Increase Your Energy In The Morning
Fun fact, you don’t have to be a “morning person” to have productive, energized, and inspired mornings.
The morning, like any other time, is what we make it. I remember always having a love hate relationship with mornings, and on days where my morning had to start particularly early I would get anxiety and struggle to fall asleep.
Then, I decided to make a shift in my habits and behaviors to make my mornings more productive and feel better…which in turn shape the rest of the day. Or if the rest of the day is crummy, at least you started it off on the right foot.
Here are a few things I do to ensure a happier morning, that reshaped how I enjoy my mornings.
1) SLEEP.
Sleep is the number one indicator if my morning is going to be lovely or rough. So I do everything I can to get a good nights sleep. I make my bedroom a sanctuary. Dim the lights. Enjoy some bedtime tea. Sometimes I will take a warm shower. And if I am feeling restless, I will take a melatonin or magnesium to help me relax and get deeper rest. If you don’t sleep well, you aren’t going to feel great in the morning. Additionally, make sure you are getting a full 8-9 hours of sleep at night, don’t sacrifice sleep just to wake up at a certain time if you can help it. Rest is too important, so allowing yourself to get much needed hours is important.
2) Define when you will sleep, and wake.
Set a bed time, and set a wake time that allow for a full 8 hours. And begin your night time routine about :30 minutes before your bedtime to allow yourself to get into your restful state.
3) Remember why you want to get up early.
It’s easy if we have a work obligation or a fitness class first things to force ourselves out of bed. But what if we just need more time before the day starts? Or quiet time before the rest of the house wakes up? Or if you want to do something self motivated like watch the sunrise, go for a walk, or simply just wake up earlier? It can sometimes get overshadowed by the desire to hit snooze. Write down and even name your alarms your motivations for waking up early. Remember you will feel better. Make an “appointment with yourself” just as important as an appointment with your job or a fitness class.
4) Create a morning routine you actually like.
If we are going to practice getting up early, we might as well wake up and give ourselves enough time for a morning routine that makes us feel GOOD. This could be ice rolling your face, doing a face mask, taking a long hot shower, making coffee (or even better, setting a timer and having coffee made when you wake up!), journaling with no rush, making a healthy balanced breakfast, time to meditate, go for a walk. You name it. The morning is a great time for a fun routine that makes you happy and inspired to get up in the morning.
5) Do a morning Fitness class.
I personally LOVE the mornings where I go to a 7am or 6am Pilates class. Pilates is a GREAT way to start the day. It’s intense but supportive, and gets your mind as well as your body clicked on. Group classes or Pilates private sessions are slow enough where your body won’t feel overwhelmed that early, but intense enough to break a sweat and get everything working. My favorite way to start the day!!
Xx
Malissa
