How to start your day well.
If you want to shake off that morning lethargy and get the most out of your day, try these tips for a good morning routine. - Just little changes could make all the difference.
It may be obvious but The most important thing is to get enough sleep. (I’ll be talking about how to get better sleep next week)
Try not to alter your bedtime by more than 1 hour even at the weekends, it’s much more disrupting to our sleep patterns than anything else.
We are more dependant on our circadian rhythm than most people realise. This is how our bodies react to day and night, light and dark.
We are designed to sleep when it’s dark and wake when it’s light. Sleep hormones are triggered by darkness and light wakes us up. This is why prolonged night shift work is bad for our health.
This is also why screens are so bad for our sleep, they disrupt the circadian rhythm by fooling our brains into thinking it’s day time and we should be awake. TURN THEM OFF at least 40 mins before you go to bed.
In the morning, open your curtains, turn on the lights and get your room as bright as possible, even if you go back to bed for a bit, the process of waking up has started.
Waking up brings out the grumpus in most of us. There are 2 main reasons for this - dehydration and low blood sugar.
The 2nd thing you should do (while basking in all that light) is drink a glass of water (some people swear by lemon water - it’s totally up to you). You’ll be amazed by how much difference this makes.
The next few tips can go in whatever order suits you best
Breakfast, I know that food is the last thing you want when you’ve just got up but it really does make a difference, levelling your blood sugar and boosting concentration. You can eat it later but do have a healthy breakfast
Exercise gets the blood pumping, gets the brain in gear and gets the endorphins flowing. Also, studies have shown that early morning exercising (Particularly before eating) burns more fat and boosts the metabolism all day.
It doesn’t have to be a 5km run either. 10 mins just hard enough to make you sweat and a good stretch will do wonders for your day.
Shower with energising essential oils like Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Peppermint or any Citrus (my favourite is Pomelo or Grapefruit)
Give yourself time!! A rushed morning makes you anxious and your whole day stressed. Wake a little earlier, open the curtains and think about what you need to do for the day. A bit of planning makes the day less stressful as it gives you a bit of control.