I’m sure the title of this post has some of you thinking, “I am so not a morning person!” Well let me be the first to tell you that mornings are seriously the best time of day. That little piece of time before the rest of the world is up, is when you can really get the most out of your day! I’m a morning person to a fault – I love it and have way more energy in the mornings than in the evenings! Gary has a hard time grasping how I am so bubbly in the morning, but I attribute it to these 5 things!
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1. Prepare for your day the night before. For me this means packing my lunch and gym clothes ahead of time. It also means trying to pick out my clothes for the next day ahead of time. I could probably spend 15 minutes in front of my closet and that’s just precious time I don’t want to waste in the morning!
2. Start setting your alarm for 5 minutes before you actually need to be up. So for instance if you normally wake up at 7:00, set it to 6:55 AM, then work your way down by 10 or 15 minutes. I wake up at 6:00 AM on mornings when I go to the gym and at 6:30 if I’m not going to the gym. I don’t need to wake up that early, but it gives me about 40 minutes or so of extra time to read blogs and make sure everything is squared away for the day.
3. Get to bed early. This one is sort of a “DUH!” If you get to bed earlier you wont feel as tired waking up the next day. I clearly see a difference if I am in bed and going to sleep at 11:00 PM during the week versus falling asleep by 10:30 PM – that means I’m getting into bed by 10:15 at the latest. Could be early for some, but find the time that works for you and stick with it! I worried about missing my favorite shows that would start at 10 and go for the full hour (ahem Scandal, thankfully changed to 9:00 PM), but I just realized it’s better to DVR and watch the next day without commercials!
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4. Have something to look forward to in the mornings. This could be that cup of coffee, meditation, a workout or even your alone time catching up on emails or blogs. For me it’s a hot water with lemon that I drink while I’m getting ready. It’s something I look forward to and get’s me ready for the day.
5. Try to take showers at night. I can see how it’s not everyone’s preference because some people wake up by getting into the shower. For me, I save so much time by showering at night. My hair is dry and ready to go for the morning. Streamlining your morning makeup routine is also really helpful, which for me can be done in 8 minutes flat and I’m willing to do a video to prove it π
These five little ways not only help to get your mornings off on the right foot, but you’ll notice a lot more time left over, so if you must snooze because you aren’t a morning person, try doing #1 because you will buy yourself at least 10 more minutes in your bed!
Are you a morning person? How do you get more time in the mornings?
I'm already a morning person… just not a 5 am morning person haha! But even on vacation I was up by like 6:45 am every morning. I hate sleeping in, I feel like I'm missing out on something. So weird, I know!
<3, Pamela
Sequins & Sea Breezes
I'm so not a morning person, but it's the only time I can get things done with two little ones. I wish I could shower the night before. My hair hates me the next day if I do.
Great tips!
Xoxo,
Whitney & Blaire
Peaches In A Pod
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I am such a morning person, just like my mom. People at work work are always like how are you this awake and happy this early! I fall asleep early though… xo
I'm a morning person too, always have been and I attribute it to most of your points – at least when I worked. My husband always thought I was strange how awake I was and how I could pop up out of bed as soon as my alarm rang lol.
Clearly I was not awake this morning! Definitely going to bed earlier that is the biggest thing for me. Is it bad i get so excited to think about my coffee and cereal in the morning? Clearly I have a one track mind. I really love being able to get a workout in but it doesn't always happen. Great tips girl! xoxoxo
Amanda~~Meet at the Barre- Complete Nordstrom Anniversary Shopping Guide Is Here
I always say I'm not a morning person but I guess I am. I prefer to wake up earlier than I need to, to have time to myself to drink coffee, etc. I am also WAY more productive int he morning. But I do lay otu clothes the night before and write my daily list the night before!
These are great tips, lady. I wish I were more of a morning person- I definitely force myself to be on blog posting days! π
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Having something to look forward to is always helpful to me!
I am SUCH a morning person and I do every one of these things!! Showering at night really helps me. And it's pitiful how much I look forward to my coffee haha π
Here is a tip from me: become a mommy. A baby or a toddler or both definitely keeps you on your toes 24/7 and most likely makes you become a morning person. Though I still very much would love to sleep in, in the morning.
Take Care, Biana. =)
Ugh I am not a morning person at all but I do use a lot of this tricks to get ready the night before! I also have to set my alarm like 15 minutes before I actually want to get up so I can hit snooze once and then play with my phone for a bit. The shower at night though….thats the trick!
I have a love/hate relationship with mornings! I hate them because I just want to lay in bed:) but they are my most productive time of the day and I love the peace and quiet!
It's so funny because I was never a morning person but now I can't sleep in – I enjoy being up and getting so much done before the day begins! I always set my alarm for like a half hour early, ha! So I can still have that snooze/search my iPad time in bed but still be up on time too.
I'm definitely not a morning person, but whenever I do get up early I feel like I could take on the world with all the extra time I have! And I love looking forward to my morning cup of coffee – YUM π
You know I'm a morning person to a T and it's as if these were written about me! I do ALL these and people probably get sick of my bubbly morn personality but cannot help it, it's my energy zone!!! Ha! Have a beautiful and energy filled morning beautiful!!!! π
livingoncloudandreanine.blogspot.com
Great tips! I always get everything I need for the next day ready the night before and it saves me so much time in the morning! I am all about a streamlined, easy routine. No one wants to be in a rush in the morning!
I definitely need to work on the whole going to bed earlier thing! I'm such a night owl! But everything else I actually already do! I think taking showers at night definitely helps!
<3 Shannon
Upbeat Soles
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Yep! Morning Peeps Unite!
I keep trying to get better about going to bed early, but it always ends up being later than expected!
good tips girl! i always set my alarm a little early so i can take my time in the morning since i'm def not a morning person. i don't mind getting up a little earlier if it means i don't have to rush around! makes for a better day π
cheshirekatblog.com
My morning person index is definitely calibrated by what time I go to bed… but I'm going to try more of these things to see if I can maximize this time!! I definitely love the still of the morning versus evening exhaustion.
Great tips!
Alyssa | Glitter and Grey
Yes to all of this. I discovered showering the night before a few years ago. It had never really occurred to me until a time when I was so stressed out I couldn't fall asleep and a hot shower helped. With long hair this is a huge timesaver in the morning! I waste a lot of time picking out an outfit every day. Need to get better at this!
I'm a morning person….and I am not a morning person, lol. I'm not sure if that even makes sense! When I make the time to get up just 30 min earlier, my whole mood is improved because I don't feel as rushed! Great tips, chickie!
I am so not a morning person! There were times when I was commuting to Manhattan for work and had to wake up at 4:30am….I think it left a bad taste in my mouth lol
I'm only a morning person on the weekends, lol! But I do notice when I give myself more time in the morning instead of barely enough time to get out the door I feel so much better!
Great tips!!! I was NEVER a morning person until recently… I just get so much more done when I get my day started early!!!
Kisses,
Sarah
everydaystarlet.com/
Hold the front door! You can sleep until 6am, have time to blog, get a workout in AND go to work??? What time do you have to be at work – 9-9:30?! Man, I never found a job that would let me come in that late! In Minneapolis, EVERYONE is at work by 7 or 7:30am. When I moved to Dallas, I was excited that I got to go in so "late" with an arrival time of 8:15-8:30! I always envied true 9-5ers. I did morning workouts too, but in MN I was up by 4:30am and in Dallas, 5am. Let me tell you, there is NOTHING beautiful about that time of day. Nothing. Now I don't commute to an office, but my 14 mo old gets up at 6, so it's game on brrrrrrrrright and early.
π
I'm so not a morning person but would love to at least be able to wake up easier! Taking a shower at night definitely helps!
I'm either a good morning person or a bad one. Sometimes I like waking up earlyβ¦like today for instance, to shop early access online at Nordstrom π
~~Megan~~
poshprime.com
I'm struggling to get back into my morning routine after maternity leave, so this post could not have come at a better time! I'm definitely with you on showering at night – anything to save some precious sleep time! But I am definitely not a morning person.
We're on a similar brain wave! My post for tomorrow is things you can do today to be more productive for tomorrow. So not the same, but maximizing time nonetheless…mostly because I'm not a morning person on weekdays. I'm trying to change that though. I may try the 5 minute earlier trick every day and see what happens!
I'm actually the opposite! I'm a night owl. I get everything done at night once my kids are asleep….cleaning, laundry, blogging etc. I am up by 7:30 most days but only because of their schedule. Otherwise, I would LOVE to sleep til nine! Oh, well. These are great tips and I should probably do the reverse…go to bed early and get up early!
Taffeta & Tulips
I've started doing things at night to make the mornings easier & it makes a WORLD of difference. The biggest change? Getting my dog's toys & treats together & ready for when I go out the door. You think that wouldn't matter, but it takes me like 5 minutes to get it all together. #dogownerproblems … but it makes a world of difference when I have an extra 5 minutes in the morning.
I look forward to my water and lemon in the mornings too! I agree with you about getting things ready the night before. I can't sleep if I know I've left something undone.
These are some great tips, Biana! I am definitely a morning person but my husband is very much not haha! I will have to share these tips with him because he is trying to become an early riser…he hasn't had much luck yet haha! Happy Thursday!
xo, Rachel
ablondesmoment.com
I'm trying to become a better morning person, but I think it's easier said than done. Ha! Something that helps me is setting my coffee with a timer so it's ready first thing when I wake up. Very necessary to have coffee ASAP.
What a great post! This was a slow morning for me! I love squeezing in a workout in the morning- I mean I hate it when I'm doing it, but I feel so productive! AND I love having my evenings free!
I have been so so lucky lately, Hallie has been sleeping until 7:20, and the hubby is up by 6:30, so he brings me my coffee to drink in bed! #Spoiled! All good tips though!
I loved your tips, they are all incredibly helpful! I just started the picking out my outfits at night thing and not only do I save precious time but I'm always way more put together because I'm not just frantically grabbing for things in my rush to get ready! Loved this! XO -Kim
thethirtysomethinglife.com
I love all your tips!! I used to loathe mornings when I was younger, but I am naturally an early riser now. Even on the weekends when I don't have to be anywhere, I am up often times between 6-7 am! During the week my mornings are my me time when I work out, sip coffee and get my blog posting done all before work. On the weekends, I like to get the house cleaned and the grass cut before most people consume their breakfast!
I am for sure not a morning person but I can get moving really fast once I need to! So maybe if I actually got everything together the night before I could use that other time being productive, such as working out!
xx,
Susie
SequinsandStrawberries.com
Love this!Β
Emma | With A City Dream
I'm a night shower person for this reason (and because I dont like going to bed with all of the dirt and grime from the day). It saves so much time with drying my hair, etc.
I've totally been playing around with a post similar to this, only with the addition of getting a toddler ready as well. I agree with your planning ahead idea. My life would be a mess if I didn't. (;
Yes yes! I love my mornings! We too go to the gym before work! I definitely need to work on the 'pack the night before' because that rarely happens! I hate getting to the gym and realizing while showering that I have no bra or underwear! Ha, never fun!
I really need to work on having a motivator (#4) that will push me to be the morning person that I'm not. I definitely have to take a shower in the morning to wakeup but I do prep everything else the night before so there's no holdups in the morning.
These are all great tips!!! I have become a bit of a morning person since Weston was born, but I still don't love it. HAHA I should work on trying some of these!
i am definitely a morning person… but i'm also really lazy. so i know that makes no sense. once i'm in a routine, it's great. when i'm not, i'm basically not a morning person. good idea on setting your alarm earlier than needed, i really need to do that. and going to bed early is definitely the most important for me.
I so need to start getting myself and everyone else ready the night before! I am always running around crazy in the mornings and this would be so helpful! xoxo
I'm a morning person, too! Ever since college I've liked getting up early and getting the day started – I'm sooo much more productive in the AM! Yes to showering the night before and picking out your clothes!!
These are great tips! I actually used to shower at night because I was NOT a morning person, and couldn't conceive of trying to do even one more thing between bolting out of bed and dashing out the door. But since I started incorporating my yoga practice into the morning routine (definitely the thing I look forward to!) I shower after that, and it's become quite the perfect way to start my day. I'll never really be a morning person, I don't think, because it takes me a while to feel cognatively there (and don't even try to chat with me before 9 a.m., no matter how long I've been awake!) but the way I start my day now is way better than the mad dash I used to make every morning π
I'm with you on being a morning person! I love getting up early before my husband does and just having a little alone time with my cup of coffee. I have to be to work at 7:30, but get up at 5:30 (5:00 if I convince myself to go running), most people think I'm crazy, but I love it! And my major thing is that I'm not stressed or hurried in the morning which is always a good way to start the day!
Shannon
Clothes & Quotes
I just recently became a morning person, ever since my first son was born. I cherish the hour or so before he wakes up and I can relax, watch some tv and enjoy some coffee! Great tips, couldn't agree with you more! π
<3 Melissa
lifeoflarose.blogspot.com/
I love mornings, especially when I'm so used to getting up early for work (5:10AM). It's awesome because then I get to leave early and work on small baking projects.
It definitely helps getting up easier when there's something to look forward to. Also hard to sleep when you're excited about the next morning. :p
Linda | Today She Loves
Yes, yes, yes to all of these tips! I completely agree with everything you said! Two of the absolute biggest things that have helped me (especially after having a baby) are preparing for your day the night before and showering at night. I was worried that I'd have too much on my plate at night, but starting your day with less things to worry about really gets you started off on the right foot!
Oh, how I wish I was a morning person. I just don't think I'm organized enough to be able to get everything done and ready the night before…which leads to me staying up WAY later than I expected and then being too tired to get up early. Vicious cycle. And it certainly doesn't help when you have kids that don't sleep through the night. Oh, maybe someday! Great tips though! I love the idea of having something to look forward to. π
Oh I am so not a morning person – I loathe getting out of bed!!! I do try and pick out my outfits and pack my lunch the night before so I can sleep in a few extra minutes π
xoxo Danielle
For the Love of Leopard
Such great tips! Once I'm up, I'm up and 7:45 seems to be the sweet spot, but I have to get up no later than 6 if I want to go to the gym! Love this!
xo Southern Style
Love your tips! I definitely am NOT a morning person, but I wish I was.
Wishes & Reality
I love sitting in the morning and checking blogs and emails before anything else!
Danika Maia
danikamaia.com
BLOGLOVIN
These are such great tips. I am so bad at going to bed early. Especially now that my husband is off for the summer and can go to sleep way late. I want to stay up with him! I love that you have so much free relaxing time in the morning. My mornings are and have always been rushed and hectic.
I am determined by the end of 2015 to become more of a morning person. Right now, I am perfectly happy waking up at my normal time but I only give myself a MINIMUM amount of time to get ready, and I never enjoy taking my time. I never know what I'm going to wear, etc. It stinks! SO I'm going to use these little tips and get after my dream of waking up earlier to accomplish things!! Thanks, B!
Sometimes I am a morning person, sometimes not – depends on what our crazy schedule is like. I think everyone should try to spend 10 or 15 minutes just "spacing out", away from computers and phones, not doing anything except maybe drinking tea or coffee.
These are all great tips! I'm not a morning person at all unless I have to be, but lately I have been trying to enjoy my cup of coffee for an hour or so while I read blogs and get caught up on emails. It's kind of relaxing way to start the day!
I didn't think I was a morning person, but my roommates tell me otherwise. But I think #1 is SO important. Knowing what I'm going to wear saves so much time. Ps. good for you for working out that early⦠I could never!!
I used to suck at waking up in the AM, but #4 has been key for me. If I don't wake up early and go for a run there's no other time to do it – it's about 100 degrees during the day and even in the afternoon.
Annessa
seekingsunshine.com
I look forward to getting up in the morning to read. I am so not a morning person but I get up early! I need to get back into showering at night, it saves so much time in drying my hair.
Great tips! I am not a morning person at all, but coffee definitely helps with that! xo