Studies have shown that what you do in the morning has a tremendous effect on the rest of your day.
For example, a bad morning routine can lead to worse moods and lower productivity rates.
To avoid this problem, avoid these eight common mistakes during your morning routine:
Reason #1: Hitting the Snooze Button
Resist the temptation to hit snooze on your alarm. You might think that it won’t hurt anything, but those ten minutes can adversely affect your schedule.
It may seem beneficial to have a few extra minutes of sleep when you’re feeling tired.
The fact, though, is that snoozing often does more harm than good
When we sleep, we cycle through four different stages.
Stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3 are known as Non-REM sleep, while stage 4 is REM sleep.
When we sleep, it usually goes through four stages.
The first two are both lighter stages of sleep that can help us relax before it moves onto the deeper, more restorative three and REM stages.
We cycle through these four stages of sleep every night.
One of those four is completed about every 90 minutes.
If you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock, you might find it difficult to pick up where you left off with your sleep cycle.
So basically, by snoozing and shifting your sleep, you’re making yourself less tired to the point where an extra 10-15 minutes of sleep may not seem worth it.
Reason #2: Checking Your Phone First Thing in the Morning
Your brain has the opportunity to work by itself while you sleep and is free from distractions.
You can explore creative, new solutions to everyday problems that you weren’t able to figure out during the day.
Waking up next to screens can interfere with your sleep and mental state.
They also make it easier for you to get sucked into mindless activity.
Try shutting off your screens an hour before bed so that you can create the perfect evening routine
It can be tough to change our habits, but it’s best to start small and not try to do too much at once.
Checking the phone first thing in the morning is a habit many people have been grappling with recently, and implementing any major change in that time frame can be difficult.
You might want to start by waiting 5 minutes in the mornings to check your phone.
After a few days, increase it to 10 minutes and then gradually lengthen the time between checks.
Ideally, you should wait an hour after waking up to check your phone so you have ample time for morning rituals.
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Reason #3: Not Setting Intentions for the Day
Some people like to plan ahead and visualize what they need to do that day before they are doing it.
This will help you determine what you want to get done and how.
Some people prefer using apps that provide a pre-defined template you can fill out every day.
This template includes writing about three things you’re grateful for, three things you want to achieve in the short and long term, your three targets for today, and your affirmations.
It is important to start your day off on a positive note.
Something as simple as 3 minutes of journaling can get you into the right frame of mind and ready to take on the day.
Start building your controlled morning routine one day at a time by adding or modifying an element at a time.
You’ll notice one change can have a much larger effect than you may have thought.
Stay mindful of what works and what doesn’t, and most importantly, don’t be discouraged if some changes don’t take immediate effect – they’ll get there in good
Stick to your morning routine, and then keep refining it until you love it and look forward to it every day.
Reason #4: Neglecting Your Hydration and Nutrition
Water is the most important nutrient that we need to stay hydrated.
The human body is made up of 60% water and without it, we will die. It’s vital to drink at least eight glasses of water per day.
What you eat also impacts your productivity.
If you don’t get enough nutrients, your brain won’t function as well and you’ll feel tired and sluggish.
Eating a healthy breakfast is one way to start off the day with a good energy level and an empty stomach will lead to hunger pangs later in the day which can make it difficult for you to concentrate on work.
Reason #5: Not Getting Enough Sun Exposure
Humans are hardwired to have an active day and sleep at night by a hormone called melatonin. It releases and stimulates the brain to slow down.
Melatonin helps set our circadian rhythm and primes our bodies for sleep.
Studies show that if you turn on some natural sunlight in the morning, it will keep you awake less at night.
This was a game-changer for me and has really helped me get ahead of my insomnia. I make sure I get 2 minutes of exposure to the morning sun as often as I can – even when it’s short notice – but at the very least 5 minutes.
As a society, we spend more time inside and less time outside. This means that about 42% of Americans do not have enough
Try to get some sun exposure whenever you can throughout the day. Starting your day with a few minutes of sun can help boost your vitamin D levels all day.
Reason #6: Lack Of Direction
A lack of direction can make people unproductive because they don’t know what to do next.
Consequently, it’s important to find and follow a plan. If you don’t have a sense of direction yet, map out an objective that you want to reach and set clear goals & steps that will get you there.
When you think a task is difficult or want to get a better feeling for it before working on it, procrastination can be tempting.
Sometimes this habit kicks in when there are so many exciting & novel things that you want to do at the same time.
When your mind is cluttered with other thoughts and you can’t focus, it’s hard to devote the necessary attention to complete tasks.
Reason #7: You are trying to do everything
Stop trying to do everything and focus on what matters most. It’s another way of saying “less is more,” so don’t make the problem worse by attempting to fix it when you can’t.
One of the most difficult things in today’s society is managing all the different responsibilities we have.
It can feel like you’re never doing enough, but it’s important to take a step back and loosen up a bit. If you do too much, the quality and quantity of your work may suffer.
Give yourself space to breathe and focus on what matters.
How to Naturally Increase Your Energy and Motivation Levels In The Morning
The first step is to get enough sleep.
The second step is to start the day with a healthy breakfast.
The third step is to make sure that you have set realistic expectations for the day and not overbook yourself.
The fourth step is to take care of your health by doing some exercise or meditating for 10 minutes in the morning.
The fifth step is to do something that makes you happy, like reading your favorite book or spending time with your loved ones.
