Ways to make your mornings suck a little less

1.     Wake up earlier. I know this is totally counter-intuitive to the non-morning person lifestyle, because hello, the ultimate goal is getting as much sleep as possible, but hear me out. All mornings suck, but rushed, frantic mornings?

Thursday, July 18, 2013

1.     Wake up earlier. I know this is totally counter-intuitive to the non-morning person lifestyle, because hello, the ultimate goal is getting as much sleep as possible, but hear me out. All mornings suck, but rushed, frantic mornings?

Those really suck. Give yourself enough time to fully wake up, take a shower, get ready, eat, and do whatever morning rituals — reading the paper, exercising, meditating, whatever — make you feel good and prepared to start your day. Pro tip: you will probably need to learn to go to bed earlier to accomplish this. Just accept it.2.     Listen to a podcast or radio show you love. Whatever types of voices make you feel awake and engaged, the simple act of listening to other humans being awake and entertaining gets your brain working and boosts your energy.3.     Upbeat music. When you’re groggy and half asleep, it can be tempting to hit play on your Enya’s Calmest Lullabies to match your vibes: resist that urge! Opt for higher energy music instead — hip hop, ridiculous pop, 90s dance anthems, motivational jams from 80s movies, etc. It’s hard to hate your life when you’re rocking out to Drake in your PJ pants and bra.4.     Coffee. Lots of coffee. Cliche? Yes. Necessary? For most of us, absolutely. If you can’t afford to go out for a daily coffee fix, find a roast you love and make it at home. Treat yourself to a flavored creamer and give yourself enough time to leisurely enjoy your morning cuppa. I also feel strongly that drinking your caffeine out of a cute mug makes it taste better and improves your morning mood.5.     Shower daydreams. It’s common knowledge that all of mankind’s most profound thoughts and innovations have occurred while lathering up in the shower. When you shower in the morning, try to put work stress and relationship drama aside and just let your mind blissfully wander to wherever it wants to go. 6.     Take a walk. Any kind of morning exercise is awesome, but for those of us who aren’t coordinated enough to do much more than put one foot in front of the other before noon, a walk is a great way to start the day.7.     Avoid Facebook. "Man, I’m really glad I spent 20 minutes mindlessly scrolling through heavily edited photos of my high school friends first thing in the morning,” SAID NO ONE EVER. It’s so tempting to click that little icon on your phone right when you wake up, but man, if you can put it off at least until you’ve had coffee, I guarantee your morning will be markedly better.8.     Lay out your clothes the night before. Because spending 20 minutes in your underwear staring at your closet is just not fun. Even if you don’t end up wearing the exact outfit you chose the day before, you’ll at least have a starting point.9.     Eat an awesome breakfast. One of the only things that will get me out of bed is the promise of delicious food, so I like to actually plan my breakfast ahead of time and then name my cellphone alarms to remind me of what is waiting for me in the kitchen. Source: The Frisky