If you struggle to get focused and
motivated before 12pm, check out this guide to the best ways to get the most
out of your mornings, so that you start every day feeling refreshed and
focused.
Your morning ritual is something which
shapes how you feel for the rest of the day. If you’re someone who constantly
reaches for the snooze button again and again, then chances are you end up
prizing yourself out of bed, only to feel rushed and frantic because you're
running late.
OK, some of us are just not ‘morning’
people, but you can make yourself go some way to becoming one just by modifying
your morning routine. The following tips focus on how to improve how you feel
from the very moment you wake.
How
to start your day refreshed and focused: Move your alarm clock
You may want to have your alarm clock
close to hand so you can constantly keep leaning over and pressing it for a few
extra minutes snooze time. The reality is it doesn’t really help. Place your
alarm just that bit further away so that you really have to stretch or even get
up to reach it — any stretching movement stimulates the waking part of the
brain.
How
to start your day refreshed and focused: Avoid caffeine
It may be through habit that one of the
first things we do when we get up is go straight for the caffeine hit, but this
should be avoided if possible. Since your body has been several hours without
fluid, what you need is a proper rehydrating drink such as freshly squeezed
orange or grapefruit juice. A cup of hot water with a touch of lemon and honey
is also a good way to start the day. If you can, add some ginger — this acts as
an extra boost to your circulatory system.
How
to start your day refreshed and focused: Good posture
Your body position is fundamental, bad
posture has the effect of limiting the flow of oxygen through your body,
meaning you are not getting the maximum benefit, and waking your body up will
be a real struggle. Pay attention to straightening your posture, feet flat on
the floor, hold your stomach in and extend up through your spine. These small
movements will work wonders and act to relieve tension before you get out and
face the day ahead.
How
to start your day refreshed and focused: Deep breathe
There is often a sense of anxiety ahead
of a stressful day and sometimes we are far from relaxed when we get up. To get
your body into a state of relaxation, it is important to control the functions
of the body, like the beating of the heart and breathing properly. A good
method is to try 2:1 breathing; this is easy and really effective — you gently
slow the rate of exhalation so that you are exhaling twice as long as you are
inhaling.
How
to start your day refreshed and focused: Exercise in the morning
Although many of us probably don’t feel
like it, a bit of morning exercise will help. We are not talking
about a full-on several-mile run, just some activity to increase your body
temperature, and get your metabolism and enzyme activity kick-started. This
could involve just doing a few basic stretches or even jogging on the spot. If
you do fancy taking on something more energetic in the morning, then ensure
that you have thoroughly warmed-up.
How
to start your day refreshed and focused: Surroundings
Your surroundings can have an impact on
your mood from the moment you wake. If you wake up surrounded by clutter, then
that is hardly going to get you off to the right start. Keep your bedroom as
clutter free as possible. You can also pay attention to your décor — certain
colours can be good for your mood, choose something that uplifts you. If
possible have some green plants in your bedroom — a little bit of greenery can
do wonders to enhance your mood and positivity.
How
to start your day refreshed and focused: Breakfast
Is this the most important meal of the
day? Yes! After a long sleep, breakfast is responsible for replacing
your liver glycogen, which helps you stay focused and switched-on throughout
the morning. Choose your breakfast carefully — sugary breakfast cereals only
give you a quick hit and can rapidly wear off. The best bet is to eat some
protein combined with carbohydrate to help maintain your alertness throughout
the morning. If you find yourself hungry before you have even reached work, you
might want to consider eating part of your breakfast at home, and then
preparing the remainder to have at work.
These simple changes to your morning
ritual will be strange at first but they will slowly become habit and then
second nature — before you know it bleary eyed, groggy mornings will soon be a
distant memory.
To get refreshed and focused — start
tomorrow!
-source: realbuzz.com
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