‘m not necessarily a morning person but then I’m not a non-morning person either.
I can wake up at 6am but I’m never super excited about it. Also if I’m a bit tired and I’m not looking forward to the events of the day, I can find it pretty difficult to get myself out of bed. I’ve got a few little tricks I use to get myself going in the wee small hours. Here’s how to make your morning routine easier…
Choreograph your morning with a playlist
Pick your favourite four or five songs and make yourself a playlist to get ready to in the morning. After a few days youβll roughly know how long you have before a song ends so you can time tasks to last for the duration of a song.
Song 1 – Eat breakfast
Song 2 – Have a shower
Song 3 – Get dressed and do make-up
Song 4 – Pack your bag and get out the door
This is a great way to start the day for people who have trouble leaving for work on time.
Check the weather forecast and lay out your clothes the night before
This always seems like a really obvious thing but it really does bear repeating. It takes all the guess-work out of choosing your clothes in the morning and you wonβt waste precious minutes looking for a particular item of clothing. Have everything all laid out the night before, including underwear. It saves SO much time in the morning and stops you from getting your grumps on when you can’t find your favourite shoes at 6am.
Start the day with something you love doing
One of the main reasons why people hate mornings is because most mornings are full of things that arenβt pleasant. Exercise, commutes, emails, traffic. What if you woke up half an hour earlier and did something you love like reading, drawing or watching an episode of your favourite show? This small incentive might help you jump out of bed in the morning a little easier and will get your day off to a beautiful start.
Start your day with an in-bed meditation session
Lying in bed and trying to convince yourself to get up is torture but if you get a mediation app (I like Buddhify) and listen to a positive meditation as you wake up. It totally re-sets your mind and helps you start with a clear head and a positive attitude.
Move your alarm clock
Last year, I banned my phone from my bedroom overnight and Iβve never looked back. I keep my phone in the living room and when my alarm goes off, I have to stand up and leave the bedroom to turn it off. I do allow myself to take it back to bed but my next step is banning it all together and simply getting up when my alarm goes off. Once you stand up, itβs harder to get back to sleep so this is a brilliant trick for those of you that hit the snooze button too many times in the morning.
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Are you a morning person? Or do you hate the AM with the burning fire of a thousand suns?
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30 Comments
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I wouldn’t say I’m a morning person but I’m definitely better in the morning than late at night. I have to take medication at least 30 minutes before I can eat or drink, so I’m always a keen to get out of bed because the sooner I take my meds, the sooner I can have coffee. I’m a big fan of staring the day with something you love doing, I usually spend some time blog reading or if I have time, I might even get my bake on! I find if I start the day doing something I love, I love the day!
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Oh that would be an amazing incentive! I’m a bit of a softy and I bring Mr Smaggle his breakfast in bed but perhaps I shouldn’t because it might be a better incentive for him to get a wriggle on in the morning!
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I loathe mornings and nothing has ever helped make them better. At least I know that once I’m up I’ve pretty much gotten the hardest part of my day over and done with…
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That’s a pretty bloody good way to look at it actually!
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I never ever let myself hit snooze on my alarm, I just get up and head to the shower straight away. If I started to let myself snooze (or even just browse my phone) it would be game over! I also always lay out my clothes and pack my bag the night before to lessen the number of decisions that need to be made!
I totally agree about adding something nice in as well, I make sure I have time for a little ‘potter’ before I leave for work – I might water the plants on my balcony or browse the news or just sit and stare while I drink my coffee, but not having to rush around makes such a difference!-
I’m a big snoozer… I set my alarm early so I can so it a few times! Maybe I should try being super hard core like you? I do keep my alarm in the lounge room but I always take my phone back to bed… naughty! Trying to break this habit!
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I try to get up 30mins earlier than I technically need, so I can sit and have my coffee while reading fav blogs. Its a way to make me feel like my morning wasn’t just “get up, get ready, go to work”
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Totally! I don’t get a lot of down time in the evenings so I like to be a little slower in the morning before I start my day!
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I snoozed for an hour and a half this morning……. I have a problem.
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I was in bed until midday because the Mr launched an app last night and I had to help with enquiries so I didn’t get to bed until about 5am! π
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GOBACKTOBED!
Whats the app? x
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I love this advice Carly! Especially the starting the day doing something you love!
I really need some help in the mornings lately, especially with winter looming, so i’m definitely going to try this.Another thing that helps me is prepping breakfast and lunch the night before to eliminate rushing.
x Luci
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I always have my bowl and porridge out so I don’t have to disturb Mr Smags in the morning!
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This was such a great post! I really agree with finding a way to incorporate something you love into your mornings. I used to get up and go until it got really cold and I found myself actually scheduling in time to sit back in bed and have a cup of tea. Now that I allow myself those minutes to do something I really enjoy I sort of look forward to the morning!
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Oh I love that! I bring Mr Smags his breakfast in bed because it’s too damn cold!
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I loathe mornings in winter – summer is not too bad, but winter is dark, and freezing, and if the fire wasn’t banked up properly, it takes a while for the house to warm up. I have switched to having a shower at night so I don’t need to get wet when it is cold in the morning, to try and help (it does a little), and I also tend to grab my clothes and get dressed in front of the fire… though as the kids get older, I might have to stop doing this π
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I’m the same except we’re on a heater ban at the moment because of Mr Smaggle’s sinuses and it’s HELL! Aside ffrom being cold I feel really healthy!
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I definitely need this!! My mornings are always so stressful and I just want to stay in bed….perhaps work should just start at 10.00…? π
Sophie xxx
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I had a very late start this morning because Mr Smags launched an app and we were up until 5am answering enquiries! So sleepy today!
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Ooh, I’ll have to try Buddhify. I’ve just started using Headspace which I’m slowly learning to enjoy (I’m terrible at focusing/ quieting my thoughts!)
I’m a real grump in the mornings until I’ve had my coffee so usually start the day with music to make myself more bearable to those around me!
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I’m getting much better at my morning meditation but I’ve been a bit naughty with skipping it this week! Have to get back into the swing of it!
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I’m okay in the mornings, at 5am when hubby’s alarm goes off and I can’t get back to sleep. The only time I get cranky is when my kids at up before 5am because it means a long cranky day ahead. I wake up to ABC radio news, I am geek.
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Oh I wish I could wake up to music or the radio but Mr Smags and I are on totally different time clocks so it just wouldn’t work.
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I’m like you – not a morning person, but not a not-morning person either. I like the idea of getting up a little earlier to do something you love to do. That’s a really nice way to ease into the day ahead. x
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If I go on the treadmill in the morning I always watch something stupid like 30 Rock. I figure if I have to start my day with a little bit of torture I might as well enjoy it.
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What a good idea: a mindful moment in the early morning… meaning will have to set up the alarm clock very early, like before mu puppy asks for his morning walk! haha xx cathy
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I am off to check out Buddhify. I am really in need of scheduling meditation back into my day. Maybe this will help. Thanks!
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The thing that got me up and going when I had a job outside the house was realising that catching an earlier bus/train combi meant a 45 min commute in peace and quiet rather than an hour+ crammed in like sardine. Commuting is pretty awesome when you have a seat and personal space.
It also meant I’d get to the office about an hour before anyone else and leave an hour earlier π
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Great tips here Carly. I am sorry to say I am a huge morning person. I like getting up and getting on with my day and 9 times out of 10 I wake happy. I like to take my time when I rise and peruse my social media and blogs. V x
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