7 hacks for the best morning routine

Is getting up in the morning a daily struggle?

Do you secretly envy the early birds who seem to find it so easy to be fresh and sprightly in the mornings?

You are not alone. Night owls are often torn between their love of staying up late and their desire to make the most of the next day. Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with being a night owl but there are benefits to getting up on time and setting yourself up for a great day. Which is why I’ve found these easy hacks the simplest way to create the best morning routine. Give them a try yourself (even if you still end up hitting snooze over and over before you finally give in!)

1. Put your alarm away from arms reach

If you want to get out of bed on time, you really can’t afford to have your phone or alarm clock within arm’s reach. It’s just too easy to hit snooze and give yourself another ‘ten minutes’. I put my phone on the other side of the room so I have to get out of bed to switch it off. Once I’m up, I’m much more likely to stay up.

2. Change your alarm tone regularly

We get used to the tone of our alarms and I find that if I’ve had the same one for a while I can sleep through it or ignore it more easily. A fresh tone makes me think someone is calling me, or when I set it to ‘doorbell’ that the postie has a parcel for me. Nothing gets me out of bed faster than the fear of someone seeing my bed head and pyjamas.

3. Allow natural light and fresh air in

Your body clock responds to daylight so leave your blinds slightly open to let the morning sun in. A little fresh air helps too, so have your window ajar if you can, and avoid blackout curtains or blinds and give your body the best chance at coming round naturally. During winter light boxes which mimic natural light are a great way option.

4. Make choices the night before

If your morning routine involves making a lot of choices about which route or transport to take, clothes to wear or food to eat you’ll find yourself stressed out and starting your day in a frantic mess. So, make those choices the night before and feel smug as you drink your morning coffee knowing you’ve got everything covered for the day ahead.

5. Drink cold water on waking

Your body can become quite dehydrated overnight – as you’re not consuming any food or water for at least eight hours. So, starting your day with a glass of cold water will help you quickly rehydrate and get your brain going. Coffee can come after of course.

6. Switch your go-to breakfast

If you skip brekkie or wolf down a bowl of sugary cereal, it might be worth switching to a more protein based breakfast. Scrambled eggs with spinach and feta is quick, will keep you going all morning and is great for your brain. Since switching to eggs in the morning I’ve found I’ve got so much more energy… and I was a committed toast and marmite kind of gal before. So, if I can do it so can you.

7. Make time for some self-care

If you can squeeze ten minutes into your morning routine for a quick meditation, exercise or even a little boogie to the radio, you’re much more likely to have a good day. Releasing ‘happy chemicals’ into your body earlier on has been proven to make you feel like you got out of bed on the right side, and that life is great. So, squeeze in some self care – even if its whilst you brush your teeth or get dressed.

We’d love to hear about your morning routine. Are you an early bird or a night owl? 

Jen Smith coaches entrepreneurs in social media.