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Become an Energetic Morning Person

When your alarm goes off in the morning do you immediately get out of bed and go about your day, or do you roll over and go back to sleep? Does it take you ages to coax yourself out of bed? Most of us are not morning people and even though we know that the early bird catches the worm, we battle through waking up and getting ready feeling groggy and grumpy. 

Exercising in the morning has been shown to boost our metabolism and help us to use stored fat; however if we feel lethargic and uninspired in the morning there is little chance that we will wake up even earlier to go to the gym before work.

Luckily you can transition to become an energetic morning person if you implement a few lifestyle changes.

The first step in becoming a morning person is to make sure you have a good night’s sleep that is long enough and doesn’t include waking up several times. Try removing electronics from your bedroom and create a cool temperature that will encourage sleep. Meditate, do deep breathing or have a relaxing hot bath before going to bed which will encourage relaxation and sleep.

The next step is to reset your body clock by setting a strict bed time and wake time with the help of a loud alarm that you cannot ignore. Keep to this schedule on weekends too and go to bed at the allotted time (for example 11pm) no matter what you are doing. You can help this process by eating regular meals at the same time each day which will anchor your body clock.

Light stops the production of our “sleep hormone” melatonin so one of the best ways to wake up in the morning is to expose our eyes to sunlight. As our retinas absorb the light this sends a strong message to our central nervous system that it is time to get up and start a new day. Open all the curtains in your house, drink a big glass of cool water to wake your metabolism up and if the weather permits go outside to absorb some sunlight and breathe the fresh air.

People who are productive in the morning need to be organised. This means choosing your gym and work clothes the night before, packing your gym bag, getting your snacks and work lunch packed and  completing other tasks the night before that will make your morning routine easier and quicker.

The process of becoming an energetic morning person is a tough one that is ultimately worth it when we are able to wake up feeling fresh and ready to accomplish many more tasks during the day than we were previously able to.

Sources

http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/sex+relationships/wellbeing/how+to+be+a+morning+person,12491
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/20/energy-in-morning_n_931730.html