Have you ever felt like your mornings are just awful? Perhaps you wake up and you can barely open your eyes, or maybe your entire body aches and you don’t want to move a muscle. Or maybe you feel really upset, frustrated, or just down in the mornings. Maybe the thought of going to work really holds you back, and so you spend more time than you should lying in bed looking at your phone.
Whatever the case is, we’ve got a couple of tips to help you overcome those groggy mornings so you can start your day off well.
Start the day with some tunes
Something that really helps people start their day is turning on the radio or a morning playlist to get them going in the morning. A bit of music can be uplifting and create lots of positive vibes, and it’ll get you into an active mindset as well. Some people like to use the radio as it adds a bit of conversation and also catches you up on any news or traffic information. However, if that doesn’t interest you, then some good tunes will help boost the start of your day.
Hydrate yourself as soon as you wake up
Sleeping tends to dehydrate our bodies because we’re not consuming any fluids for up to seven or more hours. As such, it’s generally a good idea to drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up to kickstart your body and to rehydrate. Dehydration often makes us feel groggy, slow, and even annoyed at times. Perhaps you get that scratchy feeling in your throat or maybe a little pain in your head. Either way, a bit of hydration in the mornings should help you get on your feet faster. If you feel that sleeping dries out your body more than you’d like, then you should also consider hydrating yourself before you sleep as well.
Create a bedtime and morning routine
One of the best ways to get your body used to sleeping and waking up is to practice some kind of routine. This can include a relaxing soak in the bath before you sleep, reading or doing a crossword puzzle, putting down the electronics, or even putting on some soothing scents before you go to bed. When you wake up, you can try a small routine like some stretching, making your bed, or even starting with morning prayers if you’re religious. There are lots of small things we can do to get our body and brain ready for both bedtime and morning time, and they can make a surprising difference in our routines if we stick to them.
Open the curtains for some natural light
A bit of sunlight can help our body get used to the morning. It’s a reminder that it’s the morning which helps to orient our internal clock, and the sunlight can even help improve our mood. If you have fancy automatic blinds, then you can set them to open up when it’s morning. However, if you don’t have this, then you’ll just need to get up and open the blinds to let some light in. Alternatively, you could even go to bed with the blinds open so that the sunlight slowly creeps in throughout the morning.
Start the day with a healthy breakfast
A healthy diet is the key to beating groggy mornings. Nutrition fuels us, and getting enough of it in the morning will really help you focus and stay awake throughout the day, but it’s important to pick the right foods so that you’re getting a balanced meal. This tip doesn’t work for everyone though, as some people prefer to start with either a very light breakfast or none at all because they prefer brunch or a slightly bigger lunch. If that sounds like you, then it can still help to eat something small at the beginning of the day to kickstart your metabolism. Even if it’s just a piece of fruit or slice of toast, having something in the morning can help you get some nutrients into your system to fire up your body.
Give yourself more time in the mornings
If you feel like you’re always rushing in the mornings then give yourself a bit more time. Sleep a bit earlier, even if it’s just 30 minutes, and you’ll feel a world of difference when you get up in the morning. You’ll have more time to do things like brush your teeth, and you’ll even have some leeway to rest in bed if you had a rough night or if you want to catch up on social media.
