Being a night owl seems like a chore more than a blessing, especially for those of us with 9 to 5 jobs.

Your mornings feel like they should be downtime, and if not spent asleep, then at least in bed or in a calm and relaxed state.

Here are some strategies to overcome the challenge of being a night owl in the morning.

When you’re approaching work, “if you need that early boost to get you through the day, tackle the hard stuff first.”

That way, you don’t face the continual anxiety of having to do the “hard work” during the day.

But before you even get to work, start your day off the right way at home.

Coffee is a beloved drink not just for its effects, but for its ritual:

part of the reason I love coffee so much isn’t just because it tastes good and it’s caffeinated, but also because the process of brewing a nice cup of coffee is meditative for me; it’s a ritual I can indulge in first thing each day. Grinding the beans, weighing, timing the extraction, they’re all fun and relaxing, and the reward I get when I’m finished helps me get out of bed in the morning.

Waking up early and hitting the ground running simply comes easier to some than it does to others. I am not a morning person and I find myself most creative, spiritual, and focused at night.

But I find that consistency is the key to waking up early. Setting a wake up time, having morning rituals, and having something to look forward to in the morning is my way of overcoming the downsides of being a night owl.