Let’s be honest getting up early isn’t REALLY that popular. There has been quite some hype around early mornings online, you see all these people that LOVE to wake up around 5 AM because it’s peaceful and they get a lot of work done etc etc… And you know what good for them! But in truth getting up early can be very problematic and challenging for the most of us and sometimes takes a loong time getting used to.
So here are a few realistic tips that can make getting up early more bearable and efficient for you.
1.
Get ready the day before.
Easy and simple. Pick your outfit the day before, check the weather forecast to not get surprised by rain or snow if you have to leave the house. Also make sure to actually take the clothes out of the wardrobe the day before to see if they are not dirty or crumpled.
You can also prepare your bag, put all necessities inside, including your wallet and keys to make sure you don’t forget about them in the morning. I recommend to always bring a small make up mirror with you even if you don’t wear much make up. You never know when a colleague or a classmate will offer you some goodies like chocolate that quickly melts in your hands… this way you will be spared the walk to the bathroom to check if your mouth is all right. If you can, throw in some snacks and definitelly a water bottle or a cup you will drink from at work/school.
2.
Get up at the same time
This usually comes natural to most people as their job or classes start at the same time, but some places have flexible working/studying hours and getting up at the same time can get somewhat challenging. I used to take whatever time I had to sleep in if I could on the days I started my work later, thinking extra sleep is always a good idea, but in the end this only leads to your organism being confused and messy.
Without routine your body doesn’t know what to expect and this can also lead to higher levels of anxiety and stress not to mention completely messed up metabolism. As soon as you establish a firm regime you will become more relaxed and organized because you will always know exactly how much time you have on your hands and what you can afford to do with it.
3.
Screentime rules
In general it is preferable not to touch your phone at all first thing in the morning. For many, however, this is almost an impossible task and even if they manage to do it for a couple of days they tend to get back to the habit of reaching for their phone right after waking up. This is also my case because if I don’t immediately focus on something I have no self control and will simply fall back to sleep.
But if you can’t resist you can always be at least mindful of what you are looking at so early in the morning. This is very important because your body will be producing the same hormones it starts producing in the morning for the rest of the day so, basically, your morning literally sets the tone for the entire day.
Even if you grab a phone still lying in bed don’t look at social media or news first but rather search for example for breakfast/lunch ideas, makeup and fashion inspiration, search for interesting facts about the current season or watch a short video on youtube from your favourite content creators that is light-hearted and will make you feel good and leave your bed smiling and excited for the day.
4.
Drink tea instead of coffee
During the night your body naturally dehydrates that’s why you should always drink something early in the morning. Coffee is not the best idea since it might dehydrate you even more and it forcibly wakes you up with caffeine interfering with your body’s natural way of waking you up with hormones. You can always drink a glass of water but for me, personally, water doesn’t really taste good in the morning for some reason.
I prefer to start my day with a cup of tea, the warmth wakes up your digestive system gently and prepares it for breakfast. Green tea can help to boost your metabolism and speed up the process of weight loss. If you have any health issues research what kind of herbs can help your problem and make tea from them to drink every morning to get your body exactly what it needs.
5.
Get some gentle movement
You might not always have time to do this but if you can do at least a quick ten minute yoga sequence to improve blood and lymph circulation in your body. This will help you get rid of the morning snooze that can follow you around for some time after you wake up. Or if you prefer a morning walk go outside and get some sunshine and fresh air, the effect the sun has on our mental health is immense!
These tips are basically my morning routine. I’ve been following them ever since I started uni a few years back and I manged to keep them until this day. My whole lifestyle changed quite a bit after I started working but this routine always stays the same and helps me bring calmness and serenity to my days.
