If you’re like most people, your weekday mornings are a whirlwind of blaring alarms, screeching kids, and rushing around. Fortunately, you can learn everything you need to know about making mornings less stressful with a search online.
If you want to take the stress out of your mornings and start your days relaxed, energized, and focused, try incorporating some of these tips into your routine. As it turns out, it isn’t difficult to take the stress out of your mornings.
First, See the Light
Your body naturally responds to light by making you feel more alert. If you can sleep with your curtains open, the morning light will help you wake up gently – maybe even before your alarm goes off!
Of course, it works the other way as well. If the light outside is too bright, you might have trouble sleeping at night. If that’s the case, close the curtains at night, but be sure to throw them open first thing when you wake up to soak up that morning light.
If it’s still dark out when you normally wake up, you might consider investing in a wake-up light for easier morning rising.
When You Wake Up, Drink a Glass of Water
We don’t need to go over water’s innumerable health benefits here. The important thing is, in addition to all the other good stuff water does for your body, some people find leaving a glass of water on their nightstand and downing it the moment they wake up helps them feel alert faster.
Get Out of Bed and Stretch It Out
A good, controlled stretch will help relax your muscles, get your blood flowing, and wake you up. It can also help protect against the bad posture just about every desk jockey suffers from. You can stretch the moment you roll out of bed, in the shower (carefully!), or after you get dressed.
Before You Shower, Do a Little Light Exercise
You don’t have to wake up at 4 AM and hit the gym to get the benefits of morning exercise. Even a quick 5-minute session can help get your heart pumping, clear away any residual grogginess, and help kickstart your day. Try doing 20 pushups or 100 jumping jacks just before you hop in the shower and see how you feel.
After You’re Dressed, Eat a Good Breakfast
While the definition of a “good breakfast” will vary depending on your goals, the thing that won’t vary is the fact that you need to eat something. There’s a good reason they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
A hearty breakfast will give you the mental and physical energy you need to tackle your day and keep you feeling full for longer so you’re less likely to reach for sugary snacks.
While You Have Your Coffee, Write Your Daily Action Plan
Some people call it a to-do list. We like to call it a Daily Action Plan, because it’s easy to acronym and makes us feel super productive. While you’re having your morning coffee or tea, jot down a rough outline of your day, including all the tasks you need to complete. No more stressing and feeling like you’ve forgotten something. Just smooth sailing for the rest of the day!