Ahh yes, the morning routine. It’s what shakes us out of our 6am slumber and motivates us to start the day on a positive note. Either that, or your scary-as-hell boss will shoot daggers at you from across the room for the rest of the day if you show up late to work… again.

Whichever category you fall into, we all need a little bit of improvement when it come to the early morning stakes.

So with New Years just around the corner, we’ll talk through the five things you should do every morning to set you up for guaranteed success.

#1 Start The Night Before

It’s important to plan for the day ahead. And not the kind where you fantasise about your lunch order at the new cafe around the corner from your work/uni.

Check to see what battery percentage your phone is on. Does it need charging? Plug it into a powerpoint outside your bedroom. That way, you won’t be tempted by the never-ending late-night Insta scroll even if you promised yourself “just one more minute”.

You’ll wake up feeling fresh and flawless after a good night’s sleep, ready to tackle the day ahead like the superstar you are.

#2 Daily To-Do Lists Are A Must

As soon as you wake up, get a pen and paper handy and write out a list of things you need to complete during the day. Things like “do the washing”, “meal prep”, or “get started on my summer project”.

You’ll be able to physically see the amount of things that need to get done and organise yourself so that enough time is allocated to each task. Just think about how great you’ll feel when you get that highlighter out and cross an item off the list. #yeahboi

Plus, you won’t have to worry about forgetting to call your pals to organise a catch up, because your to-do list will always have your back.

#3 Don’t Rely So Heavily On Caffeine

If your morning cup of coffee is the only thing motivating you to get out of bed, you’re doing things all wrong. You don’t need to cut out your beloved liquid gold completely, but treat it as a reward and something to savour as you read the morning news or catch up on your favourite TV show.

Instead of it being something you depend on before heading out the door, it will quickly become something you won’t even have to think about.

#4 Exercise The Body And Mind

Ever heard of brain fitness? Not only is it important to regularly exercise the body, but brain games such as Sudoku or an app like Lumosity are perfect for when your alarm goes off in the morning. It will slow down cognitive decline and improve your memory which are all vital for keeping your mind young. So don’t even think about hitting that snooze button.

Meditation is equally as important. When was the last time you took 5-10 minutes to just breathe and think about absolutely nothing? Probably a long time ago, right? Start incorporating this into your morning routine and let go of whatever worries or stresses you have for the day ahead. It will do wonders.

#5 Fuel Up

After all of that exercise, you’re going to want to have a healthy and full breakfast to satiate those early morning hunger pangs. My favourite? Avocado on toast. Or as the many critics would like to call it: the reason why millennials will never be able to afford a house.

On a more serious note, it’s easy to walk out the door and forget to eat something when you’re rushing to get ready. It may be okay every once in awhile, but if you do this on a regular basis, you’re more likely to crave sugary food throughout the day and overeat. You don’t want your morning workout to be for nothing, right?

So what are you waiting for? After a week or two of practising your new morning routine, it will become second nature and you’ll question how you even got through the day without it.

(Lead image: Parks and Recreation/NBC)