Are you tired of hitting the snooze button repeatedly every morning? Do you wish you could magically stop doing this? I have used these 3 steps to successfully wake up daily around 6am without the use of an alarm (regardless of what time I sleep).
The good news is that it’s possible to break this habit long term but only if you understand the reasons it happens then harnessing the power of the habit loop.
But because every person is unique, a list of “x tips to help you quit the snooze button…” is not going to work long term.
The solution is:
In this blog post, I will show you how the habit loop is the reason you are having such a hard time. So you can wake up feeling more refreshed faster and easier.
Understanding the Habit Loop of Hitting The Snooze Button
The habit loop is a psychological concept that explains how habits are formed and can be changed. It consists of three key components:
- the trigger, the behavior, and the reward.
Understanding and smartly working within the habit loop of hitting snooze is essential if you want to stop relaying your your alarm and want to not feel panicked every morning.
- Identifying the Trigger To Hit Snooze: Your Path to No Panicked Mornings
The first step to stop hitting the snooze button is to recognize the feeling and thoughts that are triggering your habit to sleep in. Is it…
- The comfort of your warm bed?
- The stress of what you need to do? Get my free low & high energy habit planner
- Being unprepared?
- Sleeping late due to wanting to have you time?
- Are you simply tired in the morning?
Ask yourself about the source of the need to hit snooze. This will tell you a lot about your thought process and inner deep desire.
This is because any habit (behavior) is caused by a desire to feel a certain way.
Once you identify the trigger, you can work on modifying it to encourage rising without the need for an alarm.
- Change The Behavior: Breaking the Snooze Button Habit
Now that you know the causes for hitting the snooze button, you can try the list of tips suggested by many articles on the web. But it is important that you try a specific behavior that fulfills your trigger long-term.
By doing this, you are using a different behavior in response to the root cause instead of getting overwhelmed by a list of tips.
Here are some examples:
- When your alarm goes off, force yourself to get out of bed immediately by counting down from 5. (watch this Everything You Need to Know About The 5 Second Rule | Mel Robbins)
- If you enjoy the warmth of your bed, try taking a warm/hot shower and getting into comfortable cloth afterwards
- If the stress of what you need to do is too much, start having an evening routine that reduces your mental load (ex. doing the dishes so you can see a clean kitchen in the morning)
- Enhancing the Reward: A Better Way to Start Your Day
To make the new behavior stick, you need to find a reward that’s more satisfying than the extra sleep you’d get from snoozing.
Here are some examples:
- delicious breakfast
- quiet time for reading or meditation
- or simply the inner satisfaction of starting the day on your terms.
Not Just Sleep. Unlocking Your Dream Life With Habit Systems
Sleep is just one aspect. Take this instant access FREE MASTERCLASS to learn how to reduce burnout and stress by over 50% using habit systems. You will find well researched and practical solutions to live a more balanced and fulfilling life.
You can also follow along for daily motivation on Instagram.
Or take my habit systems in depth online course & learn how you can see massive transformation in 30 days, finally have a sense of control over your busy life, and tackle your daily tasks faster & easier
This course will help you identify your unique triggers, suggest alternative behaviors, and give you guidance in finding more rewarding well-balanced life.
Conclusion
Breaking the habit of hitting the snooze button and becoming an early riser is entirely possible without feeling forced every morning.
Unlike a lot of blogs telling you to do xyz, you now understand that your unique habit loop needs to be broken down in order to take deliberate steps to forming habits that sticks around longer.
You CAN transform your mornings and enjoy the benefits of a less rushed start to your day.
So, go ahead, identify your triggers, change your behavior, and embrace the rewards of a new and improved morning routine. Your future self will thank you!