Mornings. For so many of us, they can be rough whether it's waking up...

Getting ready...

Or having breakfast.

As a morning person, it really bites when I can't start the day off right. While I have my set wake up times and routine that make mornings good, I find that these 5 things make mornings 100 percent better.

1. Exercise

Sure it means getting up earlier, but getting active and sweaty as soon as I get out of bed just makes my morning. If I can get in a good workout, not only will I be energized, but I will get a sense of accomplishment that can't be taken away no matter how the rest of the day goes. Not to mention, if I can't exercise later, I've already gotten active at least once.

There is no perfect time to exercise. You won't burn more calories working out at sunrise than you will at sunset. The best time to exercise depends on what works best for you, and for me, it's in the morning because not only am I getting energized and healthy, but a morning without exercise is mediocre compared to a one without.

2. Making Your Bed

I hate making my bed. I think the only people who seem to like making their bed are parents. For college students, making up the bed is usually the last thing that's on the morning to-do list before class. However, I have found that the mornings I took the time to straighten up my room and make my bed, I felt really happy. No matter how stressed or cluttered my life was, at least, my room didn't reflect that. Not to mention, when I returned at night after a hard, exhausting day, nothing felt more satisfying than unmaking the bed and climbing into pure coziness. Now if you sleep on a bed made of punji sticks.

3. Good Breakfast.

You've practically been beaten over the head with this advice: don't skip breakfast.

A bitter cup of coffee and a plastic muffin shouldn't be your default breakfast. That doesn't sound like breakfast, it sounds like punishment.

It may not be feasible every morning, but dedicate at least one day of the week to a really, really good breakfast.

Preferably healthy, but it's your choice to eat what makes you feel happy and full when you walk out the door.

There have been days where I had a bland bowl of oatmeal for breakfast that I ate standing by the counter with a cup of coffee. Not bad, but not spectacular.

Then there have been mornings where I had a delicious omelette packed with vegetables, mushrooms, and cheese. Or another morning where I heated up sweet potato pancakes I had fixed the night before. The difference between these mornings and oatmeal mornings was huge.

4. Looking Good

The unifying reason that binds all of these tips together is because they can make the start to your day so much more satisfying. Exercising, making your bed, and eating well can all make you feel good. Looking your best is also another way to start the day feeling your best.

It all depends on style. Most days, I just throw on something comfortable and practical for the day and feel fine, but the days I feel my best are when I'm wearing clothes I picked out the night before and took time to make my hair and makeup look special. That's just me. Even if it's just Nike shorts and one of the million T-shirts you own, if you picked it out specifically for the day and feel like a million bucks, then you've made your morning just a little more awesome.

5. "Me Time"

One of the biggest reasons mornings can be mediocre is because 99 percent of the time, they are hectic. There's no time to breathe. This is why I've turned myself into a morning person. I'd rather wake up at 5:45 and have a chill, productive, non-stressful morning than wake up at 7:30 and have to bolt out the door. Everyone needs their "me time", even if it's just lying in bed for a few minutes and letting yourself drift from dreamland to reality as the sunrise comes through the window. Take some time in the morning to not worry or rush. Let this time of the day be peaceful and inspiring.

I'm confident that applying these tips to a few days a week will help make mornings much more pleasant. When you step out the door, you'll be feeling like this: