Is there anything more depressing than the moment your alarm goes off in the morning?
If you hate waking up, you're not alone. Many people are reformed late-morning sleepers and perhaps more still struggle to get up on time. Can your smartphone help you become a morning person? Or is it the very thing keeping you up at night?
Starting your day off on the right foot is the surest way to prevent yourself from losing steam throughout the morning, at least until lunchtime. Give yourself the head start you deserve by starting a morning routine using these tips.
1. Get to Bed on Time
It's true—the best way to set yourself up for success the following morning is to start ahead the night before.
The correct time to hit the hay will be different for everybody, but no matter what your nightly and morning schedule looks like, you'll likely want to strive for around seven or eight hours of sleep.
We love the Sleep Cycle app for sleep management. It uses your microphone to track your sleep patterns throughout the night.
You can use this app to track your sleep schedule and analyze your habits in order to find your ideal wake-up routine. A little extra data might help you identify why you feel so tired in the morning.
Download: Sleep Cycle for iOS ($4.99) | Android (Free)
2. Wake Up Early
If we had to choose the best piece of advice in this list, it's this: wake up early. An early rise simply gives you more time to shine. We probably don't have to tell you this, but there are many creative alarm apps that you can download if you struggle to wake up early on a regular basis.
Sleep Cycle (mentioned above) could also be extremely beneficial in this area, as well. By monitoring your sleep cycles throughout the night, it aims to wake you up during your lightest sleep in the morning. The goal is to make it as easy as possible to crawl out of those sheets.
Again, getting to sleep early enough will aid you greatly in this endeavor. Good habits take time, but it'll be well worth the investment. And Sleep Cycle will keep your morning on-point by kicking off the festivities right on time.
3. Ignore Your Phone
The best morning routine will be as distraction-free as possible. With its emails, notifications, news stories, and social media posts, your phone is just about the worst offender when it comes to overwhelming you with distractions as soon as you wake up.
Give yourself a chance to breathe! Try these smartphone-limiting tips:
- Sleep with your phone on Do Not Disturb mode and only turn it off after you've completed your wake-up routine.
- Choose your notification settings selectively; your mom and your email should fall under two different categories.
- Leave your phone in a different room entirely throughout the night if you can.
- Avoid social media for as long as possible in the morning. Try using your phone's parental settings to restrict those apps until your lunch break.
Social media brings many negative effects. You don't need that as part of your morning routine.
4. Get Your Body Moving
Morning activity can come in the form of a simple stretching routine or even a daily jog around the block.
Bodyweight exercises, dumbbells, or anything else that you've got at home can all help you get the endorphins flowing before you have to start dealing with your responsibilities for the day.
Regular exercise is one of the best things that you can do for yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and even intellectually. If you can afford to exercise before work, you could enjoy a more focused and relaxed day with that extra burst of energy that runners love.
5. Drink Water Before Coffee
Yes, we know, this one is asking a lot. But give it a shot and you'll almost certainly feel the results.
That's because hydration is key, especially when you wake up. Keep a fresh supply of water on hand at all times and you'll be more likely to keep sipping.
A water-tracking app like WaterMinder can help you meet your daily goals; this app allows you to track your water intake and limit your caffeine. WaterMinder will even send a notification every time you're due for another cup so you'll never forget to grab a sip again.
Limiting your caffeine intake may also help reduce stress and feelings of being overwhelmed. While you might not be ready to give up your favorite cup of joe, dialing things back could be a good start and might lead to surprising productivity benefits.
Download: WaterMinder for iOS ($4.99) | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)
6. Nourish Thyself
A solid breakfast every morning is paramount to giving you the energy you need to be your best. It doesn't have to be a green smoothie or oats, although these are both excellent options for those who prefer something slightly lighter.
We've got an awesome collection of healthy cooking apps that you can try. These can help you manage your pantry, shop responsibly, and even guide you through each cooking session.
Fix up your breakfast the night before for easy assembly the next morning. Homemade pastries, hash browns, and chia seed pudding parfaits are all delicious ways to kick your morning off on a high note.
7. Start a Daily Journaling Practice
One of the most effective ways to develop yourself as a person is to commit to writing a daily journal entry, either on paper or using one of the many journaling templates that you can find online.
Physical journals like the 5-Minute Journal make this ritual compact and easy-going enough for even the most outlandish schedule. Bullet journals, digital journals, and traditional journals are all highly beneficial and really incredible to look back upon after keeping them for so long.
Here are a few examples of great journaling apps and websites if you prefer a digital notebook:
An early-morning ritual is the perfect slot of time to go over your daily affirmations, analyze your to-do list, or simply express gratitude for everything positive that you have to be thankful for. Starting your day off in this way is a great way to motivate yourself to do your best.
Find a Healthy Morning Routine That Really Works
The ultimate morning routine is whatever helps you wake up in a good mood and on time and gives you the energy and motivation you need to have a productive day.
The more that you stick to your routine, the more naturally you'll fall into each phase of the operation. Before you know it, it'll feel like you've been a morning person for your whole life!