Mornings! Some mornings we can wake up no problem and leap out of bed looking forward to the day ahead like at the weekend or on holiday. Then there are those mornings when we snooze our alarms for 30 minutes before dragging our carcass out of bed to go to that scary place called ‘work’. Those mornings, well those ones are not so fun! So to make your mornings more tranquil than terrible here are seven steps to help you have a more positive start to your day.
Ok so you need to start these steps the night before but if you aren’t getting to sleep until around 1am and your alarm goes off at 6am then you are undoubtedly going to wake up grumpy. Start going to bed half an hour earlier each night to get you into a better sleep routine, hopefully you won’t dread your alarm going off once your body is getting enough sleep.
Although now that I’m back working in a veterinary practice I know what I’m wearing every day (that would be my very attractive uniform) but when I worked in an office I would look out what I was going to wear the next day the previous night. Check what the weather is going to be like the next day as you don’t want to wear sandals for there then to be 5 inches of rainfall while you are at work. I found that it saved about 10-15 minutes searching for something to wear that day as you had already decided and looked out the outfit, shoes and accessories. Valuable minutes that could be spent sleeping!
If you hate the thought of rushing around every morning or you need that 30 minutes of snooze time to slowly wake up then set your alarm clock a bit earlier. I hate rushing around so I set my alarm for 5.45am, this means I can get ready, feed the cats, have breakfast and make lunch before heading out the door at 7.30am. Start gradually with 10 minutes earlier until you reach a stage where you aren’t too tired but able to walk out the door rather than fly out of it.
Now that it’s getting lighter it is so much easier to get up in the mornings since the sun is starting to come up just before your alarm goes off but in winter when it’s dark until what feels like mid morning then it’s a different story. If you are someone who struggles to get out of bed when it’s still dark it might be worth investing in a clock that gradually gets lighter in your last 30 minutes of sleep to slowly wake your body up.
If you have a shower in the morning using a citrus or minty scented shower gel helps to wake you up in the morning; once dried get dressed, apply your make up, do your hair and clean your teeth.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day so start your morning right with a good one. Things like overnight oats can be made the night before (stating the obvious here!) to save some time in the morning or you could have some egg muffins if you want a protein packed breakfast on the go.
Once you are all ready, fed and raring to go for the day ahead try and leave your house on time or even 5 minutes earlier if you can. Rushing out the door and then missing your bus or getting stuck in traffic will undo the calm feeling you had when you first woke up.
What are your tips for a stress free morning?
These are all the things I tell myself I have to do the night before… and then suddenly it’s 12.30am, I have no idea where the time went and then in the morning I’m in such a rush I hardly have time to brush my teeth. I’ll keep trying though!
Katja xxx
http://www.katnapped.com
Haha some evenings when I get home late I often wonder where the time has gone, Im sure someone sneakily puts the clocks forward!! Good luck in trying 😀 xx
My tips for a stress free morning is to wake up that little earlier, get in the shower straight away and go for a little morning walk to get some fresh air, before sitting down for breakfast. Also by telling your family you love them and giving them big hugs (relives stress and tension immediately!) Xx
I start at 8am so getting up even earlier to have a small walk might be pushing it but I am all about giving hugs and telling them I love them 🙂 xx
Great tips indeed.
My answer would be – meditation.
I always meditate in the morning, before I get out of my bed and that kind of day is always the best one.
No stress at all. 🙂
Thanks for your tip 🙂 I have never meditated before but have thought about it, might start introducing this in to my morning routine
Waking up early for me is key – I get so stressed if I don’t make time to sit for ten minutes with a book and a cuppa!
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I bet those 10 minutes make a huge difference to your stress levels! Its definitely worth getting up early to relax for a short time with a book and a cuppa 🙂
Excellent tips! I usually pack my bag ready and put my devices charging over night. Good breakfast is also a must. I have flexible work hours which also makes it easier to not to stress that much at the mornings. 🙂
Thank you! 🙂 Ah id love to work flexible hours, I do work shifts so some mornings I can just get up at a slower pace as I don’t start until the afternoon.
I always plan to go to bed early but somehow I end up being awake at one am and it bugs me 😀
I need to get a grip haha 😀
Haha I hear you! The funny thing is that I wrote this last week & this week I have been going to bed really late and been sleepy when Ive woke up. Although because ive looked out my clothes etc it hasn’t meant that Ive been rushing around so much. 😀
When I go back to work I am definitely going to need more of a routine than my old one (roll out of bed five minutes before having to leave) – getting up a little earlier is definitely a good one.
Haha rolling out of bed 5 mins before leaving, as much as I would love to do that my stress levels would be through the roof if I was rushing around before heading out the door 😀 xx
Well, i think i follow the most of your suggestion. Always preparing my to do list the night before and the clothes for the next day, if i have to go outside (i work from home) And i never skip breakfast! Greta tips !
I don’t write my to-do list the previous night, so thanks for that tip as I think I will start doing that one 🙂
Apt for every morning…You wrote this post for meeeeeeeee……thanks for the reminder
No problem, glad you found it useful 🙂 Hopefully your mornings are stress free before too long
I love using a minty body wash in the shower in the morning – it’s so refreshing and definitely helps you wake up! I am also obsessed with overnight oats…my go-to work day breakfast! The egg muffins are nice too 🙂 x
I have been failing to follow this routine since GOD KNOWS WHEN!! I hope I will succeed in doing this one day!!
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