The idea of being a morning person may seem impossible to some people, especially with the busy schedules that a lot of us have. I used to be one of those people. Why wake up any earlier than I have to? If work doesn't start till 10, I'll wake up at 9:30 with plenty of time to make it there.

But what I've learned with several trial and errors is the benefits of a solid morning routine can set the tone for your entire day. That extra hour that you take to make a better breakfast, spend a little more time getting ready, or even try to fit in some type of exercise to wake up your body and brain will affect your day tremendously!

For me personally, starting my day with a workout is key. Days where I wake up fully refreshed, you'll find me in the gym or running on the greenway. But let's be real. Not every morning is a glorious sunny day where I wake up with the sound of birds chirping and the motivation to get up and tackle the day.

The mornings where I wake up to the sound of my alarm and still feeling sleepy and groggy, I try to remind myself that I'm not going to feel any more awake if I go back to sleep for another half hour. So I still get up, wash my face to wake me up, and make a cup of coffee. Is a workout going to happen on mornings like this? Probably not, and that's okay.

However, there are other things you can do to wake up your brain in the mornings!

Having a good, hearty breakfast is rule #1 to start your mornings. The idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day has been drilled into our minds by our parents, health teachers, and just about any article you read on self-improvement. But it is so true, I swear by it!

And if you're like me, I'm not always too hungry in the mornings when I first wake up. But even a small bowl of cereal, a banana, or even just a cup of coffee will make all the difference. Just try it!

Besides a good breakfast, you can wake up your body and brain is so many ways in the mornings. Turning on the news, reading a few chapters of a book, or even listening to some music while enjoying a cup of coffee or tea can kickstart your day like you wouldn't believe!

Some of you may be reading this and cringing at the thought of even trying to be a morning person; but like many things, practice makes perfect. The first few times you try setting your alarm an hour earlier than you usually do, you may find yourself hitting the snooze a few times.

But if you push yourself to get up and accomplish a morning routine that works best for you, I promise you'll find your brain and body feeling sharper and more energized throughout the day.

But if you have that mentality that waking up by 9:30 to get to your 10:00 class is going to be enough time to wake up your body and brain, think again while you're running out the door half asleep with a PopTart in hand.