How you start your day sets the tone for the rest of the day. Here’s how you can plan for a great day and make the most out of it.
So how do you begin each day?
Do you wake up at the very last minute and run screaming out the door into your car and all the way to work? Then there’s a pretty good chance that chaos has taken the reins for the day. Or perhaps you’re overwhelmed by feelings of dread and finding it difficult to face the new day?
Planning for a structured morning routine will increase your chances of having a great productive day. Not just productive but also fun.
If you start your day chaotically, it can throw you off the tracks and impact your efficiency.
Since time is in short supply, it’s vital to maximize it and step out into the new day ready for anything!
‘’Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.’’
Benjamin Franklin
This article will show you how to make the most out of your day by waking up early.
5 Things To Do To Have a Blissful Week
1. Quit Screens Before Bedtime
One of the reasons that it’s hard for some people to wake up early is because they spend too much time on devices before they should be going to sleep.
Scientists have been studying the effects of electronic devices on sleep. They say that the data does not bode well for people who love to be on their devices in bed.
Those who regularly spend time on electronic devices just before the shuteye have reported that they have experienced remarkable decreases in sleep and sleep satisfaction.
This is bad because the amount and quality of rest that you have affects your body, as well as your mind.
If you lack restful and plentiful sleep, the quality of your days will be affected too.
So what can you do to truly enhance your nightly rest and have a great day?
Instead of going to bed with your devices, you should set them to do not disturb mode, or turn them off completely. This will allow you to eliminate irrelevant interruptions.
A better route to wind down in the evening would be to try something soothing before you go to sleep. Listening to tranquil music, reading a book, or just letting your mind wander wherever it wants to go. Let your imagination take you on a magical stroll or a flight!
I’d take that over the effects of screen light radiation anytime.
2. Relax Before Bedtime
Are you relaxed before you go to bed or are you restless?
Staying away from technology I’ve already n mentioned. But there are other things that you can do to help you to get good rest and reduce stress.
Sometimes it’s a good idea to do some stretches 1 – 2 hours before bedtime. That will help keep your body flexible, and maybe even get your heart rate up for a few minutes. After you cool down from some light movement, your body will be more relaxed and ready to get into bedtime modes.
You can push this further by taking a nice soothing bath and burning aromatic candles or oils. That will help to further relax your body and put you in a calmer state of mind.
3. Rise Early
Once you’re in a habit of enhanced resting, you can begin to start to find ways to wake yourself up earlier.
The early bird catches the worm!
If you struggle with this one as much as I do, and you’re a prolific snooze button hitter, you must trick your mind into it.
Why not try using a new alarm chime for your wake-up time?
The new alarm will make it easier for you to get up because it’s a lot less familiar sound than whichever one you’ve been using.
The idea is that the unfamiliar sound will bamboozle, and hopefully, alarm you enough to wake up when you hear it. And that you’ll be a lot less likely to hit the snooze button and waste the morning.
In fact, it would be a good idea to stop using the snooze button entirely. If you do hit the snooze, it can cause you to feel more tired when you’re jarred out of sleep multiple times each morning.
Sleep until you need to get up, then get up right away so that you don’t waste precious time. Don’t ruin your chance of having a great day!
4. Make Changes in the Room
Fill your bedroom with fresh air, or sleep with the window open, if you can, and keep the bedroom cool.
One really easy way to force yourself to get up is to change the orientations of your room.
Try putting your alarm somewhere you can’t reach it so that you have to physically get your body out of bed to shut it off. Once you’re on your feet, it’ll be easier to just take yourself to the shower.
Try laying out your morning gear like exercise outfit, clothes, journal, make-up, notebook. Whatever you associate with a morning activity that is important to you.
Place those objects where you can see them when you wake up. They will remind you of what you have planned and motivate you to get out of bed.
5. Set Up Morning Routine
A great way to make sure that you take care of everything you need in the morning? Make a schedule for your morning hours.
Before you’ve had your first caffeine hit, it can be a challenge to even remember what it is you’re supposed to be doing so early!
Having a set morning routine takes the guesswork out of what you need to be doing with that part of the day.
That allows you to start with confidence and meet the expectations that you’ve set for yourself.
This is the part of your day where you will focus on a chosen positive message to yourself. Like a positive mantra, reading something soothing, or doing positive self-talk.
There are plenty of books in personal development about the morning routine.
Well, there’s a reason for it.
Many successful people are early risers. They swear by having a regular morning routine they perform during the Golden Hour. Golden Hour is the time in the early morning, for many even pre-dawn time when most of the world is still asleep and everything is silent.
Are You Ready To Avert Panic and Have a Blissfully Productive Week?
But habituating yourself to getting out of bed early and following an established routine at the same time is a tad unrealistic for a beginner early bird.
So start gently.
Maybe just open the window and breathe, have a shower, stretch, make a coffee, and listen to a mindfulness podcast.
You can develop the routine as you get more used to early mornings.
Getting up earlier will allow you to start your day feeling refreshed and equipped as you meet the challenges that are presented.
As you check things off the list, you’ll be able to start your day with a feeling of accomplishment, and the knowledge that you’ve already taken some of the stresses of the day off of the table.
Week 4 Summary:
- Banish electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime
- Do gentle stretching before bedtime
- Keep the bedroom cool
- Rise early
- Set up a simple morning routine
Have a great day!
Self Love Program
Self-Love Week 1: 6 Simple and Affordable Ways To Start Practising Self-Love
Self-Love Week 2: 5 Ways to Build a Positive Relationship With Yourself
Self-Love Week 3: How To Treat Your Body With Kindness And Feel Happier
Self-Love Week 4: How To Have a Great Day Every Day? Wake Up Early To Avoid Panic and Meltdowns!
Self-Love Week 5: Start Living Your Best Life Now: Focus On Your Future, Not The Past
Self-Love Week 6: 5 Benefits of Positive Self-Talk For Life Change
Self-Love Week 7: How To Create a Daily Self-Care Ritual
Self-Love Week 8: How to Set Life Goals for Better Future After 40
Self-Love Week 9: How to Find Your Life Purpose in 5 Minutes a Day
Disclaimer:
This article was written by Zuzana Halliwell. I am not a doctor or health professional and cannot be held liable for the information written here. This article is meant to provide information about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. The content is based on my own personal experience and on information provided by medical professionals that is available to the public. It is not intended to provide medical advice. Do not use it as an alternative to seeking help from a medical professional.
