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The clocks have changed, the first day of spring has officially started the new season, and you may have even spotted some rays of sunshine. But what if despite the lighter mornings, you’re still struggling to get out of bed? Here we round up some tips that will help to make you into a morning person, and start your day the right way.

Try some exercise

Pounding the pavements at 7 a.m. isn’t for everyone, but if you can manage some gentle movement it can help wake up body and mind, as well as give your health a boost. An at-home workout is often easier to achieve than heading outdoors to the gym or swimming pool and gives you the flexibility of choosing how intense to make it depending on how energetic you’re feeling first thing. Even yoga or stretching will help ease you into the new day with a gentle boost of energy.

Look forward to breakfast

If you know have something nutritious and delicious to eat then you might be more likely to get out of bed for it! Rather than rush out of the door with a slice of toast, make time for a breakfast you really enjoy and that will set you up with enough energy to last until lunch time. Add eggs or smoked salmon to your bread for extra nutrition, or if you have time, warm up a nourishing bowl of porridge. If you’re short on time, a homemade smoothie can be a quick but healthy breakfast, or why not try a bowl of chia seed pudding which can be prepared the night before.

Make a morning plan

If you’re still not motivated enough to get up, then making a morning plan with friends might give you an extra nudge out of bed. Get up to have breakfast with your partner and share some time together before work or make a date with a colleague to grab coffee together before the office. If you feel motivated enough why not book a gym class with a friend, that way you’ll not only be up early but you’ll also squeeze in a workout and some time together.

Stop pressing the snooze button

This can be a difficult habit to break and at first seems counterintuitive, with many of us thinking that an extra ten minutes sleep will help us feel more energized when we do get out of bed. However, according to experts hitting the snooze button repeatedly does not give you good quality sleep or help you feel more rested as you don’t have time to fall back into a deep sleep. In fact, it would be a better idea just to set a later alarm rather than drag out the process of getting up, so try to get up as soon as your alarm goes off.

Let in some light

Just as dimming down the lights at night helps encourage production of the hormone melatonin, which makes us feel sleepy, exposing yourself to light in the morning will help to stop production, therefore waking you up. As soon as you’re out of bed open the curtains to let in daylight, or if it is still dark turn on the lights until the sun rises. JB

Everyone in the restaurant was asleep, so this hungry customer cooked his own meal