How to Make Your Mornings Easy

I am not a morning person. There, I said it. I’ve always been secretly envious of the people who can kick off the covers, jump out of bed, and instantly be in a joyful mood, ready to face the day. For me, I’d rather snuggy up and stay in my warm bed. Buuuut that would mean I don’t ever get anything done!

Because my natural state is to NOT want to get up, I’ve created some morning routines. These can help you ease your way into your day and make your mornings easy. If you are like me and struggle to make your mornings productive, I hope these ideas will help. They may not all be good for everyone, but maybe one or two will work for you!

1. Set my alarm for when I ACTUALLY want to wake up.

I try not to hit the snooze button. I end up snoozing too long and feeling lazy. It makes my mornings instantly start of slow and sluggish. Instead of snoozing, I set my alarm for the latest time I know I can still get up and get going on time. It takes a little backward planning, but I’m not interrupting my sleep cycle with multiple alarms. I think it’s a little bit of a mental shift because you have to tell yourself you’ve had enough sleep and decide to get up.

2. Pre-plan my outfits.

Ok, so a big thing for me to have a productive morning is thinking through things the night before. My brain just works slowly in the morning. I can check the weather, and think of a few outfit options that I want to wear the next day which will help me not have to make hard decisions when I’m groggy. Because, let’s face it, being tired and groggy can create lots of dramatic “I have nothing to wear!” scenarios.

The key here is that when pre-planning, I give myself a few options. Sometimes if I pick out an outfit, I wake up and actually don’t feel like wearing that. Kinda silly, but if I give myself options I know I can change my mind.

3. Create a to-do list for the next day.

I’m definitely an internal processor and my productive time is at night. I can clear up SO much mental space if I make myself some lists of things I know I need to get done the next day. The worst thing for me is when I don’t do this and I wake up in a panic in the middle of the night with all the things in my head that I know need to happen. Again, maybe a little dramatic, but it happens. Haha. I’m dramatic when I’m tired, ok? There’s something about getting it out on paper or a note on my phone that lets me clear it from my mind. Bonus points if it’s a checklist!

4. Drink some lemon water.

I’m not perfect and this is something I definitely don’t do everyday, but when I do, I notice such a boost in my day. It instantly hydrates you and balances your pH balance out. Starting your day out that way helps you be energized. The lemon water is refreshing and makes you feel good.

5. Have a good skin care routine.

Probably the thing that wakes me up the most is having a good skin care routine. Once I wash my face in the morning, and apply moisturizer I feel awake. Before that, I just feel gross. The simple act of washing your face in the morning helps you feel fresh and ready to go.

6. Find something that makes you feel good and spend 5-1o minutes on that.

Whether it’s prayer or meditating, or saying things you’re grateful for, or reading for 5-10 min, or watching instagram stories. Allow yourself 5-10 minutes to do something you enjoy or that will help you start your day on a good and positive note. The key is to set yourself a specific short amount of time. Don’t spend 30 minutes looking at instagram. You’ll be late for work. How do I know this? Oops.

7. Have some easy meal options.

I LOVE breakfast, but I don’t love breakfast when I’m in a hurry. So a lot of times I used to end up skipping breakfast if I didn’t plan ahead. (Now, I have a wonderful husband who is amazing at making breakfast, but I know not everyone has such a perfect husband… 😉). If you don’t have a breakfast-making-husband, it’s important to have a few easy options that you enjoy. If you are a make ahead type, overnight oats are a great option! Sometimes I also enjoy a good ol’ meal replacement shake or an easy smoothie. If I have a little extra time, a fried egg and some spinach is a wonderful healthy and low-carb option.

Basically, like the wardrobe planning ahead thing, have a few options that you KNOW you can make easily and enjoy quickly.

8. Do some light stretching.

Some people are good at getting up to exercise in the morning. I want to be that person. But if you are not a morning person, that does not make your mornings easy. Instead of a full blown workout, I’ve found it helpful to do a few light stretches. Reach up to the sky, touch your toes, stretch your ankles and toes out. Easy stuff that feels good and gets your body moving a little.

9. Go to bed early.

I don’t like this one if I’m honest. I’m kind of a night owl, but there are times in life where you have to function on a different schedule than your natural body rhythms. For those times, try to go to bed earlier. Even if it’s just a few minutes. Give yourself a timeframe that will give you enough hours of sleep. Sleep cycle apps (this one is my favorite!) and calculators can be a huge help if you are adjusting your schedule and can give you guidelines on how to plan your sleep times out.

 

Everyone is different and these ideas may or may not work for you, but it is a great idea to play around with your routine and try things to see if they help you. Have you tried any of these tips? Or do you have any tips for a fellow-non-morning-person?