Early mornings. Some people love them, some people hate them. I’m kind of in the middle. I like getting up early and getting things done, but I also love having a lie-in and being able to relax. Most mornings I have to be up between 05:30 and 07:30, so I’d like to think that I’ve become a bit of a pro at getting up early while still getting as much sleep in the morning as possible.
So, with my new-found wisdom (jokes), I thought I’d share a few tips that make getting up in the morning a little easier.
Go to bed on time // This one’s pretty simple, but it’s so important. No matter what you do to prepare for the morning, if you don’t get enough sleep you’re wasting your time. Try to get into a routine if possible and aim for 6-8 hours a night. Once you do this regularly, getting up in the morning will be so much easier.
Prepare everything // Put 15 minutes in every evening to get things ready for the next day. I take out everything I need for my breakfast, chop my strawberries for my porridge, put my tea bag in my cup… you get the gist. I make my lunch, prepare my snacks and have everything ready to go. I take out everything for my outfit so that in the morning all I’ve to do is get dressed, eat my breakfast, grab my bag and walk out the door. It makes things so much easier and saves so much time.
Make a simple beauty routine // If you don’t like wearing makeup or don’t wear makeup to work, you’re already at an advantage. I like wearing a bit of makeup to work, but again I keep things very simple. Have all of your fail-safe products together and create a routine that you have down to a T. Put them all in one drawer or one bag so you don’t have to root around. Slap ’em on and go! Multitasking products are a great one for this too, such as blushers you can use as lipsticks, bronzer as eyeshadow etc.
Take it easy // Early mornings can be really overwhelming if they’re not your thing, but just take it easy. Once you get up and have something to eat (always eat, even if it’s small!), you’ll nearly always feel better. Early mornings don’t go on forever, soon you’ll be wide awake and flying through the day.
Add something you enjoy // Add something into your morning routine that you enjoy that makes the morning a little bit better. Whether it’s a cup of tea while you’re doing your makeup, listening to your favourite music on the bus or taking 10 minutes to do some meditation, make the time to do something that makes you happy.
Have something to look forward to/ be grateful about // As soon as I wake up in the morning I think of something to look forward to or something that I’m thankful for. It sets me in the right frame of mind for the day and puts things into perspective. Sometimes I write them down on my phone to look at throughout the day and build a list throughout the week.
So set those alarms and get preparing, the morning is something to look forward to – not dread!