Adopt a better way of conquering the day

Waking up with intention may sound easy, but in reality, we often find ourselves immediately reaching for our smartphones upon waking, diverting our attention to external stimuli, social media, and aimless scrolling.

Ever noticed how starting your morning in a rush, snoozing your alarm and rushing yourself out the door without any breakfast, tends to set the tone for the rest of the day? Studies show that the mere anticipation of stress can have a tangible impact on your mental performance level throughout that day. It’s time we adopt a more mindful morning routine. Here are a couple of things to consider next time you feel yourself slipping into a digitally driven morning rut.

1. 1. Sleep

Keep your sleep hygiene simple. Avoid screen time 1–2 hours prior to going to bed and keep the caffeine away for the second half of the day. Aim for 7–8 hours of shut-eye every night. Getting perfect sleep every night can be difficult. Sometimes sleep has to be sacrificed for fun events and midnight conversations. A good measure is to aim for getting a good night’s rest at least 80% of the time, the remaining 20% we hope you’re celebrating life in whatever way you prefer.

1.  2. Get some sunlight

When you wake up, the first thing you can do to get your body and mind going is to get some natural light. Exposure to sunlight does two things, it triggers a timely release of cortisol, acting as a wake-up signal to the body, promoting wakefulness and the ability to focus throughout the day. Regulating your bodily clock becomes much easier if you stick to the habit of going to sleep and waking up within a set window of time.

To achieve consistently good sleep, the most crucial step is to maintain a consistent wake-up time. This is pivotal because your circadian rhythm, often referred to as your body clock, is primarily regulated by the time you wake up, rather than the time you go to bed.

1. 3. Wait 1 hour until consuming caffeine

When you wake up the brain begins clearing away the sleep chemical, adenosine which has been keeping you asleep. However, if you reach for your first cuppa joe too fast, the caffeine will block the adenosine receptors. This means, the sleep chemical doesn’t get cleared out and ends up remaining in your body for longer. As the effect of caffeine wears off, the lingering adenosine could result in a late-morning crash. Waiting 1–2 hours after waking up to sip your first cup of coffee gives the adenosine enough time to leave your body.

1. 4. Move your body

Moving your body in the morning, whether through cardiovascular exercises such as jogging or cycling, or weight lifting leads to the secretion of neurotransmitters, promotes mental clarity and boosts your mood throughout the day. Moving your body doesn’t mean a 2-hour power strike at the gym. Going for a 30-minute brisk walk outside is enough, the most important thing is that you get your heart rate up.

1. 5. Stimulate your mind

Instead of reaching for your phone or laptop first thing in the morning, use the mental clarity of the first hours of a new day to challenge your mind. There are multiple ways to expand your mind in the morning. Some may prefer reading a complex article, others playing a game of sudoku or solving a crossword puzzle. If you are someone who’d like to visualize your mental progress in the morning, neurofeedback brain training may be a suitable option for you.

So, how are you waking up tomorrow?