We get it. You want to sleep in, roll out of bed whenever you’re ready, and spend your day lounging around.

Most of us don’t have that luxury on work days, but mornings don’t have to be painful. Follow these tips to start your day smoothly.

Download the Sleep Cycle app.

While you might argue that you’re not really ready to wake up until at least 10 a.m., this alarm wakes you when your body is ready to wake up. This amazing app tracks your sleep quality and recognizes when you’re in a deep versus light sleep. All you have to do is keep your phone next to you on your bed during the night. If you have to wake up by 7:30 and you give the app a fifteen-minute window for when it can wake you up, your alarm will go off when you are in your lightest sleep within those fifteen minutes. Typical alarms can wake you when you’re in the middle of a deep sleep, making it much harder to get out of bed. This app will help you wake up feeling more rested and alert than ever before.

Make breakfast easier.

One of the best habits to get into is washing and cutting up fruits and vegetables as soon as you get home from the grocery store. This saves you from a time-consuming step when preparing your breakfast in the morning. Whether you want to throw together a smoothie or treat yourself to an omelette, cutting up the necessary fruits and vegetables beforehand will help you whip up your breakfast in no time. If you enjoy a little extra sleep in the mornings, stock your kitchen with easy grab-and-go items like granola bars or bananas. If you stop for breakfast daily during your work commute, start placing mobile orders before you leave the house so that you aren’t stuck anxiously tapping your foot in long lines, worrying about getting to work late.

Pack your lunch the night before.

Everyone just wants to unwind after a long work day, especially with the beautiful weather that comes with summer. It’s tempting to walk through the door, drop your bag, and put off any work-related activity until the next morning. However, packing your lunch ahead of time can take as little as ten minutes or less and seriously free up your time in the morning. Put together a salad or sandwich, fruits, crackers and cheese, yogurt, or even dinner leftovers into Tupperware containers, and organize all your food into a lunch box or bag. Keep the lunch box in your fridge overnight to make sure your food stays fresh.

Make your closet work for you.  

If you’re the type of person who lays out your clothes and shoes the night before work, that’s great and we’re jealous of your organizing skills. If not, we don’t blame you. To make your mornings more efficient, try organizing your closet. Section off an area specifically for work clothes and shoes that are appropriate for the season. This way, you can spend less time frantically sifting through your casual clothes and piles of flip flops when trying to choose your outfit of the day.

Set the tone.

Nothing will help you kick your routine into high gear like upbeat music that would make even the sleepiest people want to jump out of bed in the morning. Do yourself a favor and make a morning playlist that you can listen to, with-or-without headphones, during your morning routine. Music can totally change your mood and can help you get ready to take on the day. The right playlist will have you feeling like you can take on the world when you’re just brushing your teeth.

If you feel like you’re trudging through your mornings, try implementing these strategies to simplify the start of your day.