Lets be honest, mornings can be difficult. Not everyone was born to be an early riser, leaping out bed ready to run 10km at 5:00am and guess what? That’s ok because everyone is different. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get yourself motivated to start your day off on the right foot. Here are 8 helpful tips to motivate you in the morning and get the most out of your day.

1) Preparation Is Key Are you in the habit of waking up in the morning and hitting the snooze button until the very last minute because you just can’t stand to leave your warm bed. Until you look at the time and realize you’re going to be late? We all know it, racing around the house trying to get ready and running out the door hoping to make your scheduled appointment on time. Been there, done that. Did it so much that I take pride in my ability to multitask around the house in record timing. We become masters of the flight of the bubble bee, but it doesn’t always leave you feeling ready for the day. If this sound like most of your mornings, try this tip. Think about how long it should take you to get ready in the morning. Factor in getting dressed, shower, breakfast any house hold chores, let the dog out, etc. Once you have a good idea of how long it should take you, add on one more hour. This extra time is going to give you a bit of leverage if you’re not ready to leap out bed right away and it also gives you time to slowly accumulate yourself to a wake state. You’re giving yourself time to disturb your sleep pattern and slowly wake up before your feet have to touch the ground.

2) You Snooze You Lose So, you’ve given yourself more time in the morning, you’ve set your alarm well in advance of when you have to leave the house, until you come face to face with the snooze button. The best solution for this tricky habit is to avoid it. Move your alarm clock to the opposite side of your room. This will force you to get up and start moving your body. If you’re the kind of person that can ignore the alarm sounds, try finding a sound that really annoys you. Even if you get up and hit the snooze and walk back to bed, you will still have to keep getting up too turn it off. The idea is to disturb your sleeping habits and get you to move more.

3) Easy Sailing Planning a bit ahead of time will help you avoid extra stress. Try to think about the most annoying parts of your morning tasks. It could be trying to find something to wear or prepping the coffee machine. Whatever it is, try having some of these tasks already prepped the night before. Try picking out an outfit before you go to bed and have the coffee machine prepped and ready for you to hit the brew button. The more stress and hassle you take out of your morning the more likely you will enjoy the extra time you have.

4) Give Me A Reason

At this point, you deserve a reward. You set your alarm extra early, you limited hitting the snooze button, you planned the night before and you’re ready for a hassle free morning, but now what should you do? This is the time for you to reward yourself. Maybe it’s getting the chance to blend that chocolate protein shake that you crave, or maybe you can finally sit down and drink your coffee at home instead slugging it back while you race through traffic. Think about rewarding yourself and give yourself a reason that will motivate you to get out of bed.

5) Hit The Shower If you wake up feeling like you’re a walking zombie, try taking a shower or washing your face. The sensation of water and the scents from the soap will help liven you up! Spend that extra couple of minutes on making yourself feel good for the rest of the day!

6) Task Master Take some time in the morning to write out a list of items you want to accomplish for the day. Now when I say list, I mean a reasonable one. Don’t overwhelm yourself with a 100 things to do for the day. Instead, try planning out your day and scratch off the things you know are within your reach. Having a plan for your day will help you feel more productive and focused on the tasks you need to get done.

7) Catch a Breeze Get some fresh air in you. If you have time, give yourself at least a couple of minutes each morning to breathe in some fresh air. We are often so busy that we run from our home to our car to another building and we repeat this pattern every day. Try standing outside, going for a quick walk or opening a window while you enjoy your coffee. Whatever will make you happy and make you feel energized for the day.

8) Progress Not Perfection Remember that routines and new habits take time. Progress is what you are striving for, not perfection. Start with trying to change one of your morning habits each week until it become a part of your usual routine. But most importantly create a new habit that will make you feel happy and ready for your day.

This article was written by: Rev. Lindsay King, BSW, MSW