Mornings are not my jam! No matter how hard I try, I'm always begrudgingly pulling myself out of bed 15 minutes before I have to leave the house for work, usually throwing my whole day off kilter. The only benefit is I've mastered the 2 minute make-up routine (although probably not as well as I think!)
I like to pretend it's not really my fault. I've always had energy problems, from low iron, B12 and thyroid, so it's easy to hit that snooze button one more time and put the blame somewhere else. Along with general healthy well-being, getting a good nights sleep helps with productivity and happiness, amongst many other perks. I hate how rushed and unsettled I feel in the morning, never having time to make a lunch, let alone a cup of coffee. So along with the health and focus benefits of being well rested, being able to prepare for the day means I could save myself some money along the way as well.
Here is some research I've found on getting enough sleep and the effects of a good morning routine:
- Arianna Huffington talks about how to succeed (Hint: get more sleep!).
- Jeff Iliff shares the effects of sleep and the brains ability to receive and rid itself of essential nutrients.
- Leo Babauta extols the virtues of rising early, and shares some tips on how to do it.
And here are some strategies and routines I want to try to put into place:
- How to take back your mornings (with fun infographics!)
- Start my day with this morning brew to help with digestion and kick up my energy levels.
- Get energized with this yoga sequence.
- Have a morning boogie to these classic hits.
Who knows, maybe this will make a morning person out of me yet!
(Image from here)