Carpe Diem: Become a Morning Person!

You know morning people when you see them--up at the crack of dawn, they seem to have already accomplished so much by the time you open your tired, puffy eyes. We're not all born with an inclination to be early risers, but there are a few things we can do to better take advantage of those precious hours. By taking the time to start your day off right, you will feel less stressed, more energized, and ready for whatever your day has in store. Here are some tips:

• Sleep better. Naturally, you can't be a morning person if you don't get enough sleep. Seven to nine hours should do the trick.
• Stop snoozing. Try to get your body's internal clock to coincide with your alarm clock--not fight it. Those extra five or 10 minutes of sleep might actually make you feel groggier, instead of more awake.
• Let the sunshine in. Open those curtains, get outside for a walk, or if it's wintertime, expose yourself to the brightest light possible--this will signal to your brain that sleepytime is over.
• Try to be consistent. If you are prone to sleeping late on weekends, Monday mornings will be that much tougher. Get your biological clock in a regular rhythm and in time, you might just find yourself whistling with the rest of the early birds.