How to finally become a morning person (for real).

“I’m a morning person.”

Four little words I shudder at the sound of.

For so many of us, early mornings are typically a hazy mess of caffeine cravings, alarms on snooze, semi-conscious showering and the monotony of the daily commute.

For these reasons I am convinced my mornings will remain unremarkable and unproductive.

Experts say that the way we start our day has a significant impact on how the rest of it plays out, so for us slow risers that’s a pretty grim announcement.

According to one motivational author, however, you don’t have to be a *morning person* to have a successful A.M, every day.

Hal Elrod, author of The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8 AM), argues that the best way to make the most out of your morning is to start copying the things that people who have good mornings do.

We’ve summarised some of the easiest steps you can take towards taking control of your morning happiness:

Know what you’re doing tomorrow, before you go to bed.

The Morning Miracle explains that the last thought we have before we go to sleep tends to be the first thought we wake up with, so make it a good one.

“Do not think: ‘I can’t believe I have to get up in six hours.’ Think: ‘I am full of enthusiasm and excitement for this day.'”

Brush your teeth.

Wait…Really? Yep. Hal writes that by brushing your teeth as soon as you get out of bed, you give your body a chance to wake up slowly and calmly.

Activewear. Put it on.

While the temptation to shower first thing is ingrained in so many of our morning routines, Elrod wants you to work for that shower and break a sweat.

“Morning exercise is crucial to maximising your potential, because it puts you into a peak mental, physical and emotional state so that you can win the day.”

Watch the hilarious parody of women who wear their activewear everywhere… 

If you’re not into the motivational pep-talk style of Hal Elrod, here are some less-cheesy/more realistic ways to get the most out of your morning, according to Mamamia’s shiniest, happiest morning-people:

• Put your phone on flight mode at night, thirty minutes before you go to bed, to unwind and to stop texts and calls waking you.  
• Exercise. Get up, don’t think about it. Just get your gear on and go and do some exercise. Apparently sleeping in your gym clothes is helpful, too.
• Use a bedtime calculator to find the best time to go to sleep so you can wake up feeling refreshed, try Sleepyti.m
• Coffee after shower… It will make you get up and get started.

• Write a to-do list. There’s no feeling like drawing a big fat line through an item on a checklist.
• Leave your blinds open a little bit. It’s incredibly annoying in the morning but forces you to wake up. If only to shut them. 
• Move your alarm to the other side of the room so you can’t just roll over and hit snooze.

So… we’ll see you bright and early tomorrow?