Calling all snooze-button addicts-Rise and shine. It is time we stop pressing the snooze button and make the most of our day. In a perfect world, we would all be morning people. We would wake up replenished and relaxed, ready to start the day! In reality, this is rarely the case.

I used to be one of those girls who wished she would wake up all energetic and upbeat in the morning but unfortunately I was not. Rather it was more of a challenge for my mother to get me up and out of bed in a timely manner. It usually resulted in some type of screaming—“get your butt out of bed now, or you are going to be late.”

My family knew mornings to me resulted in a raging attitude and a pouty “Don’t look at me or talk to me” kind of face. Because of my demeanor, my dad nicknamed me “the ray of sunshine.” And yes— this fueled my irritation.

It was not until I started changing my sleeping habits and paid more attention to my body’s needs that I was able to wake up every morning feeling refreshed and alive. There are numerous simple tips that can help transform our bad habits into good habits.

Waking up early has some fantastic advantages. It allows for our day to be less stressful by having more time to enjoy leisure activities or get to the work you have put off all week.

Follow these simple steps and help yourself become a morning person:

Stop pressing snooze

Get your fingers off that snooze button! Once the alarm goes off, you need to get yourself out of bed. Your immediate reaction will be to tell yourself that it is okay to sleep for another 10 minutes, BUT IT IS NOT. Get up, and start your day. Keep a glass of water next to your bed and take a sip right when you wake up.

Get up at the same time every day

Sticking to a daily routine is a great way to keep healthy and proactive. Pick a time that works with your schedule. Make sure it is early enough so that you have plenty of time to prepare for the day; look good, feel good attitude. Naturally, your body will become used to this time change and it will not be as difficult to wake up every morning.

Make a to-do list

Plan out your day ahead of time so you can mentally prepare yourself for what needs to be done. The key to success is organization. When the day arrives, you can manually check off all of your errands and feel good about all you have accomplished.

Exercise

Getting a workout in first thing in the morning is a great way to kick start your system; go for a run, hit up the elliptical or get those legs moving on the bike. Making morning workouts part of your routine will boost your energy to complete daily tasks. Your day will only get better from an early start!

Go to sleep Earlier

I know this is much easier said than done, but it is important to make a conscious effort towards going to bed a little earlier. With our crazy schedules this may not always be possible, but whenever you can, get into bed a little early. Take advantage of the extra time. Put down the cellphone; turn off Netflix and go to bed. You will feel more refreshed in the morning by allowing yourself to maximize sleep hours.