Mornings are often people’s least favourite time of the day, especially when you’ve got a busy schedule. But, regardless of how you feel about them, you still need to navigate them to get everything done in your regular day. Is it possible to make mornings easier and more enjoyable? Of course it is! With that question in mind, let’s take a look at how you can make your mornings easier and dare we say it, a time of the day you look forward to.
Prepare the night before
If the reason that mornings are so difficult for you is because you’re more of a night owl, then you should take advantage of that. While you’re still awake and buzzing from the day, use that time to do productive things that will help you when it comes to getting up the following morning.
You should start by preparing your lunch and breakfast for the following day. Not only will it ensure that you have a good meal when you need it, but it will help you avoid grabbing unhealthy food from the garage on your way into work.
You could also use this time to lay out your clothes, skincare and any other routines that you do in the mornings. This will save you from umming and arring about what to wear when it comes to getting dressed the next day. And, if it’s already laid out, you’re saving even more time dashing to and fro trying to find everything.
If jumping in the shower really isn’t something you can see yourself doing in the morning, now is a good time to have one. Not only will you go to bed feeling clean and cosy, but it can also help you fall into a natural and restful sleep. This is particularly useful if falling and staying asleep is something you struggle with.
Start your day with a revitalising cup of coffee
Coffee is the nucleus for most people in the morning, and if you find it useful to help you get ready for the day, then there’s no reason you should cut that out of your morning routine. In fact, studies have shown that coffee (and caffeine) doesn’t just give you an energy boost in the mornings; it actually helps you throughout the day. This means that a single cup of freshly roasted coffee could set you up for the entire day.
Of course, your best option is to go with a good quality coffee bean because cheaper versions could end up leaving you jittery or shaky rather than revitalised. There are lots of different types available, so experiment with a few flavours to find one that really helps set you up for the day.
Go for a walk
We don’t need to tell you how important exercise is, but for most people, there simply isn’t enough time in the day to fit in some sort of movement. Why not kill two birds with one stone and go for a walk in the morning when you’ve got a bit of time? Not only will it help keep your fitness levels up, but a brisk walk can also help wake your mind and get your body moving so that you’re ready for the day.
It’s understandable that you don’t have endless amounts of time in the morning to exercise, but you could take a brisk walk to your local coffee shop and back home and before you know it, you’ll be ready and raring to take on the day.
Have a cool shower
We mentioned showers earlier, and for some people having a shower simply isn’t an option. But, if you think you could make time for a cool shower in the morning, it can do wonders for your mood, skin, and how your morning goes in general. A cool shower will help tighten your pores as well as wake you up from your cosy slumber, but did you know it can also help improve your circulation?
Not only that, but if you have managed to exercise the day before and are feeling the effects of it, it can help reduce inflammation and prevent any muscle soreness you might be experiencing. Plus, who doesn’t love getting freshly dressed in the morning ready to face the day?
Play some music
Lots of people reach for their phones as soon as they wake up in the morning, and while we can’t tell you what to do, we can verify that it should be something that you avoid at all costs. The harsh blue light from modern phones can be damaging to your eyes, especially when you first wake up. Not only that, while it might be fun scrolling through TikTok and catching up with your Facebook friends, it’s not the most productive use of your time. In fact, this time could be used to get yourself up and moving, and ready to tackle the day ahead.
That’s why we recommend putting on some music when you get out of bed. Music can do wonders for your mood, but sometimes having that background music can also help motivate you to keep going. If you’re not a fan of the radio, set up a Spotify playlist that you know will get you going. And, once you realise it works, why not continue the playlist on your journey to work and throughout the day?! The more motivated you are, the better you’ll perform at work, and the less stressed you’ll feel overall.
Get a good breakfast in you
Sometimes even the idea of breakfast when you first wake up is enough to make your stomach turn, but it really can make a difference to how your mornings play out. If cereal or toast really isn’t your thing, then use that time we talked about earlier to prepare something the night before so you don’t end up skipping out on breakfast.
Not only can skipping breakfast lead to you overeating for the rest of the day, but skipping breakfast can lead to higher cholesterol levels which can increase your chances of heart disease. There are loads of different breakfasts that you can prepare the night before that will set you up for the day and help to keep you fit and healthy.
You’ll also find that once you begin to regularly eat breakfast that you’re less dependent on caffeine to get you going in the mornings. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a good cup of coffee in the morning, depending on it to get you through the day isn’t healthy at all.
Set up a solid sleep schedule
For some, mornings aren’t the issue; it’s falling asleep and staying asleep that’s the problem. Then, come morning you’re too tired to focus on getting ready for the day, and that’s where bad habits like caffeine dependency and breakfast skipping can come into play. So, if you really want to have a go at making your mornings a more pleasurable experience, you need to look at what you’re doing at night and where you might be going wrong.
Put devices away
One of the biggest mistakes people make is having their devices in their hands from the second they wake up to the second they go to bed, and then they wonder why they can’t seem to switch off. While there may be a few factors that are preventing you from sleeping, the blue light from your phone, tablet, or even laptop could be affecting your ability to sleep.
Try putting your phone away an hour or so before bedtime to give your eyes a rest and the chance to become tired. Instead, try meditating or journaling to wind down from your day, and you should soon begin to notice a difference in the quality of your sleep.
Limit caffeine and alcohol intake
If you’ve loaded up on coffee or had a few drinks in the evening, it’s important to restrict them for a fair few hours before bed. Caffeine and alcohol are stimulants, and if you’re drinking them right up until bedtime, you might struggle to go to sleep at all. Stick to water or unsweetened teas to flush out your system and get a good night of sleep.
Don’t eat too close to bedtime
The same goes for eating – if you’re too full when you go to bed, you’re simply not going to sleep. You need to give your body the chance to digest your food and feel comfortable before trying to get any sleep at all. Your schedule may affect what time you eat, but try and eat your evening meal as early as possible to give yourself the best chance at getting a good night of sleep.
Read
Finally, if you’re struggling to find things to do once you’ve turned all of your screens off, then why not consider reading? Not only can it help take you away from the stresses of your day, but it can help make your eyes tired enough to fall into a cosy slumber.