Mornings can be a difficult time to motivate yourself. Our bodies are confused and tired your brain is telling you to go back to sleep. Maybe your goal is to be more energetic and productive in the mornings? The way you start your day will have a big impact on how the rest of it goes.

Here are a few tricks and tips to make even the most reluctant risers into morning people.

Step away from the snooze button

If you're tired it's tempting to think 'just five more minutes', but before you know it you're drifting back into a dream state and feeling more groggy. The worst thing you can do in this situation is keep hitting the snooze button. There are various alarm clocks with gadgets to help you get up, from ones that simulate sunlight to ones that have to be lifted up and down 30 times to deactivate. A simpler solution is to place your alarm clock on the other side of your bedroom so you have to get out of bed to turn it off.

Get in some gentle exercise

Any gentle exercise you can manage in the morning will come with huge benefits. A few simple stretches and warm-up moves will get your blood pumping and release feel-good endorphins, and you'll find that you start to look forward to doing them every day. If you can get outside, even better. This is especially important if you’re inside all day as it may be the only chance your body gets to absorb some vitamin D.

Break the Fast

Sales of cereal bars and smoothies have rocketed in recent years, because of our new inability to sit still for five minutes and eat a proper breakfast. It can feel like you never have time, but how long does it really take to microwave a bowl of oatmeal or toast some bread? Do your digestive system a favor and sit down to eat rather than trying to gulp down something on the go. If you take the time to enjoy your food in the morning, your brain will start to associate this time of day with feeling good (as with the exercise).

Maintain a routine

Keeping to a routine is key to making your mornings easier. Try to get up at the same time every day, and stick to a morning schedule. This could be going for a walk before breakfast, having a nice hot shower as soon as you wake up, or spending 5 minutes deciding what to wear. Once you've figured out your routine you'll know exactly how long you'll need to get ready, so no more rushing around in a panic!

It's surprising how quickly you can get into new habits, and it's guaranteed to get your day off to a much better start!