5 Simple Tips to Getting Up on the Right Side of the Bed

There are two kinds of people: those who wake up all bright and sunny and those who press snooze 15 times before climbing out of bed. Personally, I fall into the second category. I don’t function like a real human being until at least 10 a.m.; I don’t care if the sun is up or the birds are chirping—I care about my sleep. However, our modern-day world demands our getting out of bed and making it to work in the early a.m. So, I’ve had to make do. And like every other lifestyle change, it has been a work in progress. I’ve set goals and reached them, as well as failed them. But now I’m in a pretty good routine of getting out of bed on my first alarm (I know, pretty impressive) and making the best of my morning, in order to set myself up for an overall better day. And guess what? You can too! If you’re a night owl like me who isn’t used to hanging with the early birds, follow my 5 simple tips to make the transformation.

1. Prepare the night before.

So, the first step toward having a better morning actually takes place the night before! Do what you dread doing in the morning before you even go to sleep, like picking out your outfit for work or packing your lunch. If you do this the night before then you’ll wake up already feeling partly prepared for the day ahead of you. And you’ll feel more inclined to get out of bed because you don’t have those pesky tasks to complete.

2. Whatever you do, don’t press snooze.

I know, I know—it’s easier said than done. So, if you don’t have enough willpower to shoot up at your first alarm, you need to get strategic. Put it across the room so you literally have to get out of bed; set it to your favorite song so you won’t want to turn it off (as opposed to an obnoxious one that will start your day off poorly); do whatever it takes for that initial alarm to get you out of bed.

3. Fuel your mind and your body!

You know what they say: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. People often write off this seemingly small piece of advice, but it’s actually a vital one. Breakfast gives you the energy you need to start your day and helps your brain snap into work-mode when you get to the office. Studies have also linked eating breakfast to overall better health, from better memory to lower odds of getting diabetes. So, scramble some eggs or at least grab a banana—anything is better than nothing.

4. Set aside 5 or 10 minutes for yourself.

I’ve found that taking a few minutes to simply enjoy my breakfast or tune into the morning news is key to starting my day off right. It allows me to ease into it, rather than rush into it or similarly get smacked in the face by it. You may be tempted to sleep in for 10 more minutes instead of setting this time aside, but I’m telling you—you’ll be thankful to have it once you try it.

5. Incorporate your favorite things.

Play your favorite song while you’re getting ready or put on your favorite TV show. Some positive, feel-good background noise will certainly get you excited about waking up—or at least feeling better about it than you did before. Quite similarly, drinking coffee out of your favorite mug or reading an excerpt from your favorite book will spruce up your day and kick it off to a great start.

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