Not a morning person? Don’t worry; you can become one with practice and consistency. Mornings are an essential part of how your day will turn out. If you start your morning rushing and zero time to get your thoughts together, your day may turn out rushed. Here are some productivity hacks to establish the perfect morning routine to own the day.

Set A Bedtime & Stick To It

It may be hard to go to bed on time when it seems like you need to get more done or you may have got caught up binge-watching a Netflix series. When you set a bedtime, your body will get used to the schedule you create, and it will be easier for you to wake up in the morning. To help stick to it, put your phone away and turn off the lights a half hour before your bedtime. Instead of being on your phone those last 30minutes, read a chapter from a book or think about what you are thankful for so you can go to bed with peace of mind. I find that when I end my night on a positive note, I wake up happy and ready to start my day. 

Find What Helps You Really Wake U

A problem that many people have is actually waking up in the morning. When that alarm goes off, it’s so easy to press snooze and get an extra 15 minutes of sleep. Snoozing your alarm can make you more tired because you are entering the first round of sleep, which is REM sleep. Get up when your alarm first goes off and find something that will help wake you up whether that’s exercising, taking a cold shower, or listening to your favorite music. You can read about what a CEO does to help them get their morning started, but in all honesty, you have to find what works for you and your lifestyle.

Don’t Check Your Phone First Thing When You Wake Up

Don’t give into checking your phone when you first wake up. You will get caught up in replying to messages and be tempted to browse social media. This can accidentally take away an extra 10-15 minutes from your morning. Unless your job requires you to be on social media, it’s best to stay away from it when you are trying to start your day. 

Set Your Phone Far Away

If you use your phone as an alarm, set it across the room so you are required to get up and turn it off. Don’t get back in the bad after doing this. Instead, do what helps you wake up in the morning to get the day started as mentioned before.

Prep The Night Before To Make Your Morning Easier

Mornings can start out crazy because we can be indecisive about what we want to wear and how our hair and/or makeup should look. To help, set a timer of how long your hair and makeup should take. Iron your clothes and have everything set in place the night before to create an easier morning for you

Have Some Quiet Time

To have an impactful morning, set aside some quiet time. Quiet time could be prayer, meditation, or journaling. When you set aside quiet time, you appreciate the day more and become inspired to get the most out of the day. 

Eat A Good Quick Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but you may not have time to whip up a big breakfast. Instead, start off with a small breakfast and pack a morning snack for later. Your breakfast can be something easy such as a smoothie, fruit bowl, or oatmeal. You can have fruit as a morning snack or toast with some nut butter for added protein.

Set A To-Do List

Prioritize what needs to get done for the day. You can do this by choosing the top three or five things you want to focus on and what can wait to be done later in the week. This way, you won’t get overwhelmed and feel like you have so much to do. 

Try To Arrive At Your Office/Workspace At A Set Time

Get into the habit of getting ready and leaving every day at the same time. When you do this, you have a good idea of how traffic is going to be, and you don’t have to feel rushed to get to work. If you’re working from home, sit down at your desk or switch to “work mode” at the same time each morning. Once you arrive at your workplace (physically or virtually), you are set to take on the day!

Mornings are hard and can be hectic if we don’t plan. Find a routine that works for you to set the tone for the day even you aren’t a morning person.