Does the sound of your morning routine remind you of nails on a chalkboard? Do morning sunbeams coming in your window cause you to cringe as you open your eyes? If so, you are in the right place.
Not everyone is a morning person. In fact, about 50% of people would not consider themselves a morning person – so you definitely are not alone. However, just because you are not a morning person, it does not mean that you cannot create a morning routine that works for you and helps you start your day on a positive note. Keep reading for some actionable tips to make the earliest hours of the day easier and to help you make the most of your daytime hours.
Take Time to Stretch
After you have been asleep for an extended amount of time, when you are mostly sedentary, you need to start the day by moving your muscles slowly. This is going to give everything time to “wake up” and get going.
Have you ever seen a toddler stretch in the morning? There is a reason for this. If it works for them, it can work for you, too.
Start Your Day with Protein
While cereal maybe your typical, go-to breakfast, it is not the best option for the early morning hours. Remember, food is your body’s fuel. It makes sense that having protein early in the day may be a better choice. You can have a meal that is rich in protein, such as eggs, or if you prefer something that will go down easier, consider the Proplant Complete shake vanilla.
These are foods that will encourage your body to work harder to digest them. This means that sleep is much less likely and that you will have more energy to power through your day.
Prepare for Morning the Night Before
Take a few minutes before you go to bed at night to get ready for the next day. This will help you save a lot of time the next morning. Before you head to bed, choose what you will wear to work the next day and make a short to-do list with all the top priorities for the coming day.
Along with saving you time in the morning, it will also help to make these early hours less stressful. If you aren’t a morning person, this is a win-win.
Let the Light Inside
It does not matter if you have artificial or natural light coming in; this signifies to your brain that it is time to get up. It also lets your brain know it should stop producing melatonin, which is a sleep producing hormone. Just turning the light switches on or opening the blinds will help your body switch from sleep mode to awake mode.
Exercise
You probably knew that this was coming. Not only will exercising help to make you stronger and healthier, but it also increases your lifespan. Virtually every expert – mental health professionals, health gurus, and medical doctors all agree that regular exercise is an essential part of a healthy and happy life.
If you need another reason to get moving, consider all the highly successful people who exercise every day, such as Jack Dorsey and Richard Branson. You can even fit in a quick workout before heading to breakfast. You will find that you can get much more out of your morning when you start by exercising.
Avoid Using the Snooze Button
While your bed may be comfortable and warm, and that extra five minutes would be nice, avoid the temptation of hitting the snooze button. When your alarm sounds, get up. It is interrupting the REM cycle, and if these intrusions continue every five or 10 minutes for the next half hour, it will impact your body’s natural rhythm. When the alarm goes off, get up.
As you can see, there are several steps you can take to get your morning started off right. Keep this in mind, and your body and brain will thank you.
