Wake up right: 5 tips for a stress-free morning

MANILA, Philippines – How we wake up and the morning rituals we engage in have the power to determine how we live through the rest of the day.

Now that 2013 has rolled in, it’s time we rethink our morning routines so we can start the year right by starting our mornings right. Here are 5 simple tips inspired from an article on fitsugar.com to help you wake up fresh and ready for the day’s challenges. 

The first 2 tips are for the night before when clear-minded preparation can help make your mornings more relaxed and flexible.

1) Pack up before lying down

It’s easy to groan at your empty bag and leave the packing for the morning but the stress this will cause is simply not worth it.

You’ll be spending precious morning minutes running around looking for things you need to pack. The limited packing time increases the possibility that you’ll forget something.

Do yourself a favor by getting ready the night before when you have more time to list down the things you’ll need the next day, prepare them and pack them. This gives you the luxury of a hassle-free morning when you won’t need to think of your bag until you actually pick it up and walk out the door.

2) Put thoughts into paper

Those quiet minutes we spend in bed looking at the ceiling and waiting for sleep are usually the moments when important reminders, dazzling ideas and epiphanies float into our thoughts.

Don’t stress out your weary head by attempting to remember them for when you wake up in the morning. Instead, keep a notebook and pen on your bedside table and jot down your thoughts. This clears up your mind enough for it to relax and drift into sleep.

When you open your eyes the next morning, you won’t have to squeeze out those thoughts from your groggy head because they’ll already be neatly laid out on paper next to you (and if you have morning ideas, write them down immediately, too).

3) Stop the snooze

We are all guilty of repeatedly hitting the snooze button, hoping that those extra 20 minutes will be just what we need to make up for last night’s all-nighter.

But those minutes aren’t worth the rushed breakfast, skipped shower and frazzled mind that will define your morning and start your day on a tense note. 

4) Drink warm water 

While cold water can help jolt our groggy selves awake, drinking warm water during or after breakfast has more benefits. According to an article by Delialah Falcon on Livestrong.com, warm water helps break down food faster than cold water, making food easier to digest.

Lessening the strain on our digestive system means we save more energy in our body, energy we can use for the more straining activities of the day.

5) Set aside time for yourself

The ideal morning is relaxing yet invigorating. After sleeping, our bodies and minds need to acclimatize themselves to the day ahead.

You can do this by drinking tea, doing some yoga, writing your initial thoughts on a journal, bonding with your pet or walking around your garden.

Do something that will help you take stock of the day, clear your head, make you smile and set the right pace for your body.

This year, wake up everyday with a smile on your face. Good morning! 🙂 – Rappler.com

(What are YOUR helpful morning rituals? Share them with us by posting a comment below!)