Let’s face it: unless someone’s a morning person, waking up is the worst part of the day. But whether people are waking up for school, work or anything else there are always a few tricks to make their morning a little less terrible.
1. Lay out clothes the night before.
It may sound simple. And it is. But picking an outfit and preparing it the night before will save people from the time and stress of rummaging through drawers hoping to find something halfway decent while also being half asleep.
2. Prep breakfast the night before.
People often neglect breakfast because that extra “10 minutes of sleep” seems worth it. However, deciding what to eat and prepping the night before will not only make it easier to make and eat breakfast but will also go a long way in fully waking up.
3. Set the alarm clock away from the bed.
It’s easy to shut alarms off off, roll back over and continue dreaming. Having the alarm within reaching distance of the bed makes this way too easy. It’s better to place the alarm in the room where it will force people to get out of bed to turn it off. It sounds awful to be forced to get out of bed immediately because of an alarm, but hey, that’s exactly what alarms are meant for!
4. Do NOT hit the snooze button.
Some people prefer to set their alarms with plenty of time before they actually have to wake up in an effort to give them plenty of “snooze” time and “slip” into waking up. However, this all too often gives people a false sense of security and makes them believe they have more time than they really do. Three snoozes will easily lead to five, and five to eight, and so on. It’s better to set the alarm at a time when it’s necessary to get up to avoid the “snooze” trap.
5. Put yourself in the light.
Humans obviously stay awake better in the light. Once they wake up, turning on the lamp or overhead light can remind the body it’s time to be awake. Students with roommates should be sure to get into the hallway or bathroom and use the light there.
6. Figure out something to wake up to.
If there’s anything that will get people out of bed, it’s to do something they enjoy. Many probably don’t spring out of bed excited to take on a day of work or school; that’s why it’s important to start the day with something a person enjoy. This can be anything — exercising, playing a favorite video game, reading one chapter from a favorite book, or watching one episode of a favorite TV show. However, it’s important for people to give themselvs a strict limit, or else they can easily get caught up in it and be late for the rest of the day.
7. Keep sleep consistent.
We can always co
me up with a varied combination of morning life hacks, but perhaps the most important step in conquering the morning is not a step at all, but a process. Some say the most important part of sleep is to get a total of eight hours. WRONG. More important is developing a consistent internal clock that will allow the body to handle the mornings better. The body will become conditioned to the routine and help a person get up and stay up. Of course we may not be able to be perfect every night, but a solid routine will go a long way in getting the body and mind accustomed to the morning.
