Yaaawn...

Here we are - another Monday morning (and the first day of December - that came fast!). But this one comes after a nice, long weekend. Which, for most of us, means it's even harder to drag ourselves out of bed.

I stumbled upon this article while scrolling through Pinterest, and found these "easy" ways to wake up (easy, really?), and figured that all of my fellow non-morning-person friends may benefit from these tips as well.

Original article here.

Tip 1:

Wake up to sunshine.

I know that when I have rays of sunlight pouring in my window, it is a bit easier to wake up. Fortunately, our bedroom windows face the East, so the sun rises into our room. But unfortunately, Spencer prefers the curtains pulled closed to sleep. The original article suggests sleeping with an eye mask and taking it off to see the sunlight when you wake up.

Well honey, what do you think? Leopard or zebra?

Leopard Eye Mask - Meow! Click to view source.

Tip 2:

Don't snooze.

I am. The. Worst. Snoozer. Seriously. I don't even realize when I do it now. It's so bad. But if you're anything like me, you realize that more times than not, you wake up after a few snoozes even more tired than you were when the alarm went off initially! Solution? Get up the first time.
Easier said than done...

Here's an idea. If you hit snooze, this little alarm clock will roll itself off of your nightstand and roll around the room while the alarm rings. So, you have to get up to turn it off. Genius? Yes. Fastest way to crankiness before coffee? Also yes. It's a trade off...

Click the image for more details. Good and bad, "rolled" into one. "Rolled"...get it?

Tip 3:

Put on music.

This article suggests not having music as your alarm (since you'll associate it with the rough act of getting out of bed), but rather waiting until you are out of bed to turn on your jams. Maybe do a little dance? Maybe after coffee.

Did you know this was a thing? I think I had NOW 9...Click it.

Tip 4:

Drink water.

Lauren Conrad drinks a warm glass of lemon water every morning before she does anything else. Supposedly it's good for digestion (and if LC does it, there's got to be something to it). I think it sounds kind of gross. Reminds me of having to gargle warm salt water when I have a sore throat (my mom used to tell me to do this when I was sick in middle and high school - I told her I did. I didn't. It made me gag. Sorry Momma!). BUT I think I could do a glass of water before coffee if it helps wake me up. Plus, it's a head start on my water intake for the day. Win/win.

Chug some water as your coffee brews from this awesome mug :)

Tip 5:

Power down before bed.

"Early to bed, early to rise," right? This is probably the most obvious of the tips, but one that few of us likely follow. From TVs to computers to phones in bed, we are continually simulating our brains. Short story, our bodies may be ready to sleep, but our brains are not. So, try shutting down all screens 1 hour before bed. So hard. I am so guilty.

Instead, try reading! I read The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough this past summer on a recommendation, and LOVED it. If you haven't read it, do it! Any other suggestions to offer?

Click image to read a summary - really great book!

If you try any of these tips to help you get up easier in the mornings, please let me know! I'd love to hear which tips work for you and which don't. 

With that said, I hope getting up after the long weekend wasn't too bad, and that you have a great Monday!

Until next time - -