The Twenty-Something Series: 7 simple ways to start your day out right

I am not a morning person.

At least, I don't consider myself one. I like being up early so that I've got the whole day to do stuff (even if that stuff only involves Netflix and maybe a load of laundry that needs doing), but getting up is so hard. 

I'm one of those people that has to set about ten alarms, and set alarms for about half an hour earlier than I need to be up just to give me time to actually wake up. 

This post won't be about how to become a morning person (I've yet to figure that out myself, to be honest) but rather what you can do first thing in the mornings to kick start your day the right way.

Make your bed

Do not underestimate the power of making your bed. I've always done this and never once not made the bed after getting up. Plus, it's such a simple task and only takes about a minute. It pulls the whole room together and just makes it feel that bit tidier, and can make all the difference when you come home later that day.

Have a drink

Make sure you have a drink when you wake up. Whether that's water, tea, orange juice. It'll help you wake up - especially if you're going to skip breakfast, for whatever reason. (And I figured that this is something that some people will find easier to do than if I said 'have breakfast'.)

Get dressed - especially if you're not going anywhere

I might have a lazy day, but when I get up, I get dressed. Even if that's just leggings and a sweatshirt. The more productive a day I'm planning to have, the more effort I'll put into getting dressed. 

Obviously, you're going to get dressed if you're going to classes or to work, but put yourself in that mindset. Studying at home? Get dressed like you might to go to the library. Working from home? You might be able to dress a bit more relaxed than usual, but you should still get dressed. It helps put you in the right mindset.

Clear out your notifications

The first thing I do when I'm awake is check my phone. I'll spend about three minutes, max, of my morning deleting the junk emails that have hit my inbox overnight, checking my Twitter, and checking any other notifications. And then I clear them from my phone screen. It's a little thing that's easy to do and can make you feel productive before you've even gotten out of bed.

Make sure you've got everything for the day ahead

Going to work? Spend a minute checking you've got your pass, your laptop, your water bottle, whatever you might need that might not already be in your bag from the day before. Heading to a lecture? Double check you've got whatever you need for taking notes. If you rush out so quickly that you forget something you really need, you'll only be smacking your forehead and cursing past you later in the day. 

If you've got the time, plan your day

Got five minutes spare? Maybe while you're eating breakfast? Plan out your day, even if it's just roughly. In this post a couple of weeks ago, I shared some ways to get more organised, and mentioned my favourite app, Todoist. Check what you've got planned for the day and what you need to do, and consider if there's anything else you need to add to that list.

Where you can: prep the night before

Pack your bag for the next day, think about what you're going to wear - obvious, maybe, but a massive help. Especially when you sleep through that alarm and spend ten minutes longer in bed than you planned. Another thing I'll do the night before is straighten my hair, too: it's so thick it takes a solid twenty minutes to make it look less than bushy and reasonably neat. If I spend the time doing that in the evening, I just need five minutes to tidy it up the next morning.

And shower the night before, too. I hate having to get up earlier to shower, so I'll shower the night before. Always. Without fail. No matter how late it is - I know it's easier to do while I'm already still awake than trying to wake up that bit earlier the next day.

If you're convinced a shower wakes you up (and that you won't just spend an extra ten minutes standing under the hot water and grudgingly thinking that you'll have to get out soon), washing your face will probably wake you up just as well. It's worth trying, at least, don't you think?


What are some of the simplest ways you make sure you start your day out right? Share them in the comments below!