Four ways to kickstart your morning

The way we approach the beginning of our day can determine how the rest of our day will go. At this time of the year, I think we can all agree that that the good days are seriously lacking, instead being consumed by accumulating stress and lacklustre motivation wearing you thin.

Waking up and having a cheeky scroll through the gram, as appealing as it is (we’re all guilty), is probably the worst way to start our day. Firstly, the bright blue lights from our phones is super harsh on our eyes especially when it is dark, and secondly, it’s an information overload before we’re fully awake leading to a lack of focus and difficulty prioritizing.

Here are some ways to start your day off the right way.

Plan

Starting your day right often begins the night before. Making sure you plan the night before and eliminate decision-making tasks in the morning frees up time and reduces stress. Having to make too many decisions in the mornings can slow you down and lead to brain-fog. If you already know what outfit you will wear and if have your breakfast and lunch planned, as well as a small to-do list ready, your mornings will be less daunting, and you can save yourself valuable time, meaning you can get to work early or just spend more time enjoying your morning cappuccino.

Stretch

When we sleep, we are more or less in the same position for (ideally) eight hours (or at this time of the year, six if we’re lucky). That is actually a heck of a long time when you think about it. Stretching or doing yoga poses, even if it’s just for 5 minutes or if it is more of a reach out of your arms and kick of your legs in bed, can activate your energy levels, get your blood flowing and ensure you hit the ground running for your day. It’s also a good alternative for those people (me) who can’t ever seem to gather the motivation to head out for a quick jog or gym session in the morning.

Relax

If you’re not a yogi and you don’t want to be, honestly one of the best things you can do in the mornings is to take a moment to just be fully present, or in other words ‘meditate’. This isn’t some hippie idea, it can be as simple as sitting down to enjoy your morning coffee or brekkie, and just enjoying the moment, enjoying the taste, without being distracted by your phone, work or whatever else it is. It’s even better if you sit out in the fresh air whilst being present. There are massive mood-boosting benefits which come from simply being outside in nature, especially as most of us spend the majority of our working days inside an office, sitting at a desk. It’s crazy how much of a difference, starting your day with a breath of fresh air and moment of calm can have on your mood and your mental clarity.

Shower

Showering in the morning wakes you up, shocks your system and gets your circulation going. It also means that you’re all fresh and ready to face the day with clean skin and rid of any odour. It may seem like a bit of a bane, getting in the shower as opposed to rolling out of bed and chucking clothes straight on, but you always feel so much better after the warm blast of water. If you’re short of time and running late, the least you can do is to cleanse or scrub your face, finishing off with a splash of cold water.