I'm sure I'm not alone in knowing that the first few hours of the day are not my best... Mornings find me bleary-eyed, bushy-haired and as grumpy as a bear disturbed mid-hibernation.
Thankfully, however, over the last month or so I've found a routine that makes my least favourite time of day much more do-able; something I value deeply during these dark, cold starts to the day that we find ourselves battling through. Today I'm putting together my hard-learned lessons for your reading pleasure; hopefully it won't be too long before these grim dawns are behind us!
PREPARATION IS KEY
Waking up with my outfit picked, breakfast and lunch made and my bag packed makes my life infinitely easier come 6am. The more I can do the night before, the less there is for my fatigue-addled brain to mess up come morning... It makes a tremendous difference.
PERFECT YOUR SLEEP SCHEDULE
The morning will never be your friend if you're not sleeping right but, for light sleepers like me, it might take a little more work before restful nights become the norm. The main challenge is to set your body clock, getting it used to a regular bedtime that sees you getting your 7-9 hours a night... not something Uni-Me was any bloody good at! I have also tried to avoid ridiculously long lie-ins of a weekend, as this can effectively un-set your body clock.
I also sleep infinitely better when I meditate before sleep. If you're a novice, there are some great apps out there to teach you the basics. I'm a fan of the app Headspace, which offers a subscription and also a free 10-day program that can be used without subscribing. If apps aren't your scene, I'd recommend sitting and simply focusing on counting your breaths for ten minutes or so; just sitting without distractions and breathing deeply can do some serious wonders.
Finally, if you are a very light sleeper, try a sleep mask. Yes, those little fabric eye masks may look a little odd but I never sleep as well without one! Useful in the summer when it can get light before 6am, they're also great because you are essentially forced to keep your eyes closed, which means I'm out like a light in no time.
GET STRAIGHT OUT OF BED
No hitting snooze for you, kiddo. Not too long ago, I would either ignore my first alarm in favour of a little more sleep, or stay in bed browsing Instagram "to wake myself up". The latter proved particularly problematic, as I would stay under the covers far longer than I should have. Now I get up and get moving; I take myself straight to the shower before my sleepy head can work out what's going on. The water wakes me up in no time, making me much quicker for the rest of the morning.
TREAT YOURSELF TO A GREAT BREAKFAST
I. Live. For breakfast. Three of my favourites are documented in this video, but for work mornings I tend to go for my overnight bircher oats as it is very filling. I refuse to skip brekkie not simply because its benefits are pretty much universally agreed upon, but because it's what I look forward to as soon as my eyes open! If you're not a breakfast person, I urge you to consider including it in your routine; your body needs fuel after around 10 hours without food. If time's an issue, pop a jarful of something tasty in your bag for your commute.
SPEND AN HOUR OFFLINE
Not one I manage every day, but something that makes a tremendous difference when I do. Spending a bit of time without my phone in arm's reach is just such a nice way to start the day; instead I try and do some reading, having set myself the goal of reading one book a week for 2016. (I am currently reading The Kinfolk Table
cover to cover and I am in love with the photography!)
So there you have my very best advice for getting through the morning; I would love to hear yours! Pop to the comments and let me know...
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