If your morning consists of you hitting snooze multiple times and giving yourself about fifteen minutes to get out the door, you may want to rethink your wake-up routine. In fact, the most successful people tend to have a regular morning routine that goes beyond most people’s hurried morning rushes. If you want to become one of those people, try these tips:
- Limit screen time in the bedroom. Some experts say people shouldn’t have a TV in the bedroom, but if that seems too drastic, turn it (and your phone/laptop/tablet) off by a certain time — at least an hour before going to sleep. The light from such products keeps our brains active, not helping put them into rest mode the same way a book would. However, if reading your Kindle helps you get cozy, at least put it on a dim setting; the one that looks most “book-like” to your brain. This will help you get to sleep more effectively, thus allowing you to wake up more rested.
- Go to sleep and wake at the same time every day. If you do this, you eventually won’t need an alarm clock because your body will naturally wake up. On a day when you don’t have to go somewhere in the morning, see what time you do this (going to bed at your usual time the night before). That will give you an idea as to how much sleep you need as well as what time you should wake up in the morning. If your work schedule doesn’t gibe with that, make adjustments to get the number of hours you need and allow yourself to wake up as close to the necessary time as possible — you may need to adjust your sleep/wake time over an extended period. Bottom line: If you can wake up as naturally, you’ll have the best chance of being alert for the day.
- Set your intentions for the day the night before. If you go to bed thinking about the meeting you’re dreading, it will become your waking thought. Instead, take a few minutes to outline a strategy and a few positive intentions (“I will interact calmly with this difficult person by doing X,” “I will allow myself five minutes in the morning to stretch and relax before getting up,” “I will find something positive to say three separate times during the meeting,” etc. Going to bed with a positive mindset helps you start the day that way.
- Do the basics in the morning. When you wake up, brush your teeth and drink a full glass of water. Brushing your teeth and washing your face allows you to increase the motivation to get moving, and drinking water combats the dehydration that may well have occurred after a full night’s sleep.
Doing these things can help you become more of a morning person and start your day off on the right foot, setting the tone for the rest of the day as well.
For more health and wellness strategies, reach out to the local staffing experts at Medical Professionals today.
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