10 bright ways to hack your morning routine.

Time if this sounds familiar: You're sound asleep, possibly telling your boss how you really feel about her new haircut, or trying to dodge glances as you stroll into the office without your pants when, without warning, you're jarred from your sleep state by your unapologetic alarm clock. And then, as you groggily sit up in bed, you remember that you need to somehow cram 60 minutes of preparations into 30 minutes or risk being late.

Mornings are the worst, no doubt about it. In fact, according to some estimates, only 10% of the world's population are so-called "morning people," leaving the vast majority of sleepy-heads in need of practical ways to get out the door when day breaks.

Here are some of the best solutions — both tech-based and IRL — that can help you hack your morning routine.

Waking up in the 21st century

We live in a world of connected refrigerators and self-driving cars. So why rely on the old "cold water splash to the face" technique when can use the latest in technology to help wake you up?

1. Use a smart alarm

A big reason why mornings are so tough is that we aren't ready to wake up when our alarms go off. While that may sound obvious, the surprising fact is, there is an optimal time to wake up — and it's not necessarily after you've slept longer. A smart alarm monitors your breathing and movements, allowing it to determine where you are in your sleep cycle, and when — within a given range — you should be woken up. Smart alarms come in a variety of forms, from fitness bands to mobile applications like Smart Alarm Clock.

2. Spotify your morning

Listening to music can help you feel energised. That's why Spotify members have created and shared playlists that can add life to your morning routine. Even better than the jolt of energy you'll feel when you pull a Risky Business slide into the bathroom, listening to music while you get ready can also keep you on schedule. If you listen to the same playlist every morning, you'll be able to gauge how far along your routine should be based on the song that's playing.

3. Make sure you're prepared

There's nothing worse than being unprepared for a meeting or event on your schedule. Whether it’s a matter of wearing a suit instead of jeans, picking up snacks for your big meeting or simply remembering your gym clothes, make sure you're using an app likeTo-Do Prime that can organise your calendar and ensure that you have what you need for the day's events.

4. Use your shower time productively

Some of our best ideas come when we're in the shower, so use that time to knock out some of your heavy thinking for the day. You can do something as simple as plan out the outfit you'll wear that day, or get fancy and compose an email you've been putting off writing. For the latter, install an app like SpeechTrans Dictation so you can go hands-free and avoid water damage.

Hacking your morning in real life

Using a handy app can go a long way for your morning routine, but there are some hacks that need to be done the old-fashioned way.

5. Brush your teeth in the shower

Hacking your morning is about erasing or optimising wasted time — and your time in the shower is a perfect example. In between dictating those emails, take two minutes to brush your teeth. You'll shave a little time off your overall preparation time, and you'll never be in that awkward situation where you’re halfway out the front door and have to turn around and march back into the bathroom to brush.

6. Set an alarm on your coffee pot

There are some apps and coffee machines that will let you brew your coffee remotely, but until they're more widespread — and less expensive — program your coffee maker to start brewing while you get ready. That way, you can grab your caffeine on your way out.

7. Don't skip breakfast — shorten it

Your morning can truly suffer if you don't eat the most important meal of the day. But just because you're pressed for time, it doesn't mean you have to abandon breakfast altogether. Instead, try out some healthy on-the-go options like breakfast biscuits.

8. WWZD: "What would Zuckerberg do?"

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and Silicon Valley bad boy, is famous for dressing simply and consistently. In his words, dressing the same way each day gives him one less decision to make in the morning. While you don't have to go to work in a hoodie like Zuck does, try to minimise your outfit thinking by laying out the week's wardrobe on Sunday night.

9. Keep all of your essentials together

Think of how much time you waste looking around for your keys, wallet, sunglasses and other essential items. To ensure your exit in the morning is as smooth as possible, get into the habit of putting all of these items in the same place — like a small dish — so you can grab and go with no fuss.

10. Practice night hacking

If you know the morning is going to be chaotic, give yourself a fighting chance by preparing at night. Specifically, take care of the time consuming tasks like ironing clothes and packing your things for work. Thinking ahead isn't a groundbreaking hack by any means, but crossing off morning chores the night before can help reduce stress and keep you on schedule in the A.M.

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