Ever feel like getting out of bed is like climbing Mount Everest? Getting a good night’s rest and waking up full of energy is a great way to get the most out of each day. Easier said than done? With just a few adjustments to your daily routine, you will learn to energize your morning and get your day off to a great start.
The night before
One way to ensure you wake up bright and breezy is to take care of yourself the night before – avoid caffeine, too much strenuous exercise and heavy meals just before bedtime. To center yourself and relax, a 30-minute meditation will do the trick. Simply sitting calmly and noticing your breath is a great way to prepare for a nice deep sleep.
Think Right
Accumulate energy by speaking a positive affirmation while you look in the bathroom mirror. Life coaches and spiritual gurus agree that your thoughts eventually become your beliefs if you practice daily. So, thinking you are going to have an upbeat day and achieve your goals is a good standing point. Why not try, ‘I have a great vision for my future and I face the day full of life and confidence’. The key with affirmations is to feel some truth in them. If you are struggling to say the statement with conviction then adjust the affirmation to suit you.
Wake up slowly
Try setting your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier than you really need to, as this will give you the feeling of being ahead of the game and allow you to enjoy the morning. If you have a hard time getting up when your alarm goes off, you could be in the middle of one of the deep sleep stages. Sleep comes in 90-minute cycles of lighter and deeper levels, so choose a wake-up time that’s a multiple of 90: for example, if you go to bed at 10 pm, set your alarm for 5:30 am. You should find yourself bouncing out of bed more readily than with another 30 or 60 minutes because you will be waking up at the end of a sleep.
Breakfast and go
Tackling sluggish mornings could be as simple as an energy-boosting breakfast. Choose foods that will give you sustained energy, not a short blast then a midday crash. Think complex carbohydrates, high fiber, high protein and good fats. We’d recommend a delicious bowl of oatmeal topped with organic fruit and a refreshing, lightly sparkling can of EQ8 Orange and Passion Fruit, which contains herbal extracts like ginseng, green tea and guarana and just a nip of natural caffeine from the green coffee bean.
