Everyone has their day routine. Some pop out of bed ready to get going, while others dread the thought of leaving the warm comfort of the cozy nest. Some practices aren’t the most beneficial to your health, your state of mind, or the productivity of your day.
Here are a few things to avoid.
1. Hitting the snooze button tires you for the rest of the day
It’s tempting to hit snooze and sleep for just five more minutes. But let’s be realistic, five minutes are never enough. And experts warn that it’s a bad habit that should be broken. According to a study by Oxford University Press, UK, if you hit the snooze button, you might enter into a sleep cycle you won’t likely finish. What’s the big deal, you ask? It seems that if you don’t finish that cycle, you’ll wake up groggy rather than refreshed. The best thing for an alert day is to avoid the temptation completely.
2. Reaching for your phone increases your stress levels
Most of us are guilty of this habit. Even while still half-asleep, you have this impulse to see if you have missed a text, or a social media notification, or some fire memes in the group chat. However, reaching for your phone first thing in the morning not only has a detrimental impact on one’s productivity and health, but also affects the physical structure of the brain. One study found the act of checking our phone jolts our brains into a wave of high stress from the moment we wake up, causing feelings of paranoia, worry, fear, anger and irritability — all of which are linked to a weakened immune system. Also if you start your morning by getting online, you’ll never recover that time.
3. Preparing in the dark fools your internal body clock
Because our bodies’ internal clocks are so sensitive to light, getting up and ready in the dark can send a signal to your body that it’s still nighttime. This will only keep you feeling tired, rather than alert, energised and in a really good mood.
4. Take a cold shower, instead of hot to increase mental alertness
Hot shower sounds tempting in the chilly morning. It relieves tension and soothes stiff muscles. Although it is a good thing, hot showers can be too relaxing for the morning. Save it for the night. Instead take a cold shower. Cold shower — as unbearable as it sounds — can help shock your body awake. It increases mental alertness and relieves your body of fatigue, which helps us tackle important tasks in the morning. Cold water also strains your body — it goes into “survival mode,” working hard to maintain its core temperature. This stimulates your body to increase blood flow circulation.
5. Wake up at the same time
By having a set time in place, your body will get used to it, and eventually it will become a habit that you don’t even notice. Having a set routine is important, so the body creates a rhythm, knowing exactly when you’ll go to sleep and when you’ll wake up. It’s essential that when you pick a time suited to you and your lifestyle, that it gives you enough time to prepare before you have to get to work. Waking up 10 minutes before you leave just starts the day off bad, with the rushing around creating a stressful beginning to the day.
6. Curling up in bed will make you tense and rigid
Psychologists argue that people who wake up in the foetal position wake up much more stressed out. In fact, there is evidence that stretching first thing helps to increase flexibility, improve circulation and relieve tension. Therefore, stretch out wide. This not only gets those muscles limbered up, it is a way to build confidence as you begin your day.
7. Complaining ushers you to a day of full of negativity
Some people start their day complaining—how they hate getting up early, how they dread going to work, how tired they feel, among others. Complaining at any time of the day is bad, but it is particularly bad in the morning. The words we use have a tangible effect on our subconscious mind. If we are complaining first thing in the morning, we are setting a negative intention for the rest of our day. Start your day with gratitude, read some motivational books, listen uplifting music. Do the things, which will set your mood for the positive.
8. Making your bed increases productivity
Making your bed is technically a chore, but it can also be a deceptively simple and tiny way to make yourself feel good. The reasons are manifold: It goes a long way in making your space (and mind) less cluttered, it encourages good sleep hygiene, and it might also do some surprising psychological work behind the scenes too... If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.
9. A glass of water will help you enjoy a lot of health benefits
Grab a glass or two of water once you are out of bed. Besides helping to detox your liver, drinking warm water first thing can help with constipation, prevent urinary tract infections, help with weight loss, boost your immune system, battle bad breath and strengthen the brain, among others.
10. Skipping breakfast to lose weight is a fallacy
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating breakfast can help prevent diabetes and heart disease, and improve performance and memory.
