10 Steps for a Happier Morning
Some people are morning people, some aren’t. I most definitely am not a morning person. I feel the most productive at night. I’m happy to stay up late and get things done when the world is asleep and quiet. But, that means mornings aren’t necessarily the easiest time for me. Here’s 10 steps you can take for happier, more peaceful morning.
Some of the best ways to have a happier morning actually starts at night. There’s ways to prep the night before to ensure that when you roll out of bed in the morning, you feel ready to take on the day. There’s also a few things you can do in the morning to set yourself up for a day of success! Keep on reading.
1. Check your schedule the night before
Check your calendar! Know exactly when your meetings are the night before. There’s nothing more unsettling then waking up, settling down at your computer, and realizing five minutes before that you have a meeting at 9am. Be aware!
2. Get your house in order the night before
There is something about waking up, walking downstairs, and seeing a clean kitchen. Don’t wake up to a mess – get your house in order at night! Run the dishwasher, wipe the counters down, throw those dirty clothes in the hamper, run a load to laundry. Leave your coffee cup out, so in the morning you can walk into your fresh house and hit that button!
3. Invest in a sunrise alarm clock
It’s hard enough to wake up in the morning without the horrible alarm tones that our phones come with. Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up with the sunrise instead?! Try a sunrise alarm clock. They’re proven to slowly and gently you wake up with warm, sun-like light instead of a jarring alarm sound (the one linked also has an alarm, if you like that sort of thing). You can still hit snooze, change the light color, and can function as a nightlight. One of the most affordable and popular options is this one on Amazon, linked here.
4. Block out time in the morning
I like to sleep until the very last minute, but I’ve learned that this isn’t always the healthiest thing. At the VERY least, I make sure I’m out of bed by 8:15am, for a 9am start. It’s important to pad your schedule a little bit for breakfast or journaling. Don’t force yourself to wake up, then immediately try to turn on your work brain. You might think the extra half hour of sleep is worth it, but I promise it’s not.
5. Eat a quick and delicious breakfast
Look for an easy and quick breakfast meal that you love. It could be overnight oats, a hard boiled egg, or a cereal you love. Whatever it is, help it motivate you to get out of bed in the morning. The first thing I think about when I crawl (literally) out of my bed in the morning is coffee. It’s my main motivator. Plan ahead for an easy breakfast that you know and love! No one said you have to cook yourself scrambled eggs and turkey bacon every morning in order to be successful – just try to get something decent and delicious in your system.
6. Drink water
Hydrate yourself to wake your body and mind up. Drink a glass of room temperature water! The water at this temperature is easier on your empty stomach and easier to digest. Here’s an article that highlights the benefits of room temp water vs. cold water. It’ll awaken your system and get you going, even before that morning cup of coffee!
7. Stretch
Stretching in the morning wakes up those muscles that have been still all night. It gets your blood moving and helps wake your body up. It also helps get oxygen to your brain and wakes your brain up! That “morning fog” is very real. Not to mention, stretching also feels so good after a long night sleeping in the fetal position. You don’t have to go for a five mile run in the morning, but at least stretch your arms, legs, and neck and get your body moving.
8. Write in a journal
My therapist recommended this to me a year ago and I’ve written in it almost every single day. Every morning, you write the date and follow the journal prompts, which are centered around gratefulness and daily affirmations. At the end of the day, there are prompts that ask you to recall the day and the things that made that day great. Doing this each morning and night for only a couple minutes helps center you and remind yourself of the little things to be grateful for every single day.
9. Set time to go through your inbox
Set aside a certain amount of time to go through the mess of your inbox! Set a timer for 10-15 minutes and go through and delete the emails that aren’t important, respond to the ones that are, and use the rest of the time to create your to-do list for the day. Then, close down your email and tackle that to-do list. We often can get sucked into the vortex that is our inbox for hours. By setting a block of time where you go through your email and then close it, you’re allowing yourself to actually get through the tasks that your email has set up for you! Of course, check back in with your email at different times during the day but remember to close it again afterwards to tackle your new set of tasks. And of course, address the time-sensitive messages accordingly.
10. Listen to good music!
Elevate your mood with some good music! I love playlists that are upbeat and happy. If classical music is your speed, its been proven to have amazing benefits for your concentration level. Search on Spotify or YouTube for concentration playlists – there’s a ton. My favorite playlists on Spotify right now are Happy Tunes and Nancy Meyers’ Kitchen.
The key to a happier morning is preparation! Rolling out of bed in the morning and not knowing what you’re in for the rest of the day will automatically put you on edge. Try out these 10 steps to a happier morning. I promise they’ll help you elevate your mood and productivity, and they’re all easy to follow.
Working from home? Read 10 Work from Home Essentials I Can’t Live Without.
