Mornings. Some people love ’em. Some people hate ’em. But no matter how we feel about them, we all hope we have another one coming, am I right? So make the most of your mornings! Here are 5 morning habits that Vic and I use to make every day the best day ever.
1. get your a** out of bed
The snooze button is NOT your friend and setting 5 alarms in a row isn’t doing you any good. Snoozing is just taking precious minutes away from your sleep. If you can afford to snooze, you can afford to sleep. Instead, trade those extra minutes in for uninterrupted sleep.
The best practice is to set an alarm for the time you need to wake up and get out of bed when it goes off. If you have trouble with that, leave your phone out of reach of your bed so that when it does start to ring, you need to get up to shut it off. You can even set your phone alarm to increase in volume gradually, so that you’re not jolted from a deep sleep.
2. make your bed
I’m not exactly sure why I take such pleasure in a freshly made bed, but my best guess is that it’s the first accomplishment of the day. Part of me knows how much nicer it is to get into a made bed at night instead of a messy one, so I get some satisfaction just knowing that I have it to look forward to. It’s a small task that rewards me with a mood boost.
3. eat a real breakfast
Look, I love Cap’n Crunch, I really do. But it’s a treat that never leaves me full afterwards, so let’s not pretend that sugary cereals are true breakfast foods. There are heartier exceptions, of course, but still, you can do better.
A homemade breakfast with healthy ingredients will do wonders for your energy and focus. Try these protein-packed breakfast muffins. Make a big batch, freeze some extras and you’ve got breakfast for a week or two. Lots of protein, grains, veggies, and no refined sugar.
Not into baking? Smoothies are our go-to. We enjoy them with fresh fruit, unsweetened non-dairy milk, and protein powder. Vanilla is the way to go when adding protein powder with fruit. For a thick, spoonable smoothie bowl, use only frozen fruit and ease up on the liquids. Serve it in a bowl with granola or in a jar with chia pudding.
A good breakfast is one that leaves you full and energized. You can’t focus if you’re still hungry or coming down from a sugar high. Eat right, feel right!
4. take a Cold shower
This is where I lose Vic. She is just not into cold showers. To be fair, I mostly like my showers warm, but turning the water cold in the last few minutes is a great way to wake my body up and give my skin a break from the hot water.
It’s not nearly as bad as it sounds. Just gradually decrease the temperature and you’ll see what I mean. It’s invigorating. If you can really get the temperature down, let out a yell! It’s fun… and now you know I’m weird.
5. stop winging it & make a plan
Endless to-do lists won’t do you much good. Focus on one or two key tasks. You can tell if your task is high-impact by imagining that it’s the only thing you accomplish that day. Would you be satisfied? If not, readjust and put high-priority tasks first. You’ll get other things done too, but make sure you’re doing the important stuff first.
It helps to take a few notes before bed, so there’s less pressure in the morning. It’s nice to wake up knowing exactly what you’ve already laid out for the day ahead. One less stress. I know you can use that!
Morning Habits can be tough, but…
…these are small changes. They’re morning habits you might already have. If you just do them a little differently, you can change things for the better. Good morning habits lead to happier mornings and happier days!
