Let’s be real, some people just aren’t morning people. But they should be. Mornings set the mood for how your whole day is going to be. Mornings are the only time we might have throughout the day to have some “me time," to clear our heads and organize our thoughts.
Why waste them? Is sleeping in an extra 12 minutes really going to make you feel more rested? Is rolling out of bed in your sweat pants and slugging to class really going to help you have the most productive day? No. These things suck the life right out of our days, and we don’t even realize it. Make mornings important. Wake up every morning and try to implement my 10 tips into your day. See how much they impact your productivity and level of happiness, because they just might change your life.
1. Stop sleeping in.
We’re all guilty of it. We stay up too late online shopping or binge watching Netflix, and then we sleep in until 2 p.m. It’s gross. We waste our days, and it too easily becomes a habit. I’m not saying you’re going to become a morning person over night. Start setting your alarm a little bit earlier each day. Eventually, it becomes easier to wake up early. You'll soon realize how productive you could’ve been in those few hours you were sleeping in. The more you sleep in or lay in bed, the more you’re going to want to keep doing it. It’s true what they say: you can sleep when you’re dead. Stop wasting your days being a lazy bed bug and start using your mornings the right way.
2. Stretch.
What’s the first thing we do when we get up? We look for our phones. We sit in our beds for a long amount of time browsing our social media accounts. Don’t let sitting on Twitter be what you start your day with. Get out of bed and do a couple of stretches. This will wake up your mind and body. Not only will it be refreshing, but it gets your blood flowing and your brain to start working. So hold off on checking Instagram and the other 72 applications you usually go through and stretch it out to wake yourself up.
3. Open the shades.
We are not cavemen. We need sunlight for so many reasons. In the morning, sunlight instantly brings us happiness and positivity. Vitamin D is essential for proper bodily functions anyways, and everyone is happier when the sun is shining on their face. So when you wake up, don’t roll around in bed for an hour. Open your shades to let some happiness into your life, bright and early. As soon as those blinds are drawn, you will feel motivated to start your day.
4. Make your bed.
We’re not four-year-olds anymore. It is not acceptable to not make our beds or clean up our rooms. Studies have shown that making your bed in the morning leads to a more productive and organized day, believe it or not. Having a clean room and a made bed is going to make us feel like we’re ready to take on the day, whatever it has in store for us. A messy room leads to a messy life. Quit your complaining about having to do laundry and make the bed. It’s not hard and it will work wonders for your organization. You can thank me later.
5. Get ready for the day.
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to cake on make up and go with full prom hair to class every day. In fact, please don’t do that, because everyone will hate you. Just putting some mascara and foundation on and even dressing in a nice outfit with cute shoes is going to make a difference. You’re less likely to crawl back into your tempting, cozy bed if you’re ready and dressed for the day. You’re going to want people to see that you tried today, so maybe you go catch up with friends or crank out some work at Starbucks. Either way, being fully dressed like the adults we hate to admit we are becoming makes a huge difference in how productive your day is going to be.
6. Breakfast.
I don’t know about you guys, but no matter what time of day it is, and whether or not I just ate, I’m thinking about food. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Having a healthy, balanced breakfast gives us the energy we need for the day. It gets our mind going and our bodies functioning. A good breakfast can keep you full longer so that you can keep cranking out work or sitting through class. Do I really need to keep convincing you to eat? I think not.
7. “Me time.”
Everybody needs some. “Me time” is whatever you want it to be. Some people have me time that involves sitting outside with a cup of coffee and watching the sun come up. Some people use it for walking on the treadmill and clearing their heads. Whatever makes you happy, find it and do it. Taking some time to organize your thoughts in the morning is essentially the most important part of the day. Without a clear mind, no one can be productive. So grab a coffee and enjoy the morning.
8. Make a to-do list.
Remember all those times you made fun of your mom for having a thousand to-do lists when you were growing up? Newsflash, they’ve been doing it right all these years. To-do lists do wonders. They outline what you need to get done in the day to ensure that you won’t forget about that 20 page research paper due tomorrow. This can help you schedule when you have time to squeeze everything in. So take a minute to sit down and get organized.
9. Fake it til you make it.
The mind is a funny thing. It can be easily manipulated and changes its opinion in the blink of an eye. You know the saying “fake it til you make it?" Do it. Wake up every day and tell yourself it’s going to be a great day. Sure, it sounds silly, and maybe even pointless, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. So you’ve had a couple bad days of classes, a fight with your friend, or you’ve just been in a funk the past couple days and can’t shake it off. Fake it until you make it. Have the mindset that every day is going to be a great one. Soon enough, before you realize it, you won’t be faking it, and you’ll actually be living it.
10. Accept yourself and move on.
We are all guilty of being too hard on ourselves. Sometimes we forget that every day should be cherished and appreciated. Sometimes we let silly things like a bad test grade or the fact that we didn’t work out that day ruin our day. Well, guess what? Every day is a new day. Every morning is a new beginning and a fresh start. Whatever you did or didn’t do yesterday doesn’t matter. Today is a fresh start, and how you appreciate your day is on you. Take any mistakes and leave them in the past, you can’t change it, so why dwell on it? Wake up every morning and love the life you live. Make every day the greatest it can be. Don’t regret anything and never look back, because every morning is just a new beginning.
