The morning can be one of the most peaceful (not to mention productive!) times of the day—and even adding just one extra hour to your a.m. can give you a huge energy boost. But for some of us, it can be so hard to get up that we miss the opportunity to make the most of our mornings. Ready to *finally* thrive in the early hours? Read on…

Actually waking up

Let’s start with the hardest part–actually dragging yourself out of your warm, cozy bed. The first step? Set your alarm clock the night before. Make sure that it’s far away from your bed so you have to get up to turn it off.

Before you go to bed the night before, open the shades on your windows so the sunlight can seep in as the sun rises (natural sunlight = the best alarm clock). And if you find your brain talking yourself out of getting up? Remind yourself why you’re waking up early. Is it to make time for journaling or self-care? To *actually* get to school on time? Keep your eye on the prize, and you’ll be up ‘n’ at ’em in no time.

Saving time for you

Mornings run more smoothly if you’ve prepped the night before. For example, if you take your lunch to school, pack it the night before to save time in the morning. You can also decide on your school fit ahead of time.

And the most time-consuming part of the morning? It’s, ofc, the beauty regimen. We busy babes don’t always have the time for a miles-long skincare routine, a full face of makeup and perfectly primped hair every morning. To save precious minutes, cut down on the number of steps in your GRWM (the clean girl look is totally in right now…perfect timing).

For hair? Trade out lengthy heat styling routines for a simple ponytail, braid or claw clip. Being extra is fine sometimes (and can def be a mood booster on a meh day), but if you’re spending hours and hours on end on beauty? That could be stealing time away from other meaningful morning moments.

Romanticizing the mornings

Starting off your day with self-care can make your whole day sunny. Light a scented candle to set the mood and turn on some chill music. (Need inspo? Peep some of our amaze playlists on Spotify!) To take it up a notch, splurge on a fuzzy robe and some slippers to max out your comfort (and make it a little easier to leave your warm ‘n’ snuggly bed).

After crafting your cozy atmosphere, brew yourself some coffee or tea. Rewarding yourself for waking up early makes it less of a chore and more of a luxury. Tell yourself, “If I wake up earlier, I’ll have time to swing by Starbucks on the way to school” (or make pancakes, journal, exercise, fill in the blank!). Even our groggy morning selves respond to a reward system.

Sticking to it

Waking up early once is hard, but the *real* challenge is making it a habit. Ease into your new morning routine with a gradual change instead of a dramatic pivot: Get up five minutes earlier every day until you reach your peak wake-up time (7:00 Monday, 6:55 Tuesday, 6:50 Wednesday, etc.). Try not to break your streak (yes, even on weekends!) or you might have to start all over. That said, if you sleep in the night after the school dance or a big sleepover? Don’t sweat it. As long as you don’t give up and get back on schedule ASSAP, you can absolutely nail your goal and become the *ultimate* early bird.

Looking for more life tips? Peep our other articles down below:
🌅 Romanticizing Your Life Is The Self-care Habit You’re Missing
🌅 QUIZ! Which Stress-busting Hobby Should You Pick Up Next?
🌅 Here’s How To *actually* Stick To Your New Year’s Resolutions

Image credits: @allisonbickerstaff, @aashleyk, @goodmeredith, @belle_mariano, @gracetaylorr19