Tips to Boost Your Morning

Mornings can illustrate our entire day. They unquestionably impact our productivity and moods. There are morning people and night owls, but no matter what time we wake up, how we get up can narrate our whole day.

 

How can we rise to the occasion? Parents and caregivers must be up early whether they're a morning person or not. I'm not here to tell you to not drink your coffee or give up your a.m. treasures. I'm keeping mine! We all do what we feel works best, but there's always room for a couple of upgrades. 

 

You may have heard some celebrities say to wake up early, at the same time every morning. For nightshift employees, it's nonviable. For a mom, like myself, I can only finish everything after my kids' bedtime. So, a 5 a.m. morning routine is out of the question. Then, what can we do?

 

Enhancing our mornings doesn't mean perfecting them. But, we can find ways to counterbalance obstacles. Here are a few ideas.

 

• Make a morning playlist.

Good, energetic vibes from your favorite songs can get your brain turning. You can create your own or listen to premade ones on Spotify, such as Wake Up Happy, Top of the Morning, or Upbeat Morning. 

 

• Decisions.

Your energy is being consumed the minute you open your eyes. One time, I heard Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg talk about Steve Jobs regarding decision fatigue and why he wears the same shirt every day. No one is advising anyone to do that. However, reducing the amount of decision making in one morning can help us enjoy them more.

 

You could choose what you are wearing in advance. Select a day to outfit prep for the week yourself or with the help of an app. If possible, you could subscribe to a clothing box where outfits are chosen, according to your preferences. That'll help you minimize the 35,000 decisions you have to make daily.

 

• Design a schedule.

To piggyback off of the previous suggestion, setting a schedule for yourself is a great way to start smoothly. Mornings are not for freestyling unless it's an all-inclusive resort vacation.

 

Plan what you're doing step-by-step from the time you awake. For example, what's for breakfast at what time? On the night before, add any extra tasks for the next day, i.e. doctor's appointment or mechanic. If you use an alarm, you can get the free app, Alarmy which allows you to set a task in order to turn off the alarm. Anything from taking a selfie to doing quizzes to unlock the alarm so that you don't hit that snooze button. Pretty annoying and genius!

 

• Supplements.

If you take supplements, most nutritionists suggest taking them in the morning. It's not that you can't take them at night, but you may have some ingredients, such as B-12 or even green tea that'll boost your energy.

 

Neil Levin, a clinical nutritionist at NOW Foods told the Washington Post, “Multivitamins tend to do best when taken earlier in the day, as the B vitamins in them might stimulate metabolism and brain function too much for a relaxing evening or before bed.”

 

• Water.

Don't drink water for a couple of hours before bedtime, at least. Otherwise, you'll wake up through the night to use the bathroom unless you have an elephant's bladder.

 

"Nocturia describes needing to wake up at night in order to urinate. It is a symptom of other conditions, not a disease itself. Three main issues provoke nocturia: producing excess urine at night, decreased bladder capacity, and sleep disruptions," states SleepFoundation.org

 

• Find workout buddies.

Your workout buddies will hold you accountable. Choose some people who are adamant about getting fit without the burnout. It could be a walking or hiking group. Interested in yoga?  Maybe you could find a tribe nearby by using a safer app, such as NextDoor (according to the company, where all neighbors are verified).

 

• Have fun.

We'd all like a little more sleep, some days more than others. We can always have fun with anything we do. It can be saying thanks as soon as we stand up. It can be smiling as we do each step on our morning schedules. Our attitudes can be contagious and having fun is, too!  

Unexpected things could happen which can throw off your day. Either way, developing a solid routine can boost anyone's morning. If something isn't working into your mornings, try another tactic. Find what works for you. Rise and shine!