Nowadays, many of us dread waking up in the mornings and getting up out of bed; I mean who wouldn’t?
Mornings mean we have to start the day, get moving, and do all the things we dread throughout the day.
We end up saying we are “just not a morning person” to justify this feeling of dread.
However, many people may not realize that even if you truly aren’t a morning person, there are ways to improve your morning and make yourself feel more excited about starting the day.
Even without having a full on morning routine, you can still make small changes and create better habits to improve the start of your day.
Here are some common, unhealthy habits that can become part of your routine in the morning causing you to dread the mornings. Along with tips on what you can do instead.
Some of the most common, unhealthy morning habits:
1. Laying in bed scrolling on social media
Checking social media first thing in the morning can lead you to start off your day comparing yourself to others and feeling badly about yourself.
This leaves you feeling unwell and uninspired causing you to lay in bed scrolling even longer thus worsening the effects and the cycle.
What you can do instead: Instead of checking social media first thing in the morning, try unplugging from your phone. Spend at least the first 30 minutes or more of your day away from your phone and off of social media.
2.Having Caffeine be the First Thing in Your System
By grabbing caffeine first thing in the morning, this can offset your hormones for the day, suppress your hunger, and cause your energy levels to crash later in the afternoon.
What you can do instead: Instead of drinking caffeine to wake you up, try drinking lemon water or tea to leave you feeling awake and refreshed in the morning. You can even try grabbing some fruit to wake you up from all of the nutrients and sugars they contain.
3. Feeling Negative or Dreading Your Day
If you wake up feeling badly about your day, then more than likely you can expect to have a bad day. Why wake up feeling bad about your day when it hasn’t even started yet?
What you can do instead: Instead of letting these bad feelings sit within you and leave you feeling dreadful all day, what you can do is learn how to start journaling.
Start a gratitude journal and write about all the things you are grateful about in your life to really change your perspective.
4. Skipping Breakfast or Eating Highly Processed Foods for Breakfast
Breakfast is truly the most import meal of the day: it kick starts your metabolism, balances your hormones, gives you energy, and provides your body with nutrients throughout the day.
Skipping breakfast can leave you feeling tired, weak, and foggy causing your day and morning to be more stressful and less productive.
What you can do instead: Try having a nutrient dense breakfast and especially focus on incorporating protein into your meal. Protein will help balance your hormones and keep you fuller for longer.
Takeaways
Although mornings may not seem that important, they are the very first part of our day and can be the main factor in setting us up for a happy, successful day.
Incorporate these healthy swaps into your life and watch how your mornings and life transform.