Boost Your Energy with 9 Easy Morning Habits
Updated: Apr 8, 2022
Did you know we are in a personal energy crisis? Studies show that most adults feel tired on at least three days a week, and some of us even report feeling tired or fatigued every single day!
Yet it is possible to create more personal energy, and the right morning habits can set you up for a high-energy day. The best part is that none of these need to take you a long time … and, I promise, they do actually WORK!
9 Easy Morning Habits to Boost Your Energy:
1. Wake up after 7-8 hours of quality sleep. So this is possibly the hardest habit for many of us yet getting a good night's sleep is so vital to your health as well as your energy! For many of us, the key is making sure that you go to bed early enough to make this a possibility. If you struggle with getting a good night's sleep, check out these Ten Steps to a Better Night's Sleep for some ideas on how you can get yourself more zeds.
2. Don’t hit the snooze button. Dozing for those few extra minutes can actually make you feel more tired and less focused during the day. This is because it short-circuits your ability to complete a full sleep cycle. Disrupting that cycle can leave you feeling foggy, cranky, and even more tired and, according to the National Sleep Foundation, that grogginess can last for up to 90 minutes!
3. Drink a big glass of water. Being even a little bit dehydrated can make you feel tired, and after going an entire night without water your body needs it! And while you’re at it …
4. Splash your face with cold water … or take a cold shower. This will really wake you up! Cold water is invigorating and it can trigger your body to send out endorphins. As well as boosting our mood, these natural feel-good hormones can also help us cope with stress. In addition, a cold shower in the morning will boost your heart rate, increase your oxygen intake and increase your alertness. If cold showers were good enough for Katharine Hepburn, then surely they're worth a try!
5. Have a B-I-I-I-G stretch. Did you know that when you are in REM sleep, your skeletal muscles are actually paralysed? This is just one reason why stretching when you wake up feels so good – plus, it can stimulate your body to release even more of those endorphins.
6. Eat a healthy, low-sugar breakfast. Research shows that skipping breakfast may affect your performance later in the day. Ditch the white toast/muffins/bagel and instead go for lean proteins (eggs or tofu), veggies and/or fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats to balance your blood sugars and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
7. Get some sunshine. Not only is it energising right in the moment, but it supports your body create energy-promoting vitamin D. It also helps to regulate your hormones and your circadian rhythm to improve your sleep at night (and help you out with with point 1 as well!).
8. Do something fun or energising. Listen to your favourite music, tune into an entertaining radio station, or an upbeat podcast, work out, try a morning meditation – whatever appeals to you!
9. Drink a cup of coffee or green tea (but just the one!). Overdoing it in the morning can actually make you feel drained later in the day!
Remember, it’s the small, consistent actions you take every day that add up to big results.
Which ones will you try this week?
This content was first shared in my newsletter on 4th April 2022.
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