Imagine your alarm going off in the morning. After several snoozes, you’re finally up and rushing to get dressed and barely have time to grab breakfast to eat on your commute to work. 

Starting your morning off in a hurry only sets yourself up for a stressful day. Here's some tips that will allow you to clear your mind, be more productive throughout the day, and you can almost guarantee you won’t forget anything on your way out the door.

1. Create a healthy bedtime routine: Figure out how much sleep you actually need every night and train your body to go to bed and get up at the same time each day. This allows your body to find its natural rhythm and settle into a regular sleep-wake cycle. The result? less grogginess and less snoozing in the morning!
2. Clean space = clean mind: Make sure to create a space that is conducive to sleep. A comfortable bed, a dark and quiet environment, a cool temperature, avoiding blue light from computers and phone screens at least one hour before bed, are proven to help give you a better night's sleep.
3. Avoid snoozing and laying in bed for too long. If you have trouble with this, set your alarm across the room so you are forced to get up to turn it off. It’s also helpful to have something to look forward to in the morning, i.e. a delicious breakfast item, an exciting task or activity for the day, 
4. Minimize the amount of decisions you have to make in the morning. If you have time the night before, lay out your outfit, pack next day meals, get your morning coffee mug ready and in place, etc. This buys you extra time in the morning to slow yourself down.
5. Take the time to get yourself ready in the morning. A little effort goes a long way to make you feel better throughout the day. Wake up and brush your teeth, clean your body with a relaxing shower, throw on a cozy robe while you have your breakfast and plan out your day.

Bonus tip! Orange is scientifically proven to stimulate happy feelings and wake you up. Use a couple drops of orange essential oil in a diffuser or this recipe: https://thedarlingbakers.com/air-freshener-recipe/