If you search for anything ‘healthy’, 3 things are sure to appear in your search results- drink water, exercise regularly and wake up early. While the first two are self-explanatory; waking up early often leads people to a state of confusion. I come across questions like “what to do after getting up at 6?” or “I already leave the bed by 6:30, what can I do to maximize its results?”
Let’s just put it out there that there is a significant amount of difference between ‘waking up early’ and ‘waking up to a healthy morning’. To make the concept more simple and evident, I managed to make a list of things people generally do that make their mornings unhealthy and unproductive.
1. Setting the unrealistic alarm
Most of us are not able to wake up naturally; all thanks to late nights and procrastination. To solve this problem, we all have made it a habit to wake up by an alarm. While it’s quite cool to sleep like a baby until the alarm wakes you up; setting unrealistic alarms is a sure-fire way to start your day off on the wrong foot. Aside from making you late, neglecting to wake up when you planned is also bad for your health. Fading in and out of sleep confuses your brain, making you feel groggy and disoriented. Set realistic alarms for yourself to resist the urge to sleep just “five more minutes”
2. Checking work email in bed
I know a lot happened during the night, and you want to catch up with all of it. But, this should not be the first thing you do in the morning. First, it stresses you out, if there’s a problem going on with the project; second, as you are more likely to be half-asleep, there are more chances of you doing mistakes while sending official mails. Wait to tackle your inbox until you’ve officially stepped foot in the office for the day. You’ll be surprised how much time you’ll save.
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3. Having caffeine the first thing in the morning
I know some people who set up coffee machine timers instead of an alarm clock and justify their actions by saying ‘‘smell of coffee pushes me to get out of bed’’. While it’s ok to have a cup of coffee in the morning, it should not be the first thing. Make it a rule to have a glass of water, before a cup of coffee. Even juice, soda, or other sugary beverages, are not a good substitute for water. Be sure to stay hydrated enough, as dehydration may adversely affect your productivity, focus and mood.
4. Ditching workout
Trust me when I say that having a workout session in the morning is a fool-proof way to have a productive day ahead. Unfortunately, many of us are not able to get motivated enough to head-out for a workout. While exercising in the evening can also help you in many ways, I personally prefer to get it sorted in the morning itself. Morning workout gives you the liberty to plan for the evening and not to miss the health. On the other hand, missing it makes your day slow, unproductive, and somewhat unhappy.
5. Skipping breakfast, or eating carbs
This one is a complete no from my side. Do not ever skip your breakfast, or eat unhealthy for the sake of breakfast. If you don’t know already, ideally breakfast should be the heaviest meal of the day as it is responsible for providing you all the energy your body needs to function all day long. Start your day off with a decent meal, combining protein, whole grains, and healthy fats. Ideally, you should budget time for something like whole-grain toast with peanut butter and banana, fruit, and yogurt. And if you’re really feeling like making it a special morning add some vegetables to an omelet to really kick-start your day.
