As grateful as you are to wake up each morning, you can’t help but feel overwhelmed the moment you open your eyes. You toss and turn, hit the snooze button a few times, and gaze at the ceiling as you think about your hectic schedule and extensive to-do list. You know that once you get out of the bed it’s a mad dash to get dressed, shove something down your throat, and get out the door as you exhaust all your time and energy into making it through the day.
Repeating this cycle of dread, overwhelm, and exhaustion will eventually result in you breaking down physically and emotionally. Fortunately, something as simple as switching up your morning routine can make a significant difference.
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Complete Tasks at Night
You can save yourself a lot of time and energy in the morning by completing certain tasks at night. You can sort through your wardrobe and lay out an outfit, pack your suitcase for work, sign paperwork and pack bookbags for the kids, and prepare your lunches before bed. Now, when you get up, you have fewer things on your to-do list to stress about.
Wake Up Naturally
If the alarm clock causes you to get up feeling cranky, perhaps you should go with the flow. While you can’t sleep until noon, waking up naturally is often a lot better. By getting to bed at a reasonable hour, you’ll find that your body will start to wake up with the rising of the sun.
Speak Positively
Instead of waking up and thinking about all the things you have to do or the stresses from the day before, try a little positivity. When you hear the negative self-talk, immediately think of something positive to say. Giving thanks for seeing a new day, speaking confidently about yourself, and affirming your ability to cease the day puts you in a better mood.
Work Out
Exercising might sound like the last thing you’d want to do to improve your mornings, but it’s a very effective solution. Working out for at least 30 minutes in the morning helps to boost your mood, increase your energy, improve your metabolism, and strengthen your muscles and bones. Essentially, it gives you everything you need to get through the day.
You don’t have to hit the gym first thing in the morning. You can get up and go for a walk around the neighborhood, ride your bike, or do some yoga in your backyard.
Sit Down for Breakfast
Running out the door with nothing more than a piece of toast and a lukewarm cup of coffee is not ideal for breakfast. As the most important meal of the day, it is vital that you eat a nutritious meal. Sitting down for breakfast also gives you a bit of downtime before you start your daily grind.
You could treat yourself by learning how to make Turkish coffee and enjoying a hot meal like scrambled eggs, avacado toast, and a few pieces of bacon. Other days, you may prefer a nutritious smoothie, a bowl of oatmeal, a quick omlette, or a plethora of other healthy breakfast ideas.
Make Time for Family
Before you head out the door to get everyone to school and work, take a few minutes to connect. Your family is likely your inspiration for doing all that you do, so why not spend time enjoying their company? You can make a point to eat breakfast together a few days a week, sit and talk with your significant other for 15 minutes before waking the kids, or have an uplifting conversation with the kids on the way to school. These few minutes with loved ones can be just what you need to get through the day.
Whether you know it or not, your mornings set the tone for the rest of the day. When you wake up stressed, in a rush, and worn down, it tends to create a cycle of chaos. Turn things around and wake up feeling refreshed by developing a morning routine that supports your health and wellbeing.