If you’re struggling to get out of bed in the mornings, you’re not alone. There’re so many people all over the world who “hate mornings”. You may find yourself promising to wake up with all the oomph in the world, but once your alarm goes off, you lose all your motivation to tackle the new day.
Self-motivation is one of the main things that separate high-achieving professionals from everyone else. Achieving goals isn’t easy. If it were, everyone would be successful. If you want to be a successful person, you need to establish good habits.
Not everyone is the same, but there are proven tactics that have worked for many individuals who are now successful. One of them is changing morning habits.
Here’re some tested and proven morning habits to help you start off your day on a high note:
Avoid the snooze button
Most people are guilty of hitting that snooze button before dragging themselves out of bed. Although you may think that it’s easier to get out of bed after snoozing a little more, these extra minutes of sleep can make you feel even more tired during the day and affect your sleep at night. This is because it messes with your sleep cycle.
Your brain cycles through different stages of sleep to help you rest and recharge, including light sleep, deep sleep, and REM ( rapid eye movement). Your brain is highly active and you experience intense dreams during REM. Even so, REM sleep is actually highly restorative. It’s important to get enough REM sleep to help you feel focused and sharp during the day. When your alarm goes off in the morning, you’re usually nearing the end of your REM cycle. Hitting the snooze button and then going back to sleep will throw you back into REM and then wake you up in the middle of REM instead of at the end. This can cause you to feel foggy and even more tired. This is not the best way to start your day.
Leave water on your bedside table
As soon as you wake up in the morning, drink a big glass of water. While you’re asleep, your body loses a lot of fluid. Starting off your day dehydrated may make you feel tired and moody as well as make you more prone to weight gain. Besides helping you wake up, drinking water in the morning has many other fantastic benefits, including:
- Speeds up your metabolism by up to 24% for 90 minutes.
- Prevents overeating.
- Reduces heartburn.
- Detoxes your body by making your kidneys function effectively.
- Improves your mood and alertness for the day.
- Improves your body’s digestive health and prevents constipation.
- Keeps your skin young and healthy.
Make your goals visible
How big are your goals? How badly do you want to achieve your goals? When you come face-to-face with your goals in the morning, you’ll find it easier to jump out of bed and work towards achieving them. Make sure you write down and place your goals somewhere where you can see them as soon as you wake up.
Exercise in the morning
Sherry Lansing, the first woman to head a Hollywood movie studio, prioritises exercising in the morning. She stated: “I’d be lying if I told you that I never miss [exercise], because I’ve missed it plenty of times. But I try very hard not to.”
Waking up early in the morning to exercise may seem like a lot of effort but it’s definitely a great habit to get into and offers a lot of benefits, including:
- Improves your physical and mental energy – some studies have even shown that exercising in the morning is more effective than drinking that morning cup of coffee.
- Boosts your metabolism, improving weight loss.
- Ensures better self-discipline and establishes consistency in your exercise routine.
- Helps you sleep better at night, which further improves your energy levels for the day.
- Helps you reach your fitness goals and can steer you into eating healthier as people usually crave healthier food when they exercise.
Eat a healthy breakfast
If you’re on a specific diet, you may be told to skip breakfast and your body will adapt accordingly. However, eating a good breakfast offers a lot of benefits, including:
- Ensures higher energy levels.
- Kick-starts your metabolism.
- Prevents overeating and weight gain.
- Improves concentration levels
Dress for success
Dressing well before you head out of the house can help motivate you. A study published by scientists from Columbia University and Cal State Northridge showed that how you dress affects your thoughts. Not only does dressing well improve how others perceive you, but it also promotes self-respect and self-worth, helping you think positively about yourself. So, don’t hold back on buying classy outfits and accessories to improve your appearance.
Get excited about the day
Adopt a positive attitude towards mornings. Sometimes, the thought of going to work in the mornings can be a little sad – but if you stop thinking negatively about the day ahead, you will improve your mood for the day. Do something that makes you feel good.
Author Ryan Holiday states that he does one thing in the morning before checking emails. It may be as simple as going for a run or writing in his journal. He states that “after a productive morning in which I accomplish my big things, the rest of the day can be played by ear. It’s all extra from there.”
Whether you plan your schedule, write down small goals, listen to motivational tapes, listen to pumping music or make a hearty breakfast – make sure you enjoy every morning and get excited about the day ahead.
