absolute silence and uninterrupted peace of a quiet morning. Perhaps because it's easy to practice mindfulness and put my complete and total being into on the task at hand.

Aside from that, perhaps because of how well prepared my mind is once the day gets going, I'm more creative all day long. Not just in the morning.

I'm able to simmer over what I worked on that morning and ideas seem to rise to the surface throughout the day.

4. I'm happier, calmer and handle the challenges of each day better

I remember the first day I felt my heart thump like it was shooting out of my chest every time it beat. I realized later after it happened a few more times that anxiety was building in me.

This was the first time I had felt anything like it in my life, so it was a little scary. I was constantly in a panic to get things done.

Waking up early, having that time in the morning that I can put towards working on myself and catching up on anything I'm behind on, has turned that completely around. I no longer feel that anxiety and stress nor do I rush to get everything done during the day. 

No matter what happens during the day, I always have my morning session to fall back on. This is incredibly comforting and really allows me to just embrace the day as it comes and be happy.

These are just some of the benefits I've taken from becoming an early riser. I've benefited so much from shifting my schedule that the list is too long to write here.

Now on to how to establish the habit. These 12 points are what I used to create the habit of waking up at 4 AM daily:

How to Become an Early Riser

1. Take it slow, do 30-minute increments

Becoming an early riser is a gradual process.

My first goal was moving from 8:30 to 7:30 AM. That was a bit of a jump, but considering that wasn't all that early it was easy to adjust to it after a few weeks. After that, I did it in 30-minute increments over the next year.

Take it slow, learn to appreciate and cherish each additional 30 minutes you have in the morning. Start by using that time for the most rewarding things you could do in the morning in order to build up motivation.

Meditation or a quick walk outside to breath in the fresh air and watch the sunrise are both great activities that will leave you feeling better throughout the day and motivate you to continue to wake up early.

2. Have a bedtime and take it seriously

This means that whether you happen to be out at a friend's birthday party one night and you're considering staying later, your favorite show just changed times and airs at 10 PM instead of 9 PM now or you just feel like staying up- you probably shouldn't.

Take your bedtime seriously, don't take it as a loose commitment.

"I need to make sure to get to bed sometime around 10" should be. "I need to get to bed at 10 PM every night- no matter what."

The above were all situations I encountered when establishing the habit of rising early. You'll be tempted to loosen your commitment on certain nights, and very occasionally it's OK. But whatever you do, try to be as consistent as possible.

If you don't get to bed at the time you've established then you won't get enough sleep and there are few things that can kill your chances of waking up early like a lack of sleep can.

3. Get ready for bed early

This is especially true if you have kids, but it applies to everyone.

You need to get prepared for bed early because often we overestimate what we have to do before actually being able to lay our heads down for the night.

With my daughter and two sons, I don't even remember my bedtime for what it is, but rather I remember the time we have to start winding down and get them ready for bed because it's such a process.

Going potty, changing diapers, last minute snacks (which just started lately...my oldest usually requests almonds or pine nuts), brushing teeth, changing into PJs, reading bedtime stories and then the process of actually falling asleep which can often take over 30 minutes for my oldest.

Whether you're single or have a family, everyone has things to do before actually placing their heads down to sleep at night.

Get an accurate gauge of how much time you need before laying down for bed to ensure you get enough sleep at night.

4. Get to bed early

You need to get enough rest.

This one might sound obvious, but trust me you'll try to cheat. You need to make sure you get to bed early enough so that you feel rested once it's time to rise. 

I average 6-7 hours a day, as I have most of my life. It's what feels best to me. Pay close attention to how your body feels after waking up if you don't already know your ideal number.

Never skimp on your sleep. It's not just about putting yourself in the best position to wake up, you'll hurt yourself due to sleep deprivation if you try to push it consistently.

5. Place your alarm a few steps away from your bed

Make sure your alarm is far enough away that you have to get up out of bed and take a few steps to turn it off.

This is important. Make sure that it isn't just off of your bed, but that no matter how hard you tried you could not hit your alarm without taking 2-3 steps.

Forcing yourself to stand up and take a few steps out of bed really helps wake you up.

And whatever you do, if you use your phone as your alarm clock like I do, DO NOT GRAB YOUR PHONE AND BRING IT TO BED. That's a quick game over, trust me.

I charge my phone overnight and when it goes off in the morning naturally I turn the alarm off and take it off its charger. After a while, I noticed that if I was really tired I'd take my phone off the charger and bring it back to bed with me.

If you want to get a little extra sleep, that's fine, set your alarm to go off in 30 minutes and keep it in its place. If you take your phone with you in bed you'll hit the snooze alarm as soon as it goes off without even realizing it- total suicide.

6. Have a compelling reason, or reasons, to wake up early

You need to have a compelling reason to want to get up early. If you don't, you'll never push yourself up.

At one point my drive to do my martial arts training (which really compelled me at first) began to fade, and with it, my ability to rise early.

If you have no reason to wake up early, you'll have little chance of consistently doing it.

Make your morning block an important part of the day for you, a block of time that you feel like you can't do without.

7. Have a schedule

One of the first things you'll learn upon becoming an early riser is that you'll often be more productive in the morning than any other point in the day.

There are three reasons you want a schedule:

1. You won't wander once you're awake
2. You'll be maximally productive
3. It'll help you wake up in the first place.

The last point is similar to number 6 on this post in that if you know exactly what you're going to do as soon as you wake up and through the rest of the morning then you'll be much more willing to wake up.

I can't emphasize these last two points more, you need to make your reasons for waking up in the morning compelling and have a schedule, otherwise, you'll wander, be minimally productive and lose the drive to wake up early altogether.

And without a schedule, soon after you wake up you'll often wander off and start doing things that don't serve you (checking Facebook, watching YouTube) or, even if you're working you'll bounce around aimlessly.

It's different when you wake up in the morning than when you're awake later in the day. For a while, you'll look at the morning as bonus time, so you'll be more willing to blow it doing nothing particularly productive.

Create a schedule, even if it's just a loose one, and keep yourself from losing out on precious time.

8. Nightly Ritual #1: Remind yourself why it's important for you to wake up early

This is one of the techniques that helped me the most.

You might have a good reason to get up early, but when you wake up in the morning you're not a person- you're a zombie with an extremely limited mental capacity.

You know exactly what I'm talking about and it's is one of the primary reasons it's so difficult to wake up early. You're just not a fully functioning human being yet and can't put together a logical thought for the life of you.

So do this: right before bed, take a few minutes and remind yourself why it's important that you wake up early the next morning.

Review your compelling reasons, whatever they are, as well as your schedule or the specific tasks you planned to accomplish that morning. This makes a sort of imprint on your mind which will stay with you as you sleep.

After practicing it for a while you'll feel less like a zombie and actually remember why you intended to wake up.

9. Nightly Ritual #2: Visualize yourself waking up early and getting to work 

Continuing from the last point, after reminding yourself why it's important for you to wake up early, visualize yourself, as clearly as possible, waking up early and doing the things you have planned.

Be clear and specific in your visualization. This should only take a minute or two, but see yourself clearly getting up, turning your alarm off, getting dressed and doing your thing (whatever that is for you).

These two nightly rituals greatly helped me establish the habit of waking early.

10. Take a few moments to breathe (don't go to bed feeling emotionally drained)

This isn't something that you'll use every day, let's hope, but still something that's really useful when the right circumstances arise.

Something interesting I've discovered over the past few years is that when you go to bed emotionally tired, from a tough day at work or something else emotionally draining, you just don't wake up. For a long time. And then when you do, you still tend to feel drained.

Unless you catch it and do something about it before you go to sleep.

In order to fix this, simply take a few minutes and follow your breathing.

Pay close attention to your breathing and begin to slow it down after a while. You'll calm down and have a more restful night of sleep.

11. The Water Trick

As soon as you turn your alarm off walk into the restroom, turn the sink on and throw water in your face a few times.

This will be a little shocking at first but you will IMMEDIATELY feel nearly 100% awake.

I can't describe how effective this is. As soon as you're done you'll feel ready to jump into anything. The risk you run by not doing this is, while you did push yourself to wake up early, you're still half asleep and feel tired.

Before I started doing this I'd often fall back asleep after 30 minutes to an hour on days where I felt particularly tired.

12. Don't Be So Hard On Yourself

Today, I consistently wake up between 4-4:30 AM.

But sometimes, particularly when I feel extra tired from a long day, I let myself sleep in and fully recharge.

This averages out to about once a week and usually on the weekend. Don't be so hard on yourself. In order to build the habit of rising early, you don't actually have to do it every single day.

And this is healthier and better for your creativity and productivity. If you push yourself up long enough particularly on days when you feel extra tired, essentially never letting yourself fully recharge, then eventually you'll suffer the effects of sleep deprivation which can have a lot of negative effects on your body and mind.

Creating the habit of waking up early is a long-term commitment. If you fall off of your commitment, simply pick yourself back up and continue where you left off.

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Notes:

1. The "Sleep Mistake" Which Boosts Your Risk of Cancer - Dr. Mercola

2. SLEEP - Buddhism A to Z. This page briefly discusses the origins of the Buddhist sleep schedule, which apparently came from the Buddha himself. At the end, it even reviews a text where the Buddha actually gives some pointers, one of which is the water trick!

3. Unfortunately, I can't find the original article about Buddhist monk's sleep schedules that convinced me to change my own schedule. If I find it I'll be sure to update the article.