1. Stay under the covers
There’s a small collection of people out there — I’m not sure how many of us there are — who set our alarms a little bit earlier than we actually have to just so that we have those extra 10 minutes to lay in bed. You can use those 10 minutes however you choose. I usually either internally moan about how unfortunate it is that I have to get up or scroll through Pinterest and Instagram in a feeble attempt to keep my eyes open. It would probably be easier to get straight up, and some people do — though I don’t understand how — but I like those minutes when you’re conscious of how comfortable you are without being rushed to get up and get going. Do I often fall back asleep? I’m not going to lie — yes, yes I do. The system is not without flaws, but you’ll never catch me complaining about having spent too much time in bed.
2. Pour yourself some coffee
Duh. I probably don’t even have to write this one out, but what kind of person would I be if I didn’t include this crucial step in every sane person’s morning routine? Brewing coffee in and of itself can be a relaxing process, even if you don’t drink it. But of course, you will drink it since we’re all caffeine addicts here.
3. Read something inspirational
Another reason I like scrolling through Pinterest in the morning is for the random optimistic quotes that are often not attributed to any author or have clearly been screenshotted from Tumblr. I’ve definitely pinned a few that just say “You got this.” Whoever wrote that doesn’t know me at all, nor do they know that I do in fact “got this.” But I know that I got this, and I’m sure you do too, so why not put it in cursive print with the picture of a cartoon butterfly and call it inspirational? Some more morning positivity vibes come from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s adorable new book called “Gmorning, Gnight.” If even Miranda needs a little cheesy optimism to get it together in the morning, then I refuse to be embarrassed of my Pinterest habit.
4. Listen to music that gets you excited for the day
There’s nothing like the bitter silence of the morning to wish you were asleep again. Music can lighten the mood considerably and drown out that voice in the back of your head that’s wondering if you can just get back in bed and skip out on the rest of the day. If you have a roommate you can always put in those headphones and blast it. Or you can be like my brother and blast Kanye West for the entire house to hear.
5. Breakfast foods all day, every day
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day in my opinion — not because it jumpstarts your metabolism, which I’m pretty sure is made up — but rather because it includes waffles, pancakes, eggs, cereal, bagels, toast and many, many pastries. Am I the only one that is completely jealous of those buffet style breakfasts they have in the TV shows? And then the characters have the audacity to not even eat any of it. How dare they pass up on an entire tower of pancakes and a bowl of strawberries — don’t they know what I would do for that kind of luxury?
6. Get moving
Exercising in the morning is pretty well advocated for, but if you’re not into exercise, dancing it out is enough to shake the sleep out of your body and get the adrenaline pumping. You may look goofy or you may have Brendon Urie-like dance moves — seriously that man can make anything look cool — but either way, the king of dance himself would tell you to go for it. Besides, you’re by yourself in your room. If now’s not the time to make a fool of yourself, then when is?
7. Go over your to-do list
I know that your to-do list can sometimes be a big yikes — who even knew that many things could even fit in one day? Confronting the reality of your day early on can prepare you for what’s ahead and help you plan accordingly. Plus, if there’s any time of the day that I want to realize that I have class until 6 p.m. and then a meeting at 8 p.m., it’s when I’m drinking coffee and jamming to Hamilton. He was non-stop and so are you.
8. Text your friends about anything
There’s nothing like waking up to a 6 a.m. text from your friend about their trip to the gym or the run they tried to take in 10 degree weather. Raise your hand if you’ve either sent or received a text from a friend about a weird dream. They have no bearing on real life, but they’re seriously hilarious. According to my one roommate’s subconscious, my other roommate was going to walk down the aisle at her wedding to the sound of a rooster crowing. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to that?
9. Plan something fun for later
While you’re texting your friends about your poultry-related dreams, you may as well see what they’re up to later. Having something to look forward to later in the day can make even the longest of days seem less daunting.
10. Go ahead and start
The best way to start is to start. I can dance around my room all morning long, drink a liter of coffee and blast Lin-Manuel Miranda as loud as I want — and I do all of those things — but nothing is going to get me out of the door besides my own two feet and the belief that what is waiting for me outside is even better than lying in bed. Bed is awesome, so that’s a tall order, but I think the world is going to deliver. One last sip of coffee — O.K., we’re ready.
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