Have you ever felt like mornings are a mad rush? By the time you do something presentable to your hair and answer your overnight text messages, you may feel like you’ve put in a full day before you’ve even reached your job.
I can relate! I am one of the most non morning people I know. When I wake up, I’m usually a bit discombobulated and zombie-like until about 10am. My brain is also at least 5 minutes behind the rest of my body. However, all is not lost! There are ways we can save time and energy in the morning in ways that accommodate our lack of alertness.
Here are a few ways to make your mornings run more smoothly:
Plan your schedule. Maybe you’re trying to cram too much into too few hours. Figure out how much time you need for your after-work activities (working out, making dinner, entertainment, etc). Then, you can calculate when you need to go to bed so you’ll get at least 7 hours of sleep each night (as recommended by the National Sleep Foundation).
No more snoozing. If you’re not careful, you can hit the snooze button for an hour straight! This can create a rough start to your morning when you realize that you’re getting up much later than expected. Set your alarm device across the room. Those 10 minute fragments of sleep usually leave you feeling worse than if you get out of bed immediately.
Organize your grab-and-go items. Do you know where your umbrella is? Keeping essential items in their place will eliminate searching for car keys or gym bags when you’re ready to head out the door. You can also keep these items near more memorable things you wouldn’t normally forget like your phone or coat.
Check the weather. Rain, snow, or extreme heat may change your plans or your outfit. Take a look at the forecast before you go to bed so you’ll be ready with rain boots or more breathable clothing.
Put something on your stomach. I am a big proponent for eating in the morning. Eating breakfast gives you energy and makes it easier to resist snacking on junk food later. Assemble your smoothie ingredients tonight so you can pull them out of the refrigerator tomorrow or pack a portable protein snack that you can fit in your purse.
Lay out your clothes. Hang tomorrow’s outfit at the front of your closet or on the back of your bedroom door. Iron it to avoid having to carve out extra time to do it in the morning. Also, pick out your accessories the night before. You’d be surprised how much time you could spend coordinating colors when you’re half asleep.
Simplify your look. How many products do you use in the morning? Design a simpler skin care regimen and browse YouTube for a low-maintenance hairstyle that you can prep the night before.
Take your vitamins. Sometimes our energy levels are low in the morning due to a deficiency of nutrients. Get a daily multivitamin to increase your energy and support optimal health. I would also suggest taking a liver detoxifier supplement. The liver is responsible for essential functions in the body – including removing toxins that accumulate from stress, medications, digestive imbalance, pollution and other factors. Taking a liver detoxifier daily will help to reduce fatigue and sluggishness in the morning.
Work from home. Studies show that the length of your commute has a dramatic effect on your health and wellbeing. If your primary work functions are on the computer or the phone, ask your boss if you can work from home once or twice a week. Map out how you would complete your projects and how you would access important files when you’re away from the office.
There’s no need to focus your energy on transforming yourself into a morning person. A few simple tweaks to your morning routine can make your initial hours happier and more productive while embracing who you are and how you naturally function.
Let's start the day off right!