I’m not what you’d call good at getting up in the morning. In fact, if it weren’t for my two dogs demanding to go outside and be fed at 7 a.m., I don’t really know when I’d start my day.
Some days are harder than others, especially when I’ve stayed up until 2 a.m. watching makeup tutorials on YouTube. While I’d historically reach for a large cold brew to jolt myself to life, I’ve researched healthier ways to wake up when I just don’t feel like it.
Before getting out of bed
1. Use a real alarm clock and keep it far, far away
I’ll get to why you shouldn’t use your phone as an alarm clock in a sec. Having an actual alarm clock is really helpful in these times, not only because you know the time without having to check your phone, but I’ve moved mine across the room, so I have to get up in order to hit the snooze button. Now, I haven’t conducted this experiment long enough to know if it’ll help me quit snoozing long-term, but it seems to be working for now. I’m still hitting snooze in the morning, but only once or twice.
2. Don’t check your phone
… for the first hour you’re awake! If, like many of us, you and your smartphone are a package deal, existing first thing in the morning without your connection to the outside world might seem wild. But trust me when I say, it’ll help you in the long run. Checking your phone right when you wake up may make you reach for the covers. Not only can checking your phone give you anxiety first thing in the morning, but it preps your brain for distraction for the rest of the day.
3. Think positive thoughts
This one can seem a little silly, but I actually find it very helpful. Think about what you want out of your day, things you’re looking forward to, and about things that make you happy. It’s much easier to get up when you’re thinking about things that bring you joy, rather than thinking about how you just don’t want to go to work.
Okay, you’re up. Now what?
1. Drink a glass of water
Starting your day with a big glass of water is so important on so many levels. As written in Business Insider, a glass of water first thing in the morning rehydrates your body, increases alertness, and makes you more productive. Drinking a glass of H20 when you wake up is especially important for coffee drinkers—you don’t want the first thing you sip in the morning to be something that works to dehydrate you further.
2. Shower or splash your face with cold water
This is for my severe oversleepers! If you need to wake up fast, get to the sink and splash your face with cold water under 68 degrees F (20 degrees C)—a splash of cold water provides your body with a stimulating shock, literally jolting you into awake-mode. I actually take it one step further and use an “ice roller” on my face first thing in the morning. It wakes me up, depuffs my face, and encourages lymphatic drainage. Plus, it feels nice!
3. Move and stretch
Movement and exercise gets your endorphins and blood flowing. I like doing a little 10 minute yoga video to really get the juices flowing in the morning. This, out of everything I do, makes me feel most energized. I also walk my dogs for a half hour to an hour every morning, which gives me time to collect my thoughts, connect with the world around me, and plan my day.
4. Coffee—in moderation
Yes, we all knew it was coming. And, look, I love coffee. But caffeine is technically a drug—one that we build a tolerance to. So the more you drink, the more you need. I give myself coffee rules and it’s helped a lot.
- I have to drink water before I drink coffee
- I must stop after two cups of hot coffee or one glass of cold brew
- Switch to tea after 10 a.m.
- No coffee on weekends or weekdays when I wake up super energized
These rules help me to regulate my intake, and help caffeine keep working. By eliminating coffee both on weekends and on days I wake up ready to take on the world, I’m working to make coffee a daily boost rather than a daily requirement.
Do y’all have any daily tricks to energize yourselves when you wake up groggy? Leave us a comment below!