Get it right with a good morning smoke and you’re set for one hell of a day. Get it wrong and the rest of your day could be a disaster.

To some, it only qualifies as a ‘wake and bake’ if you literally reach for your weed stash the moment you wake up. If you do anything else whatsoever before hitting the bong, it’s not officially a wake and bake.

This is, however, debatable. If not for the sole reason that what you do before, during and after your morning smoke could have an impact on the rest of the day.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to find your perfect morning routine and stick to it. Nevertheless, as an alternative to getting busy the moment you open your eyes, we suggest considering the following rules for a better wake and bake:

1. Never shower before your wake n bake

First up, let’s assume that following your morning smoke, you intend to head out into the real world and do something productive. Particularly if a day at the office is on the cards, it simply makes sense to have your morning shower after your morning smoke. This way, you’ll be less likely to leave the house stinking of smoke. You might also find that it makes your shower all the more enjoyable.

2. Don’t scrimp on breakfast

Try not to fall into the habit of focusing so much on your morning smoke that you forget to have a good breakfast. A good wake and bake can set you up for the day ahead, but not nearly on the same level as some decent grub. Combine the two together and you’re onto a winner. Even if it means preparing something the night before you can simply grab in a hurry, it’s more than worth doing.

3. Get serious with oral hygiene

Back with odour-busting, the last thing you want is to launch yourself into the outside world with breath that could cut through a bank vault. Morning breath isn’t particularly pleasant at the best of times, but can be sent to another level by smoking anything at all. Hence, you’ll want to brush your teeth and use mouthwash after your morning smoke – and make sure you do a good job of it, too!

4. Stop losing track of time

If your morning smoke is making you constantly late for whatever it is you should be doing, you’re doing something wrong. There’s really no excuse – all you need to do is get into a routine whereby everything is timed and has its place. If the weed you’re smoking leaves you feeling lethargic, step up to something a little more energising and motivating. Cannabis really is no excuse for lateness and laziness – it’s all on you.

5. Take care with your clothes

Don’t run the risk of burning nasty holes or generally stinking-out your best clothes and accessories. Try to delay donning your power suit until you’re done with your wake and bake. It’s worth remembering that even if you’re convinced your clothes smell as fresh as the morning dew, there’s a good chance they’ll stink to high heaven for everyone else.

6. Take your time

Sometimes, a frantic and rushed morning smoke can be worse than no smoke at all. Particularly if you’re feeling anxious or nervous at the time, the wrong strain could send you on a downward spiral for the rest of the morning. If your wake and bake is important to you, it simply makes sense to allocate sufficient time and enjoy it. Even if it means getting yourself out of bed a little earlier, it’s not the most difficult habit to get into.

7. Consider switching to a vaporiser

There are multiple benefits to hitting a vaping device in the morning, as opposed to more traditional smoking methods. For one thing, you’ll need far less cannabis to experience the same high. In addition, you’ll do your breath and your general freshness a favour by avoiding smoke entirely. And if all this wasn’t enough, a vape pen candy prepped the night before means the only thing you need to do is reach for it, hit the button and away you go.

8. Remember to hydrate well

We’re naturally a little dehydrated when we wake up in the morning, with experts suggesting we drink a good glass or two of water immediately. Given the capacity for cannabis in general to enhance dehydration, it’s important to focus even more attention on hydration. Ensure you drink plenty of water throughout the morning, which will do your health, your wellbeing and your breath a world of good.

9. Keep some quality eyedrops to hand

Nobody genuinely believes your bright red eyes are the result of allergies. There’s not a great deal that can be done to cure a monster case of red eye, but you can certainly help things along with a good bottle of eyedrops. Keep your eyes as fresh as possible throughout the morning and you’re far less likely to look like some sort of demon.

10. Don’t let common courtesy slip you by

Last but not least, it’s worth remembering that some of your neighbours may not be as enamoured with the smell of cannabis as you are. Particularly first thing in a morning, they might not take kindly to a pungent pong making its way into their home. Being considerate is all part of the responsible stoner lifestyle, so it’s up to you to make it happen. If you live next to non-smokers – particularly those who may have kids about the place – you need to think very carefully about when, where and how you approach your wake and bake. Vaping is a more discreet alternative to smoking, but still needs to be approached with due care and attention.