Artwork by Melina Illinger.

Waking up earlier is indubitably one of the worst parts about going back to school. The sound of your phone vibrating off your nightstand, or loudly chiming that horrible radar noise, is definitely not an ideal way to start your day.

In movies, waking up in the morning seems to be a pleasure: sun shining, birds chirping, coffee somehow already brewed.

In reality, it’s your fifth time hitting “snooze,” your room is still pitch black, and you’ll be lucky if there’s even enough time for breakfast.

Often times, your morning will set the tone for the rest of your day, so it’s important to start everyday in the best way possible. Here’s how:

• Pick out your outfit the night before.

If finding the perfect outfit is something that takes up a good chunk of your morning routine, make it a night routine. Setting aside what you’re going to wear the night before will save you plenty of time in the morning.

In addition, if you’re somebody who packs their own lunch for school, try packing what you can the night before to save even more time.

• Get a dose of sunshine.

Try eating your breakfast on your porch, or sleeping with your blinds open. Unfortunately, this won’t do much for you in the days leading up to winter, where our mornings can be as pitch black as our nights. However, in the winter and springtime, natural light will enter your room at around 5:30am-6:00am. Starting your day with some fresh air and sunshine will give your brain a gentle reminder that it’s time to take on the day.

• Put your phone on the other side of the room.

When you’re finally ready for bed after a long day of school, practice, work, and homework, put your phone in a different room or out of reach from your bed. This does two things: 1. You won’t be tempted to constantly check your phone while simultaneously trying to fall asleep every night. 2. When your alarm goes off in the morning, you’re forced to get up, walk over to your phone, and turn it off. And since you’re already up, you might as well start the day.

• Read before bed.

In addition to putting your phone on the opposite end of the room, exchange texting for reading. Experts from the National Sleep Foundation agree that indulging in a book before bed can actually prepare your body to sleep better. Reading can also help the body and mind unwind from a long, stressful day. For a high school student, this is a perfect remedy towards a better morning (Mr. Choquette swears his economics textbooks can cure insomnia).

• Ditch the coffee for something more substantial.

Exchanging a cup of coffee for a tall smoothie glass is a far healthier alternative. A nutritious glass of blended fruits will fill you up for much longer than a cup of lukewarm instant coffee, or a cup of liquid sugar from Dunkin Donuts. Plus, coffee will only give you a small burst of energy for a small amount of time – you’ll crash before D period. Smoothies are a perfect way to kick off your day, leaving you energized and refreshed.