7 ways to make mornings less gruelling | An easier morning routine
Now I don’t know about you, but I am not a morning person! I have been making some gradual changes to my morning routine though so I thought I’d share some of the things that have made my early starts easier to bear…
Do as much preparation as you can the night before
The more you have to do in the morning, the more stressful it becomes. Are there any tasks that you can do the evening before? I get all of our clothes and uniform out the night before and make the lunches. Time-consuming tasks like ironing are definitely best done the evening before.
Match your alarm to your sleep cycle
If you usually use an alarm clock to wake yourself up, consider switching to an alarm clock that monitors your sleep cycle. Such alarms wake you up when you are in your lightest sleep so that you’re not having to be interrupted from a deep sleep. This makes it easier to get out of bed without wanting to hit snooze and you’ll wake feel less groggy.
Put your heating on a timer
Struggle to get up when it’s cold? Setting your heating to go on at a certain time each morning could allow you to wake up to a warm home. You won’t feel the need to stay under the covers for as long and going about your morning will be easier!
Let in the light
Sunlight helps us feel more awake. Going about your morning routine with the curtains still drawn is certain to make you feel more tired. Throw back those curtains as soon as you’re out of bed (you could even consider splashing out on remote control blinds that you can operate from your bed!).
Upgrade your coffee
A decent cup of coffee will help you to feel more awake. Give up the basic instant stuff and try upgrading to something a little more flavoursome such as Two Chimps Coffee.
Eat a high protein breakfast
A high protein breakfast will kick start you for the day. If you usually only have a slice of toast (or worse no breakfast at all), you could be making it harder for yourself to take on the day ahead. This guide at FitBit offers a few examples of high protein breakfasts.
Designate time to relax
Don’t let your entire morning routine be a mad rush. Designating a minimum of twenty minutes each morning to relax can help you approach the day feeling less stressed. You’ll also find it easier to get out of bed that morning because it could give you something to look forward to before work. This relaxation time could be spent watching TV, reading a book or even taking a bath. Fitting this time in could mean getting up a little earlier, but your whole day could be more cheerful and productive as a result. You just have to make sure the kids get the memo!
*This is a collaborative post.
