One of the best things about this semester is that I’m able to have my mornings to myself EVERY day. I’ve never been a morning person, so when I scheduled my classes my thought was that I’d get to sleep in a bit later and not have to dread going to class so much. However, over the summer I had a change of heart. I made it my goal to get better at being a morning person this year and I definitely think it has been worthwhile. Not every morning is perfect, but I enjoy attempting to start my day slowly and peacefully instead of in a crazy rush! Here are my tips to ensuring your morning is both relaxing and productive!
Prepare the night before.
Whether it’s planning your outfit, writing out your to-do list, or thinking about what you’re going to make for breakfast, it helps me to plan out my morning before I go to sleep. That way, when I wake up I have less decisions to make and more time to focus on other things!
Go to sleep early.
My rule is before midnight! Even better if I’m in bed at 11PM. If I want to wake up and kill it in the morning, I need to make sure I’m well rested. Otherwise I’m going to crave those extra hours of shut-eye and my productive morning is out the window!
Bonus tip: make sure you’re waking up to a lot of natural light!
Reach for your planner before your phone.
I’m terrible at this, but I’m really trying to make sure I pick up my planner in the morning before I pick up my phone. It’s helpful to sit down with your breakfast and planner and go over your day before you catch up on all of those missed notifications!
Do your hardest/bulkiest tasks right after you wake up.
Once you’re awake, tackle those big projects! You’re probably the most motivated right when you wake up. Put those items at the top of your to-do list and make it your goal to get them done early in the day.
Play some good music.
My day always feels 10x better when I start it out by listening to a great playlist. I try to keep it to acoustic versions of songs, instrumentals, and softer melodies in the morning to keep myself more focused.
Start your day when you’re ready.
Once you feel like you’re ready to venture out into the real world, make sure you take some of those productive morning vibes with you! I love to take some hot chocolate out “on the road” with me in a Dixie® To Go cup and get some studying done at the TECH or the library! If I’m heading to class, I love to have something to sip on when I’m out the door.
By grabbing a Dixie® To Go cup as I’m heading out, I can spend more time enjoying my beverage confidently during my walk. Once I get to campus, there’s no effort, no clean up, and no worries! I can just toss my cup and get right back to studying. I don’t know about you guys, but I have no room in my backpack to carry around an empty mug all day. That’s why I’ll reach for a Dixie® To Go cup!
What steps do you take to ensure you have a productive start to the day?
I was selected for this paid opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
SO much yes to your tips. Preparing the night before is essential because (a) if you want to sleep in, it’s not that big of a deal since all of your stuff is prepped and (b) you can relax as you get ready. Also, I am huge on doing the biggest,most difficult tasks first. For me, it often feels impossible to muster up enough motivation to get the biggest stuff done early in the day, but if I do, I’ve found that it’s easier for me to fit in the littler tasks throughout the day.
Great tips! Coffee first thing is a must for me! The scent just wakes me up!!
Mindy II AMIXOFMIN.COM
Great tips! I’ve started to become more of a morning person in the past few months as well, and one thing that helps me start my day is getting dressed as soon as I wake up! That way, I’m not tempted to go back to bed. I’m terrible at not looking at my phone first thing in the morning though. I’m definitely going to have to work on that!
Great ideas! I love to plan everything the night before! Sometimes I will actually go to bed like really earl like 7pm and water up at like 3 or 4am and get studying or work done. I am way more productive!
Theres nothing like waking up the next morning and realizing you are not at all set for the day because you didnt prepare the night before! These are great tips!
Great tips! I always need a pick me up when I am on the go having a busy day!
Rachel | http://www.theconfusedmillennial.com
I love these tips! Being productive in the morning really helps to have more free time in the afternoon!
xoxo,
Katie
chicincarolina.blogspot.com
These are great tips, Kayla. I love what you said about making sure you reach for your planner over your phone in the morning. I should really work on this; I often reach for my phone and get sucked down the social media tunnel before even getting out of bed and on somedays, the things I see do not help me start the day off well!
I love taking warm drinks on the go in the fall! For me, hot cocoa is a must have! Those Dixie Cups sound perfect!
xo, Chelsie @ Hey There, Chelsie
Yes these are all great tips, Kayla. Planner > phone definitely.
I should start using some of these tips!
I love the idea of starting your day when you’re ready. I always feel most motivated when I recognize that I’m having a moment of confidence. I usually try to take advantage of the moment so I get lots done!
Going to sleep early- so simple and so effective but yet we often neglect it!
Playing music in the morning is my favorite way to wake myself up! I tend to play faster music on days I have to get ready for class, and calmer music when I’m taking some time to get ready and relax.
Caitlyn | http://www.collegewithcaitlyn.com
I always attempt to go to sleep early, but end up staying up late and doing something.
Alix | http://www.apintsizedlife.com
I am a huge morning person so I am always up super early!!! I make so many list the night before and I plan a ton!!
http://xoxobella.com
I love the mornings, and living with my fiance it’s normally my alone time! I really need to get back to go to sleep early! These are great tips!
xoxo
Ashley
Love these Dixie cups for traveling or even making coffee at work!
I love the tip of waking up in a lot of natural light! I always feel way more awake if the sun wakes me rather than an alarm! Thanks for the tips to a productive morning 🙂
Love these tips! I couldn’t agree more with preparing the night before. That helps so much to wake up prepared for the day 🙂
Can I just say that I love these cups? I’m so bad about leaving my reusable travel mugs in my car, so I love that I can just toss these when I’m done. Great post, lady!
XO, SS || Seersucker Sass
Great list here! Reaching for the planner first is such a great idea! It’s one of the first places I go… after my phone. Going to sleep early is another great tip, but one that’s a lot harder to follow!
Love the post. Definitely not a morning person and struggling to get my morning study on . Most definitely going to give these tips a try.