Health and Wellness, Uncategorized

How to Have Productive Mornings

It all starts when the bottom and top lips diverge. The eyes take in a vibrant sun. Confused at first, but then everything starts to become comprehensible: it’s a new day. The birds chanting in the distance slowly dismantle our slumber. Trying to convince ourselves to go back to sleep, we slowly resign. Thrusting our blanket out of the way, we look at the clock. At first, a surge of panic overcomes us: it’s already noon. After a while we accept that most of the day has been wasted, but then realize that we can still make something out of our day. Here are a few ways that we can start our day so that we have the most productive and beneficial day as possible, even if we have woken up late. .

  1. Plan Ahead– One of the best ways to start off a day is to plan ahead. This means taking the time to list all of the activities that we want to accomplish. This is very beneficial because it allows us to stay active throughout the day, start and stop tasks efficiently, and attain a clear mindset of what the day is to bring. If this key aspect is not met, it can lead to constant procrastination, inefficiency, and uncertainty.
  2. Exercise– It is undoubtedly true that exercising daily is highly recommended, but when should it be done? Well, there are a number of reasons why it might be better to exercise in the morning. First of all, morning exercises allow the body to feel energized for the rest of the day and increase metabolism rates, the chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life. A study conducted by Appalachian State University found that morning workouts are better for a nights rest. Furthermore, morning exercises have improved physical and mental energy by helping with focus and mental abilities, such as keeping a clear, awake and energized mind. Lastly, morning exercises leave time for other priorities including work, family, or even school.
  3. Drink Cold Water With Lemonade– An effective strategy to start of your day is to actually drink cold water mixed with a bit of lemonade. While this might not seem conventional, it is extremely useful. This habit helps one wake up faster, freshen their breath, get a lot of vitamins, reduce the feeling of hunger and aid their digestive system.
  4. Allow Access to Natural Light– There is a reason why your parents come into your room and open your blinds. There is a huge correlation between the exposure to sunlight and sleep. While it might not seem appealing to have your blinds open when you are sleeping, it can start their day on the right track. Dr. Phyllis Zee, professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, states, “Workers are a group at risk because they are typically indoors often without access to natural or even artificial bright light for the entire day. The study results confirm that light during the natural daylight hours has powerful effects on health.” A study included 49 day shift office workers, 22 in workplaces with windows and 27 in workplaces without windows. Workers with more exposure to sunlight slept longer and better at night as compared to those who had little exposure. This finding suggests the importance of having a workplace or even daily exposure to natural light in order to improve quality of life.
  5. Take a Shower– Some might say that the cold shower in the morning feels like a “refresher” for the day. It provides a comforter, relaxer and a great way to maintain hygiene. Dr. Janet Kennedy states that for those who have a hard time waking up, a morning shower can make a big difference. It can also increase body alertness if you keep the water at a moderately cold temperature.
  6. Clean Up Work Space– It is important to have a clean work space because it allows one to focus on one task at a time. Imagine waking up to a desk full of papers, pencils, books and eraser shavings all splattered in one colossal hump. Reorganizing work spaces early on lead to better efficiency, more room to work, makes one feel professional, keeps supplies in one place and keeps you on task in order to perform to your best ability. Furthermore, having an inhumane working space can also be harmful for the body. According to the RTK Environmental, dirty air ducts, refrigerators and office supplies are some of the leading causes of work illnesses. These conditions can spark asthma attacks and stuffy noses.
  7. Concur the Snooze– Pressing the snooze button is extremely appealing to those who think that an extra 8 minutes of sleep will do them justice. However, that is far from the reality. When you wake up from an alarm, you are rising from deep sleep. Once you hit the snooze button, you go back to lighter sleep. This can disrupt the sleeping cycle and make you even more tired in the long run. Instead, you should set an alarm at a certain time, get out of bed and start your day instead of pressing the snooze button. When talking about sleep, it is important to know what one of the major stages, REM. REM is the stage of intense dreaming when the brain is active. Getting enough of REM sleep is crucial to feeling energized and sharp the following day. Once you wake up, the REM stage ends. However, once you hit the snooze button and go back to sleep, you go back into the REM cycle. When your alarm goes off again, it wakes you up in the middle of the REM stage. Consequently, causing confusion and disorientation.
  8. Eat a Healthy Breakfast– Eating a healthy breakfast is vital. It is extremely significant that we know the right foods to eat in the morning. This topic can go to a lengthy discussion, but here are just a few reasons why it is so important to have a stable breakfast. For starters, breakfast provides a significant part of day’s nutrient intake. It allows the body to intake foods containing folate, iron, B vitamin and fibre. Furthermore, many children who skip breakfast tend to be heavier than those who eat breakfast. Children who do not a proper breakfast are more likely to make worse choices for the rest of the day. Lastly, skipping breakfast lowers mental performance because there is a diminished response of liveliness.
  9. Limit Screen Use– In a day and age where technology is the bases of daily commute, it can be a challenge staying off our phones or laptops right when we wake up. We should aim to get dressed, brushed and tidied up before we lay get too caught in the realm of social media. For one, checking social media can increase envy amongst users and start the day off in a gloomy and bad note. Looking at a phone early in the morning sparks a mindset of trying to find value and worth by proving oneself to another. Instead of this, we should refocus our mornings on ourselves and not endure in the restless lives of others.

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