Setting the Tone for the day

Waking up right is the key to setting your attitude for the rest of your day especially with the time change some of us may not be morning people or may feel sluggish and tired in the morning.

If you are one of those people like I am some mornings and hit snooze or say just five more minutes STOP starting now it doesn’t help because in just 5 or 10 more minutes we do not fall back into a deep sleep to wake up and feel restorative so instead of setting your alarm 15 mins earlier than you have to get up just set the clock to the exact time you need so you are not tempted to hit snooze.

Another way to help us feel awake is doing a light stretch before even getting out of bed. At yoga they taught us to just lie on your back while in bed hug your knees into your chest and inhale as you move knees away from you and exhale when you bring your knees back to chest and repeat five times. Just taking the 5 minutes to do this will help you feel more awake and gets the blood moving and ready to take on the day.

Next you should open your blinds and look out the window and catch some early rays the light stimulates your brain and suppresses the production of melatonin , the hormone that helps you feel sleepy. You can also put your lamp on a timer to go on a few minutes before you are suppose to wake up or get a clock that plays soothing sounds with bright lights.

Checking emails, Facebook and messages before getting out of bed can ruin your mood immediately by wasting your energy before even being fully awake on other peoples priorities. Staying positive and not seeing or hearing bad news before getting out of bed can keep your mind fresh and not drained as soon as you open your eyes.

Last but not least, the most important thing you need to do to start your day off right is eat a great breakfast ( which I am trying to work on myself) this I think is the toughest key component of the morning. We all make it harder then it has to be a simple protein shake, 2 hard boiled eggs on the run or if you have more time in the morning 2 whole grain waffles topped with natural peanut butter and 1/2 of Apple would give you a healthy start and enough protein to give you energy to take on the world for the day.

 

Kerri

EG Team