Tips
10 tips to wake up early
How do you usually start your day? Are you someone who struggles to wake up early, wakes up in a bad mood, or takes a while to wake up? Our friends at ActitudFEM share some tips for starting the day off on the right foot.
According to Good Morning: 365 Positive Ways to Start Your Day by author Brook Noel, “When we wake up with anxiety, it is likely to worsen throughout the day, rather than improve,” says this author, who is an expert in personal development.
10 Changes That Make a Difference
A series of small vital changes can help improve our mood every single day of the year. Together with Brook Noel, we share with you 10 details that can make a difference.
1. Set the alarm for the same time
The efficiency of the biological clock increases with routine, so waking up at the same time will prevent us from oversleeping or, conversely, from spending an hour tossing and turning in bed. A study conducted at the University of Lübeck in Germany revealed that our body takes into account the time we plan to wake up to gradually kickstart vital functions.
2. Rest for five minutes
Don’t jump out of bed. Rushing will set the tone for the rest of your day. Let’s give ourselves a little time before we get going. It’s a way to tell our brain that there’s no hurry. We can mentally review what we will do throughout the day, remember something we’re looking forward to, and, of course, avoid falling back asleep.
3. Get up earlier
A good idea is to get used to setting the alarm a little earlier. Waking up a bit (or a lot) earlier can be useful for enjoying a more relaxed pace from the very first minute of the day.
4. Have a good breakfast
After seven or eight hours of sleep, our body needs to replenish nutrients. A balanced and hearty breakfast will provide us with the necessary energy and will also help us lose weight. As various studies have shown, one key to weight loss is that the first meal of the day should be substantial, which will prevent us from snacking constantly throughout the day.
5. Play a different song each day
For music lovers, starting the morning with a different song (that we like) will help add some color to the day and avoid falling into repetition. Take five minutes to think about what fits your mood, or better yet, what kind of music can tune you into the frequency you’d like to be on throughout the day.
6. Make your bed
It’s something we hate on principle. However, psychologically, it’s important to leave the house with our responsibilities handled and everything in order, as it will free us from the burden of household chores. Washing the dishes, making the bed, and having everything in its place will prevent our brains from being occupied throughout the day with what we have to do, which will accumulate with the rest of our daily obligations.
7. Take a few minutes to catch up
At the end of the day, we like to think about ourselves, our family and friends, or escape with a movie or a book. We forget about the world out there, and that’s good. However, in the morning it’s helpful to watch TV for a few minutes to catch up and face things with more perspective. Also, reviewing the agenda or browsing the Internet can be a good way to get in context before starting the daily routine.
8. Get dressed even if you’re not going out
When we work from home or don’t have to go to the office, we like to lounge around and stay in our pajamas or sweats until it’s too late. Beyond the hygiene reasons (it’s the clothing we slept in or exercised with), changing our clothes is a way of telling our body that the day has begun. Moreover, wearing clothes that we could wear outside – even if it’s just a t-shirt – provides greater security and confidence in ourselves.
9. Think about a mid-morning break
A good way to motivate ourselves to start strong is, paradoxically, to think about taking a break. If we allow ourselves to take 20 minutes in the morning to recharge, it will be easier to get into the rhythm of the day. Additionally, on those days when commitments pile up, we can focus on other non-work-related issues and make that call to a family member that we have been postponing for weeks.
10. Write down what you want to achieve
Every new day is an opportunity that opens before our eyes, and that’s why it’s not a bad idea to set a goal (small, it doesn’t matter) every morning. If, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “a man becomes what he thinks about all day,” the first step to achieving our goals is to focus on what really matters. We all know this; the problem is that we don’t remember it.
Breakfast Recipes
