It took about a decade to undo the conditioning I gained in college and grad school to wake up every day at noon. Now, ten years later in my early 40s, I’m able to wake up at 10 am.

First thing in the morning I chug a tall glass of water. Somehow that's actually made a healthy difference.

Getting up when my alarm goes off.

I put the alarm on the other side of the bedroom and used one with metal bells. I did it for years and hated it but it worked. Now my phone tinkles next to me and I'm up. Except Saturdays.

After I walk the kids to school I just keep walking. Sometimes it's ten minutes, sometimes it's an hour. I come home with a clear head and ready to be productive.

I have a set of stretches I've been doing every morning (or 95% of mornings) upon getting out of bed, for over 30 years. The only thing that's different these days is that I have to go pee first.

This one's more for the ones with ADHD but I keep a drink bottle and my ritalin next to my bed. When my alarm goes off I take the ritalin and chug the water (or something like juice if I really need the novelty). I don't have much of a chance of falling back asleep and wasting my morning after that and it means I can actually spend the morning doing whatever I need to. We're in autumn here in Aus so I keep a blanket by the bed that I throw over myself for the walk to the bathroom in the morning because I'm such a wimp about the cold. Also, not morning, but morning related: I leave my wallet and outfit I want to wear tomorrow in the bathroom over night so it's there when I go to shower in the morning, and I'll sometimes prepare breakfast the night before, which both make my mornings so much easier.
I really struggle with functioning at the same times as most other people (DSPS) and I'm bad with time management so any little things like that help vastly.

No one seems to have said it yet, but consistency. Waking up at the same time every day including weekends. Eventually, you just wake up early naturally. I get up at 5:30 am every day on the dot with zero alarm just because it's when I wake up. And I'm never groggy, because I've adapted to it. It's not early anymore it's just when I wake up

I think the second half to this is that it can't be a chore. You have to want to wake up. If you wake up and think about how much you hate being awake it will be all the harder

I have my alarm clock require solving 5 arithmetic problems before it cancels (e.g (16*8 +10-6)/6) . It makes me alert way quicker and now I'm pretty quick at mental math.

I don't know if it's the best (what defines that?) but it's what I do.

I wake up, my dog notices and jumps around in excitement. I greet him, pet him, then take my phone, do the daily NYT Mini Crossword and browse around for a few minutes while he lies down again, waiting patiently. I stand up, go pee, then I take my dog out for a walk. Afterwards I prepare my oatmeal, then prepare my dog's food (it needs to soak a few minutes), go open all windows to get fresh air in, start the work computer and quickly check my mails, then we both eat our breakfast while I check my RSS feeds.

Love my current routine and it's doing wonders for my health, both phisically and mentally (or at least I believe it is, it might be a placebo):

1. waking up every day at the same time
2. bathroom (toilet, teeth, washing face)
3. glass of water with a multivitamin and omega-3 (I'm vegan and this is so much easier than finding food that has all that)
4. playing with the cat (I have no coice in this, she says it must be so, it is, therefore, so)
5. ~15min of yoga
6. ~10min of meditation

And then it's coffee and work time. I've been on this routine for about 2 years now and I feel amazing since starting with it.

Biggest one for me was swapping from setting the alarm as late as possible and then rushing to get out of the house, to setting it an hour earlier and using that to read, do a little qi gong and have a leisurely breakfast.

Sleeping later, instead of waking up early (not late, but 7 instead of 5:30) improved my health; sex every morning is the way we wake up (well, it's the first thing I do, husband does like to wake earlier so he lets the dogs out and has coffee while I am sleeping still), for about 8 years now, that has been really great too.

So no alarm, wake later but not late, and sex.

One cup of coffee on the balcony every morning. Just sitting there, enjoying the atmosphere, watching people walk by (I live near a park), maybe meditating a bit.

Commuted to work by bicycle.

it's a 10 minute ride.

flash forward 25 minute ride...just commuting

flash forward 45 minute ride...still just commuting

ended up at 1hr 25 minutes, then alternated with running in the winter & swimming on my lunch break in the summer (I was at a small university).

Turns out my brain is super gullible and is easily fooled by...my brain.

As part of my fitness training earlier in my life, I got used to getting up early (somewhere between 5am and 6am). I'm nowhere near as fit as I used to be, but I still get up early.

Finding a job that works with my night owl behavior. It's not laziness if I sleep the same amount you do.

I think taking the time in the morning to enjoy myself. I WFH these days so it's a easier (yet sometimes harder) to do that, but when I was commuting, I'd wake up early enough to get ready of course, but also take sometime to have a cup of coffee and read some news and such. Maybe even have a breakfast sandwich or something. Because for many years, I did the whole wake up the last minute, get ready, and get out the door ASAP thing. I always felt like I was in a panic.

I can't say it led me to be more productive or whatever. But it just felt nicer. To not be so rushed. And that's worth something.

Bowel movements

Flossing. I'm too tired to do it at night.

Waking up at 4:30 to hit the gym before work. Took some getting used to, just commit to waking up when your alarm goes off and go through the motions, you will feel good once you start actually exercising. Then eating a nice breakfast after, the best.

No alarm. I go to bed on time and my body gets it somehow what a good wake up time is.

Also related is that when I wake up at night I take the time to think things through. Often a few hours, and then sleep again.

Waking up at the same time 7 days a week. I never feel overly tired and my body feels better.

taking a shower first thing (well, second-- first is a cigarette) while listening to a general news podcast. not only does it wake me up, but it keeps me updated on the general goings-on in the world while getting my brain going. it also keeps me on time rather than dilly-dallying in the shower. 15 minutes in enough time to wash and do some minor stretching in the shower. then a second podcast (usually one on a specific story-of-the-day) while i shave and brush my teeth.

Thc

Wake up at the same time (6am)

Chill for 10 minutes in bed

Make a coffee top go

Walk for 30 minutes.

Work from home

Having coffee and cake for breakfast every day, while also not consuming them at any other time of day.