By now, you expect to wake up feeling exhausted no matter how early you went to bed. Many factors contribute to exhaustion, such as stress, sleeping in the wrong position, or still catching up on sleep from a week (or longer) ago. This exhaustion can make every morning a struggle, and you may not even feel right until lunchtime, making the time from nine until twelve feel like a slog.
So what can you do? As a professional - regardless of your industry - you need to identify how your lifestyle affects your sleep and, in turn, how it affects your mornings. Although not everything will be relevant to you, here are some useful lifestyle changes that will fill you with energy every morning.
Develop a Consistent Routine
Good things come from a consistent routine. You probably have one for work, but you should also consider one for your downtime, especially before you go to bed.
Varying sleep schedules are often the biggest cause of exhaustion in the morning. While you might get eight hours one night, you might only sleep for five hours the next. Even if you try to catch up to this on weekends, you’re still putting yourself at a disadvantage. You will find plenty of benefits by giving yourself a bedtime each night and sticking to it. Although it can take a while to get to sleep at the same time each night, your body will soon adapt.
Go To Bed Feeling Calm
If you struggle to get to sleep, it might be that you are anxious about what you need to do the next day or for the rest of the week. This can have a severe impact on the quality of your sleep, so you should go to bed feeling calm.
This approach is a great way of managing mental health, especially as an entrepreneur, so organize as much as you can for the next day, such as your outfit and lunch. You can also spend time meditating and practising mindfulness to help you get comfortable and increase calmness.
Stop Hitting Snooze
Sleep experts will tell you that the snooze button is one of the worst inventions, yet many people will rely on it. The snooze button interrupts your sleep and doesn’t do anything to make you feel less tired, as you never get back to the deep sleep that helps you recharge.
So, if you’re someone who relies on the snooze button more than anything else, it’s time to train yourself to stop using it. Either get up as soon as your alarm rings or set an alarm slightly later for you to get up at the right time.
Start Your Day With a Glass of Water
You might be worried about oversleeping, though, especially if your body is still adjusting to your lifestyle changes. If this is the case, make sure to keep a glass of water by your bed and take a long, thankful gulp from it as soon as you wake up.
A glass of water will be beneficial as dehydration is one of the most common causes of fatigue. If you hydrate yourself first thing, you will get a quick boat of energy that will encourage you to get out of bed and allow you to start your day with positivity.
Make Your Bedroom Work For You
Your bedroom could also be a cause of your exhaustion and fatigue. If it is too hot, too cold, too dark, or too light, you will struggle to get the full and refreshing rest you require.
As you spend a third of your life in your bedroom, you must make sure it works for you. The likes of Shuttercraft can give you ideas for upgrading your blinds or curtains to allow enough light to wake you up while still blocking disturbing lights. It’s also beneficial to find the perfect ambience through temperature and lighting, while a suitable mattress firmness can do wonders for any aches and pains.
Get Outside
Once you get out of bed, you can get your body moving by stretching and waking up your muscles. You can do this in your bedroom, our home yoga studio, or even go outside, weather dependent, of course.
The fresh air will immediately wake you up and it can improve focus and concentration to get your day started right. Many people will go for a run to start their day, but if this isn’t something you’d enjoy, there are plenty of other options. Take the dog for a walk or just sit on your patio with a steaming cup of coffee and ease into your day. If you set aside ten minutes to half an hour before starting your day, you'll find that you have more energy and are ready to take on whatever the day throws at you.
Plan Something You Can Look Forward To
Sure, you are waking up to go to work, but this doesn't need to be something that you dread; far from it. You may be able to overcome exhaustion by giving yourself something to look forward to.
This could be something small, such as your favourite breakfast snack on the way to work, or it could be a quick catch-up with friends over lunch. You don’t even need to think about something at work, but rather something you can look forward to once you log off for the day. An activity, such as a training session with your team or a trip to the cinema with your partner is an excellent motivator, and you will feel more energised because you know you only need to get through a few more hours before you can have some fun.
Rise and Shine
Waking up is hard to do, even if you feel like there are not enough hours in the day to complete every small and substantial task in front of you. However, a good night’s sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, which is why making effective changes can help you sleep easier and still ensure you have enough energy going forward to be the very best person you can be.
WRITTEN BY
Sophie H.