How to be a morning person

We always hear that the morning is the best time to be productive, but for those of us that are night owls that can be difficult! So what can we do to become a morning person, to make sure we're getting the most of our day?

Set one alarm & ignore the snooze button!
We've all been there - the alarm goes off at 7, and we press the snooze button 4 or 5 times before we realise that we've run out of time and now we *have* to get up. This means that we're then rushing around, and don't get as much done before we need to head off as we had planned. Or, you set 10 alarms, each to go off 5 minutes after the other. Set one alarm, and get out of bed as soon as it goes off!

Skip phone time before getting up
It's very tempting to read through your phone like the newspaper before getting out of bed, but this delays the inevitable, and will make it harder to get up.

Set up coffee the night before
If you need that caffeine fix before you can even think about being productive, get ahead of yourself and set up your coffee the night before. If you have a machine that you can put on timer, set it for half an hour before your alarm is due to go off, so you can wake up to the smell of brewing coffee! Heaven!

If you're a tea person, set up your mug and tea bag the night before, so you can just boil the kettle and go.

Make a meal of breakfast
Make time to have breakfast sitting down, rather than running out the door eating a bagel. Giving yourself time to sit and enjoy your breakfast will make your morning feel more relaxed, and will ease you into the day.

Set clothes out night before
We've all had that horrible rush where you either don't know what to wear, or what you want to wear isn't quite dry yet. Our favourite top is nowhere to be seen, and why can't you find those shoes? By organising your clothes the night before, these issues can be sorted out when you're in a better frame of mind, and with more time.

Make your bed
By making your bed as soon as you get out of it, you're signalling to your brain that it's no longer bedtime.

Exercise
Try to do some form of exercise when you get up, even if it's some gentle yoga. Moving your body will feel great, and will get those endorphins moving.

Never start work day in pyjamas
If you work from home, get changed before you sit down at your desk. This will mentally prepare you for work, and will help your mind distinguish between sleep time and work time!

Go to bed on time
This is a big one - morning people tend to go to bed at sensible hours so they feel refreshed and ready for the next day. Try to aim for 8 hours sleep, so if you know you need to be up at 7am, try to be in bed by 11pm. You will reap the benefits of getting a full night's sleep!

Are you a morning person? Let us know @office_fruit