How to Become a Morning Person

The first thing to do before training yourself to become a morning person is to figure out why you aren't a morning person. Are you just really tired when you wake up or just in a terrible mood? Your energy and mood play a big part into how the rest of your day will go, so first things first, why is it that you hate getting out of bed each morning?

Once you have that figured out you can narrow down which things will help getting out of bed easier each morning. And before you attempt to try all these things all at once, choose one or two and go from there. Unless you're into overwhelming yourself and quitting before making any real changes.

Pack your bag before bed. 

How many of us spend the last few minutes in our apartments each morning running around looking for our purse, wallet, keys and all the things we can't leave the house without? Life would be so much easier if we could just get ready, pick up our bag and walk out the door. Except we can, if we would just pack the damn thing before we went to sleep! Get your stuff together the night before, trust me, it will seriously reduce your morning stress.

Choose an outfit, if you can. 

Major props to anyone who can pick their outfit the night before because this is the one thing I can't master. If you're like me and can never predict your morning bloat, choose something simple like your coat or blouse and work from there. Not having to start with a blank slate each morning will make it easier to figure out what to put on. 

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Find a place for that thing you're always losing. 

Each and every morning I used to realize I had  no idea where my metro card was. Every. Damn. Morning. Then I started putting my metro card on the floor by the door. Is it the best place for it? No. But at least I know where it is. Identify the thing that always makes you miss your bus and designate a spot for it. No one should start their day on their hands and knees looking for those keys that they swore they put on the coffee table. 

Shower before bed. 

If you find yourself feeling rushed in the morning or too sleepy to get everything done, save some time and get some extra sleep by showering the night before. I personally shower the night before to not only sleep later each morning but also save the time of having to blow dry my hair.

Or shower in the morning to wake yourself up.

Are your mornings one long blur of trying to get yourself out the door and to work on time? Taking a shower in the morning might need the thing you need to wake yourself up and be fully energized before starting your day. Yes it requires getting up earlier, but it also helps you stay up.

Rise with the sun.

My secret to becoming a morning person was making sure my blinds were open before I go to bed each night. Natural sunlight is so much more comfortable to wake up to instead of the loud alarm that usually rip us into consciousness. If you have the ability, crack open your blinds to see how some simple sunlight will make it easier to wake up by the time your alarm goes off.

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Don't wake yourself up too early.

One of my freshmen year roommates used to set no less than six alarms each morning. Not because she had a hard time getting out of bed, but because she planned to press snooze on each one five of those six alarms. It was so freaking stupid. If you know you are going to ignore your first three alarms save yourself the sleep and just set an alarm for the time you'll actually wake up. Why wake yourself up to spend the time waiting for the next time you'll press snooze?

Create a morning playlist.

Music is the one thing that can get your hyped for anything, whether that be a night out or an eight hour day in the office. Putting together a playlist of all your favorite upbeat songs will boost your mood and energize you without too much effort on your part.

Stock up on morning specific foods.

Don't only treat yo'self on Sunday brunch, take an hour out of your week to go buy groceries specifically for things to munch on during your morning. Coffee can be great for those who need a boost in energy, but having pastries and fruit are also great treats to motivate you to get out and stay out of bed during your morning routine.

If all else fails, place your alarm across the room.

My heart goes out to those people that just cannot wake up with their alarm. I don't think they're lazy at all, just how not wanting to be out until 2am doesn't make me a lazy bum. If you truly cannot get yourself out of bed and moving in the morning, force yourself until it comes naturally by placing your alarm across the room. It will feel like torture at first but eventually you won't even mind it.

Are you a morning person? If so, what motivates you to get out of bed each morning, and if not, let me know what things stresses you out each morning!