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This post was updated June 14, 2018.
Does it ever not feel like you just closed your eyes for the night when your alarm goes off in the morning? I know that’s how it is for me. An 8 hour work day can drag but an 8 hour night of sleep can fly by.
Granted, most of us probably don’t actually get 8 hours of sleep. But even 6 or 7 hours are not short stretches of time that tend to fly by.
Sometimes when we wake up feeling this way, we need to compensate for it in the morning. Don’t let a bad night sleep get you down!
Why is it important to get a good start in the morning?
Not feeling like you got enough sleep can make for a really rough morning. One where we’re struggling to stop hitting the snooze button, where we’re dragging our feet reluctantly around the house as we get ready to head out for the day, and one where we are, dare I say, a little crabby.
When you get off to a good start, you are much more likely to be productive and carry a positive attitude with you throughout the day. Your mood and energy will increase and you will be in store for a great day.
Don’t make your mornings anymore difficult than they have to be. Take a look through this list and see what changes you can make to have an easier morning and a really good day.
The Night Before (for yourself and your entire family)
- Get to sleep at a decent time (I know that could probably go without saying but it never hurts to be reminded :))
- Pick out what you’re going to wear the next day and lay it out so it’s easy to grab in the morning – undergarments and all. Be careful how to you lay them out so they don’t get wrinkled.
- Make your lunch so you have one less thing to worry about in the morning. Try and have it bagged up and ready to go. If it’s something that can’t be completed the night before, such as putting tomato on a sandwich (you don’t want it to make the bread soggy!), then be as prepared as possible the night before so you can quickly finish your lunch in the morning.
- Decide what you will have for breakfast. If possible, prepare it the night before so you can just eat it or heat it up quickly.
- Have dinner prepared to just throw in the slow cooker in the morning. And then don’t forget to turn it on before you leave for the day! Yes, I’ve done this 🙁
- If necessary, iron the clothes you will be wearing the next day. Having to drag out the iron in the morning is never fun.
- Make sure all of your errands are finished as early as possible so you can relax in the evening.
- Shower so as not to have to in the morning.
- Make sure there is gas in the car so you don’t have to fill up on the way to work.
- Check the weather for the morning to know if you should set your alarm 30 minutes earlier to account for rain, snow, or ice.
- Pick a song to use for your alarm that makes you happy or energizes you when it wakes you up. Test out different ones and see what helps you.
- If your thermostat goes down at night, make sure it is set to go back before your alarm goes off so it’s warm when you wake up. It’s much easier to get out of bed when it’s not cold.
- Write down what you are excited about for the next day: Any goals? A meeting? Lunch with a good friend? Keep the note on your nightstand so you can look at it first thing when you wake up and get motivated for the day.
- Place your alarm away from your bed so you have to actually get out of the bed to turn it off. Just don’t lay back down once it’s turned off 🙂
In the Morning
- Don’t hit the snooze button but try to get up as soon as the first alarm goes off. As mentioned above, this will be easier if your alarm is placed a short distance away from your bed.
- Turn the light on right away to help start waking you up.
- Turn on music that helps get you going (hopefully you picked out a song the night before).
- Set your alarm early enough so you have time to relax, meditate, exercise – whatever you enjoy in the morning – before you have to head out the door.
- Stand up and do a few stretches right away to get your blood flowing and heart moving.
- Look at the list you wrote the night before of what you are excited about for the day and use that to motivate you to get moving.
- Drink a glass of water to re-hydrate yourself after the long night.
- Eat a healthy breakfast – one that will give you energy.
- Other than the list you wrote the night before, figure out the one thing that gets you going in the morning more than anything else: Coffee? Exercise? Meditation? Going over your goals for the day? And then do it!
It can be really tough to get going in the morning. I fully admit that even though I am a morning person, I still struggle with this. But getting our days started off in a positive way will help us have a much more productive day. Hopefully the next time your alarm goes off, you will have a much easier morning.
What kinds of things do you do to help you have an easier morning? Please comment below!
If you found this post helpful, please share 🙂
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