10 Best Morning LifeHacks

We all know the struggle — you're tired, it's early, you're in your nice warm bed and don't want to leave. Mornings can be hard! But what you might not know yet is that there are a few simple ways to make your life just that little bit easier in the mornings.

Plan Your Outfits

It may sound obvious, but planning your outfit for the day in advance can save you a lot of time in the mornings. Just think about it. How much time have you wasted searching through your closet looking for what to wear? Wouldn't it be easier if you could just crawl out of bed and right into your already-prepped clothes? Just imagine how much time you could save! The night before, just before you go to bed, look in your closet, find an outfit that is suitable for your day, and leave it either hung up outside your closet, or folded up next to your bed — problem solved.

Prep Your Bag

Making sure you have everything in the mornings can be annoying, as well as a total time waster. To bypass this morning evil, just pack your bag the night before, and make sure you include everything you will need for the day.

To really make the most of this hack, you can also leave all of your necessary items — watch, phone, keys, wallet — next to your already-packed bag. This way, there's no scrambling around in the mornings to find everything you need.

To-Do Lists

Remember when you used to go shopping with your mother as a kid and she'd always have one of those weird lists that had all of the groceries on it? Wouldn't you think ,"Why doesn't she just memorize everything?" because you couldn't understand why she'd need the list? I bet you understand now... We all forget things in the mornings. It happens to the best of us, so making yourself a to-do list for the morning can be very helpful to make sure you don't forget anything. It may sound stupid, but even things like brushing your teeth, feeding your pets, putting on deodorant, and making your bed can be easily forgotten when you're in a rush and still half-asleep.

Avoid Distractions

Phones are amazing things, but it can be so easy to get distracted by a funny Instagram video, a good Twitter beef, or dancing around your room to your favorite song, that you can very easily lose a lot of precious time in the mornings. Instead, get yourself ready, make sure you have done everything, and have free time left before you start to surf the web. That way you don't have to worry about how much time you spend on your phone.

This is applies to television. Avoid watching lengthy TV shows with your breakfast or while you are getting dressed, as the temptation to finish the show can cost you a lot of time.

Trick Your Alarm

We've all heard of the myth that setting your alarm clock ten or fifteen minutes earlier can help you to get up. But guess what? It actually works! Before you go to sleep, set your alarm earlier, like ten or twenty minutes. That way you don't have to worry about shooting out of bed. You can just take it easy and go at your pace, as you have that little bit of extra time to fully wake up.

Setting an additional alarm clock can also be helpful if you are like me and tend to fall back to sleep after initially waking up. Create an alarm for around five or ten minutes after you have woken up to make sure that you do not "accidentally" go back to sleep after waking up.

Also, don't forget to place your alarm clock away from your bed. It can be too tempting to just hit snooze, roll over, and go back to sleep when your alarm is right next to you, so place it across the room, or hide it in a non-soundproof draw or cupboard to really force you out of bed. After all, no one can sleep when there's a siren going off in their sock draw!

Have A Schedule

Similar to having a to-do list, having a schedule for time can really help to make sure you aren't late for any early morning engagements. Simply write down the time you need to wake up, the time you need to leave the house, and the time you need to get to where you need to be. This way, you can work out just how long you have to get ready, how much sleep you can get, and how much time you have for your commute.

Pre-Made Lunch

Making your lunch in the morning can take up a lot of time, time that you could be spending getting ready, or relaxing before a hard day at work or school. That's why preparing your lunch the time before can be really handy. Just make what you would normally have for lunch, then put it in a little tub or box and leave it in the fridge or on your counter.

However, be smart with it, and make sure that you still store things correctly. Don't leave sandwiches such as tuna or chicken out all night, as that could lead to food poisoning, and don't leave bananas in the fridge as they dry out when exposed to the cold.

Drink Water

Commonly used to help with hangovers, drinking a glass or small bottle of water in the mornings can really help to clear your head. It keeps you hydrated and gives you a boost of energy to help combat that sluggish feeling we have all come to dread, helping to motivate and drive you through your day. If the choice comes between a cup of coffee or a glass of water, no matter how tempting the coffee may be, always pick water.

Let The Sun In

It may sound cliche, but opening your curtains and allowing the sunlight to enter your room can really brighten up your day. Being in a darkened room can keep you feeling tired and unenthusiastic, so getting some good natural light in can really help to make you feel awake and ready for the day, and to stop you from going back to bed!

Let's Go For A Walk

Although taking a morning stroll may sound like something out of one of those feel-good movies, it can actually be very beneficial. Getting some clean, cool air into your lungs, soaking up the early sun, and getting your body moving can really make you feel more alive and ready for the day.

Hopefully, these simple morning life hacks will help you start your day right. Good morning, everyone!