Morning routines and becoming an early riser 🐦

Last month I talked about working on my evening and bedtime routines to help with my sleeping patterns and get a better nights sleep. One of the things I mentioned was getting up at the same time each day and developing a morning routine, it’s been hard going, especially after last weekend’s Monster Race! My muscles are so sore!

I am definitely not a morning person but I am taking steps to make my mornings better and encourage myself to get out from under the covers. 😉 🛏

1. Being organised the night before

Before I go start to relax for the evening, I prepare my lunch for work and chose my outfit. This saves me so much time in the morning and I’m no longer rushing around trying to find something to wear each morning.

2. Getting up at the same time everyday⏰

As I spoke about in my previous post on evening routines, I am making an effort to get up at the sane time every day, which is working very well so far. There are some days where I’d love to stay in bed a little longer, especially if I’m having a bad mental health day but I still get up when my alarm goes off (see point 3).

During the week this is at 7.30am for work and 8am at the weekends, unless I have something special planned (like a convention or holiday). This is definitely helped by going to bed early every night, although I wouldn’t call myself an early bird… yet. 😉 🐦

3. Don’t hit the snooze button

I admit I’ve found this one difficult and have reached for it occasionally on the weekends, but I do feel so much better if I get up as soon as my alarm goes off. The more I hit snooze, the groggier I tend to feel.

4. Have a shower🚿

As soon as I’m out of bed I’ll get in the shower, this helps me wake up and feel refreshed. I love my baths in the evening to relax but find having a shower in the morning prepares me for the day ahead and makes me feel more productive and motivated.

5. Have a glass of water

I’ve read that caffeine first thing in the morning isn’t good for you, yes you’ll increase your energy initially, but once the caffeine wears off you’ll be back to feeling tired and groggy. Similar to a sugar crash.

So instead of reaching for a glass or cup of something caffeinated, I’ll start with a glass of water and save the caffeine for later in the day. A glass of water first thing in the morning is known to help your body dehydrate and kick start your metabolism.

6. Eat breakfast

The most important meal of the day, I used to skip breakfast often and found myself hungry and snacking on unhealthy treats or eating between meals! Not good. Now I’m making an effort to have breakfast every day and I’m currently loving bagels with some dairy free soft cheese.

7. Do something you enjoy

Before heading out the door to work, I’ll read a chapter of a book, watch an episode of a TV show (at the moment it’s Teen Wolf) or have a few minutes on social media.

What are some of your tips to make mornings better? Do you have a morning routine.