Your morning sets the tone for your entire day.
Start off on the wrong foot and you’re likely to be less energetic, productive and positive during your waking hours. So what does “waking up on the right side of the bed” really look like?
Here are just a few things we all do first thing in the morning without realizing how they’re impacting our day. Eliminating these habits from your morning routine can go a long way toward a happier, healthier you!
1. Hitting Snooze
Although it feels good to delay the responsibilities of the day for just a few more minutes, hitting snooze is actually the worst way to start your morning. First, it’ll make you feel more tired upon waking because your body attempts to reenter the sleep cycle. Second, while it feels good in the moment, snoozing almost always forces us to rush through the other aspects of our morning routine, causing stress and potentially putting us in danger on the road. Start your day off fully alert and victorious by getting out of bed on the first alarm.
2. Immediately Looking At Your Phone
This is tough because many people use their phone as an alarm clock, but it’s important not to do more than just silence the chime. Immediately looking at social media, checking emails or even just playing music slows us down and stresses us out. “It sets your day off to a negative start,” Susan Bartell, a psychologist who work-life balance expert, told Men’s Health. “And if you’re responding to an email when you’re half awake, you’re more likely to make mistakes.” Don’t worry, there will be plenty of screen time throughout the day. Why not spare your brain and eyeballs as long as possible?
3. Forgetting To Stretch
After a full night’s sleep, nothing feels better than a slow, full-body stretch. Turns out taking a moment to flex all of your muscles actually has significant health benefits as well! Stretching right after waking releases endorphins, compresses the lymphatic vessels to release waste, restores blood flow to the muscles, pumps a big dose of oxygen to the brain and helps us to wake up. You can even start your stretch routine while still lying down!
4. Making Coffee Your First Meal
Most adults start their day with a hot, steaming cup of coffee. I know, I love it too. But making coffee the first thing that goes into your body in the morning—your literal break-fast—isn’t very kind to your digestive system. While it does delivery a jolt of energy, your body interprets that as stress rather than nourishment. And if it’s not soon followed up by healthy food, you may sweat, feel jittery or even experience lightheadedness. Instead of coffee, wake up your gut with a glass of warmed water with fresh lemon juice squeezed into it. This beverage rehydrates you after 8 hours of fasting, lubricating all of your internal systems and getting your stomach ready for the food that’s soon to come. After water and food, it’s fine to reach for some coffee…if you still need it, that is!
5. Carb Loading
When you wake up, you’re probably hungry. This is normal because you haven’t given your body any fuel for 8 hours or more. But what’s the right food to reach for? If your mind immediately goes to traditional breakfast foods like muffins, bagels, pancakes and waffles, you might want to think again. Your body needs resources to kick itself into gear, and calorie-heavy, carbohydrate-dense foods like those actually have the opposite effect. Instead, choose lean proteins, fruits and vegetables that will get your body revved up and ready for the day.
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