7 Tips to Have a Happy Healthy Morning (for non-morning people)
If the sound or your alarm makes you cringe, you wake up thinking “noooooo, just five more minutes,” or you simply aren’t someone who loves jumping out of bed in the morning, I’m with you. I’m not, nor have I ever been, a morning person. These days I frequently rise before dawn, but in order to do so without hating life, I came up with a few little tips for starting the day off right.
1. Prepare the Night Before
Do what you can to make the morning easier and less stressful for yourself. Set out the clothes you plan to wear, as well as the shoes and accessories to compliment your outfit. Spare yourself the trouble of searching around for matching socks, trying to decided if a shirt looks too wrinkly, or fishing for underwear out of a heap of clean clothes still in the dryer etc. Have the food you’re taking to work prepped and packed too. I also like to make sure my Keurig loaded and ready, so all I have to do is zombie-walk my way to the kitchen and push the button. Pre-programing your coffee maker is a great option too. That way you can wake up, and smell the comforting aroma before your feet even hit the floor. Also, take a few minutes to look over your calendar to see what you have going on the next day. If you have any items you need to bring with you, lay them out by your purse so they’re ready to go. The less tasks you have to do when you’re still rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, the better.
2. Don’t Abuse the Snooze
“Just five more minutes,” the ever popular mantra of the not-so-morning person. This always seems tempting when you’re laying oh so cozy in your bed. However, this five minutes can easily turn to ten, or fifteen, until you’re having a mental negotiation as to whether you really need to shower, or just touch up your hair with dry shampoo. Then, all of a sudden these precious minutes have past, and you’re left waking up to do the get-ready sprint. Not to mention these extra few minutes never really make you feel more rested anyway, do they? They are, to me, annoyingly un-gratifying. It is so much better to just roll yourself outta bed, and have those extra minutes to ease into the morning.
3. Have a Morning Ritual
Take time in the morning to do something that brings you a little bit of peace and happiness. Whether that’s taking some gentle yoga poses, sitting for a few minutes in meditation, working out, or simply enjoying your favorite coffee over a book. The main point is, before you head to work, take the kids to school, or tackle your to do list, you take some time for yourself.
4. Inspire Yourself
Get yourself out of the morning funk and into a positive mindset by reading, or listening to, something inspiring. One of my favorite ways to start the day is by listening to a motivational audio book. This immediately helps me shake off any of the grumpy, I-hate-mornings vibes. This is also how I’ve come to actually look forward to my morning commute vs being one of the miserable souls I see on the road next to me, a look of quiet desperation on their face.
5. Eat a Little Something
Oftentimes, I feel like the only thing I want to consume in the morning is a massive, tachycardia-inducing cup of coffee. If you’re like me, and not so inclined to whip up a perfectly balanced, gourmet breakfast first thing in the morning, go for something simple. Smash up an avocado and smear it on whole-wheat toast, have a banana with a little nut butter, or mix fresh berries in with some yogurt. I have found that eating just a little something in the morning helps give me a nice energy boost, and wards off any potential hangry-ness that can come from too much caffeine and lack of food. Drink a glass of water too. Even if you have to chug it down, have at least one glass, to re-hydrate your bod, help your digestion, and get your day off to a healthy start. Adding lemon to your water has additional health and digestive benefits, and make it more palatable for those who have trouble drinking enough water.
6. Look Your Best
Take the time to look your best and have a polished personal appearance. This not only affects how people perceive you, but will also affect your perception of self, and thus your self confidence. If you took the time set out your clothes the night before this step is even easier. Clothes should be wrinkle free, and not overly worn, or faded. If you hate ironing (which I do) consider picking up a steamer. There’s a reason you always see fashion stylists with these. They’re game changing, and they can be used on most dedicates. Whatever your personal style may be, do what you can to look your best, and you’ll already feel ahead of the game. Woody Allen once said, “Eighty percent of life is showing up.” I would add that if you show up prepared, and looking your best, you’re pretty much crushing it already.
7. Eat That Frog
Now that you’re looking and feeling your best, it’s time to “eat that frog.” This means tackling your biggest challenge of the day first. By doing so you gain momentum and confidence, which can make your other tasks seem that much easier by comparison. I am a big fan of this concept. It has helped me become a lot more productive, and hardworking, since applying it over the years. More on this here.
How do you start your morning? Comment below. I would love to hear from you!
