While you might feel that you have set yourself up with the best schedule ever, unless all of your classes start past noon there are probably days when rising and shining in the morning are not at the top of your “things-I-want-to-do” list. In theory it is very nice of Pinterest to think that cutting up fruit and vegetables for a breakfast smoothie is a morning hack that is actually going to happen. However, there are definitely easier ways of starting your morning off right. Here are a few morning tips that are totally possible for even the most non-morning person.
1. Pick out your outfit the night before
When putting together a well-thought out, runway-ready look, the outfit that you leave your room in probably very rarely consists of the first clothing choices of the morning. When you wake up five minutes before you have to be out the door, chances are you will not be putting together the most spectacular thing that you have ever worn. However, deciding what to wear the night before does make it possible to look like you’ve been through five outfits when it really only took you five minutes. It will also allow you to check the weather to avoid a weather faux pas in your rush to get ready.
2. Strategic placement of something warm & cozy
One of the most unpleasant parts of the morning is making the transition from warm bed to cold outside world; it’s not really much of a motivator. To combat the cold, have slippers, a robe or a sweatshirt in arm’s reach that you pull on to make your journey from your bed to the closet or shower that much easier (and warmer)!
3. Built-in browsing time
If you give a girl a phone, she is probably going to want to check her social media accounts ASAP. Let’s face it, after shutting off your phone alarm it is basically second nature to check for any new social media activity, e-mails, or texts that you received while you were sleeping. The problem is that depending on how much sleep you got, you might have way more to look at than you have time to go through. If you simply cannot start your day without scrolling through your Instagram feed, wake up five to ten minutes earlier to catch up on everything that happened while you were sleeping. Not only will you feel updated, but you also give yourself a little bit of time to adjust before taking on your day.
4. Wake up your makeup
Just like us, makeup is so much more effective when it is warmed up and ready to go. A noteworthy morning hack for anyone who cannot leave the house prior to completing a morning beauty routine is to warm up your makeup while getting ready by putting it in a waistband or in your bra. While this might seem strange, you can get more out of your makeup when it is warmer as opposed to cold which means you get better morning glam and longer lasting makeup.
5. Make your alarm your favorite song
Is this a cliché way to have a better morning? Yes. Are you going to be any more excited about being woken up from your beauty sleep? Nope. Will you be more inclined to get up to listen to your favorite than an obnoxious arrangement of notes? Probably so.
6. Leave yourself a nice wake-up message
While you might think writing to yourself is weird, a little morning encouragement on an alarm goes a long way. Something like, “Have a great day!” or, “Smile, it’s Friday!” will definitely help you to start your day on a positive note.
7. Treat yourself
If you have some time before your morning class, go treat yourself to a nice breakfast! Even though you might not want to leave your bed any earlier than you have to, eating a good breakfast will keep you energized and feeling good for the rest of the day.
Dani Kluss, a freshman at California Lutheran University, knows how to get in a good breakfast without even having to stop at a dining hall or restaurant. “I'm gluten free so what I do in the morning is I take some of the Chex gluten free instant oatmeal packets and make it in my microwave,” she says. “It's great because you don't need any measuring cups to measure the amount of water or milk to put in it because it the packet can be used as a measuring cup—they put a line on it to measure!”
8. Write down one thing that you are looking forward to that day
This starts your morning off positively and motivates you to get going, keeping in mind that at some point in the day you definitely have something you are excited about coming your way.
9. Set aside an easy morning snack the night before
For days when you know that you absolutely do not have the time to eat breakfast, prepare a little snack the night before that you can eat while you are getting ready to make sure that you don’t go to that early morning class with zero energy. You do not have to whip out your professional gourmet chef skills, but something like dry cereal or a banana and peanut butter will keep you from feeling hungry until you can get a real meal in.
Miriam Smallman, a junior at George Washington University, knows the importance of getting in an energizing breakfast. “My power breakfast in the mornings is oatmeal with soy milk, a sliced banana and cinnamon, which is thought to help curb hunger,” she says. “This can normally keep me full, focused and energized for at least four hours. It's a recipe I swear by!”
10. Pack your bag the night before
We girls are notorious for having more than one bag that we carry around on a weekly and even daily basis. For this reason, making sure the right stuff is in the right bag is very important. Pack your things in the correct bag the night before to decrease the chance of forgetting an essential item in an early morning rush.
11. Start a group message with your friends to encourage each other
When all else fails, who better to turn to then your friends, who are probably going through the same morning struggle as you are. Be each other’s motivators! Waking up to a silly meme or a pre-Instagram throwback Thursday will definitely brighten up you and your friends’ days. However, if you do not see your friends in class, a strategically sent disapproving emoji face might also do the trick as well.
Those 8 a.m. classes won’t magically become more interesting, but don’t underestimate the power of a strong cup of coffee and these simple tips!