If you are not a morning person, you probably rolled your eyes at the title of this article. Most of us can agree that sleep is a luxury activity. After long day full of stress and constant activity, nothing sounds more appealing than the opportunity to rest your mind and body, escaping to your dream adventures. Even though spending hours laying in a fetal position doesn't sound exciting, it's amazing. Then, your alarm brings you back to harsh reality. It doesn't matter if it's a song, beeping, or the rooster clucking, it's just unpleasant no matter what. Despite it all, why let that stop you from starting the day off right? Rub the sleep out of your eyes and embrace the a.m. feeling rejuvenated. Here are eight routines to challenge yourself to try:
1. Don't Press The Button
The saying, "you snooze, you lose," actually has some serious wisdom behind it. Those few extra minutes may feel blissful at the time and longer than they are, but they will actually leave you feeling more groggy. Instead, try moving your alarm out of your reach and don't try to run back to bed before you 'lose the tired.'
2. Work On Your Fitness
The thought of waking up to exercise may sound dreadful, but your body will thank you. Ditching that extra hour of sleep to work out will leave you feeling alert and energized. Plus, if you were planning to work out anyway, you'll have more time later in the day. The key is to choose something that you'll look forward to. If you hate running, opt. for lifting, yoga, or even just a walk around the block.
3. Drink Water
Think about it; you haven't drank anything in 5-8 hours, depending on who you are. You're dehydrated! Before you grab that cup of coffee, drink a bottle of H2O to fire your metabolism and flush out toxins. This will even give your brain fuel!
4. Fuel Up
Since you were a kid you've been hearing that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it's not very hard to see the truth in this. An apple can give your more energy than a cup of coffee, but even the scent of coffee will leave you feeling more awake.
5. Motivate Yourself
If you had plans to wake up early, but you just can't shake off the sleep, don't give up. You may find yourself back in bed after hitting your alarm some days, but keep telling yourself that you can do it. Don't tell yourself that you're too tired or look for excuses.
Think about it the night before and really envision yourself waking up to set out your goal. Even write yourself a note to leave near, or on your alarm. That'll make it a lot harder to turn back since you were the one who said it.
6. Get Moving
Make sure the first thing you do is something that you have to do as a morning task. This could be brushing your teeth or changing your clothes. The more you think about how tired you are, the closer you are to hitting snooze. Don't give yourself a chance to ponder that.
7. Sleep Tight
All of this would backfire at some point if you don't get
proper rest. You'll crash after a burst of energy, which is a rotten
way to totter though the day. Be sure that you're getting the amount
of rest that is optimal for your body and follow a routine that will
prepare you to fall asleep.
8. Don't Forget To Smile
Yes, I am telling you to trick yourself into feeling excited about the day. The visual of sitting up in bed with a grin is alarming and something cliché you'd see in matress catalog, but in all seriousness, the psychological effects are amazing. No matter when you do this, you'll find yourself actually feeling happier. Why not start your day off feeling like that?
