Contributed by: Healthians Team
Introduction
We take our morning for granted and add items to our morning, in the hope of starting the day more productively.
However, some seemingly innocuous habits set the tone for an unproductive day, leaving you groggy and scattered.
So, without further ado, let’s figure out some surprising things that you’re doing wrong the first 60 minutes after you wake up!
Not-so AM-friendly routines
If you want to enhance your mornings to a great start, it goes without saying that you first have to change a few bad morning habits.
Take a few minutes to evaluate what needs to be eliminated from your routine. Consider it addition by subtraction. And adjust as necessary.
Here are some of the things that’ll turn your mornings into dampers; however, you first have to be aware of them!
Do not push the snooze button too many times
Hitting the snooze button takes the top spot on this list since it’s what most of us do first thing in the morning. It’s time to reconsider!
Most sleep experts believe that if you snooze your alarm several times you are actually messing with your brain. The reason is quite obvious.
If you press the snooze button, you only get a few hours of fragmented sleep because you are neither fully awake nor entirely sleeping during that period.
You begin a sleep cycle that you will most likely not complete.
It appears that if you do not complete that cycle, it wears on your brain and has the same detrimental effect on your attention span, mood, and cognitive capacity as limiting sleep to four hours per night.
Do not check your phone messages and notifications
Whether it’s checking social media, text messages, or emails, it’s so easy for us to roll over and check our cell phones first thing in the morning.
Doing so can drive you into “panic mode” before your day has even begun. You are not allowing your brain to gradually wake up by doing this.
You are quickly inundated with emails and texts that make you feel worried and overwhelmed first thing in the morning which might set off your stress response, making you feel tense for the remainder of the day.
Wellness experts advise that if you want to start your day well, you should avoid reaching for your phone as soon as you open your eyes.
So do yourself a favour and refrain from looking at your phone until you’re on your way out the door, when you’ve washed, dressed, had breakfast, and your mind is more alert.
Do not forget to hydrate
Study after study predicts that drinking water not only helps you wake up, it can also get your metabolism moving in the right direction.
Drinking water at room temperature first thing in the morning can assist with constipation, reduce urinary tract infections (UTI), aid in weight loss, build your immune system, combat bad breath, and strengthen your brain, among other health advantages.
So, to begin your day, drink a full glass of water.
Do not skip your first-morning meal
We frequently overlook the most important meal of the day: breakfast.
Research shows that taking time to enjoy that first meal of the day rather than rushing out the door is a great way to start the day.
Consuming a nutritious breakfast can stimulate and motivate healthy choices throughout the day’s entirety.
Eating breakfast within two hours of getting up—especially one rich in protein—can increase fullness throughout the day and reduce cravings.
Do not take a steaming hot water
Experts warn that taking hot showers in the morning could produce a stagnating and sedating effect.
A shower that is too hot not only strips oils from the skin but also signals to your nervous system that it is time to relax your muscles and calm your heart rate. You begin to feel relaxed – and sleeping!
Instead, switch to cold showers or something in-between to wake up. It will cause the energising hormone adrenaline to be released.
It will also lift your spirits. According to research, cold showers can flood the body with feel-good endorphins.
Final thoughts
A great start to the day sets the tone for the rest of the day. However, it is very easy to ruin this fresh start with some toxic habits. Improve your mornings so you can conquer the rest of your day.
Also, by opting for regular health screenings, you can stay on top of your health condition and take preventive measures in the event that you are likely to get hit by a disease.
