I wasn’t always a morning person. Throughout my uni days I always felt that I functioned better at night…all nighter essay writing/revising – that was me. Even before I was self employed I was never really a morning person. I’ll admit, all the travelling from Glasgow to London for work a couple of years ago at 5am for the best part of a year probably didn’t help things either! However over the past couple of years, a few changed habits and tips have really helped me become a morning person. Don’t get me wrong, I still do find that I get a lot of my best ideas later on in the evening but I definitely do love my early morning routines nowadays! It might sound really sad but I actually love the feeling of getting up bright and early, getting things done and still feeling like I have the whole day ahead of me! So if you struggle with being a ‘morning person’ then listen up because these tips might just sort you out…
1. EVENING ROUTINE
For me, a good evening routine is key. This includes making sure my bedroom is set up in a way that makes me want to sleep. We all know that sleep is important so if we don’t get enough of it then it’s highly unlikely we’ll be able to function properly first thing in the morning. To set things up for the evening I always like to light a couple of candles, dim the lights and make sure my bed is looking all comfy and cosy. Investing in some key pieces is always a good idea – some cushions, a soft throw etc. I also recently invested in a mattress topper from John Lewis (here) and it was the best decision I ever made. I genuinely feel as though I’m sleeping on a cloud! Other parts of my evening routine include a mini pamper sesh – cleansing my skin after makeup removal, putting on a night mask and painting my nails etc. I won’t do the same routine every night but I do find that it really does help get my brain into ‘relax mode’.
2. WIND DOWN WITH A BOOK & HERBAL TEA
I’ve heard so many people say that reading before bed is really good for helping you wind down and since I’ve started doing this I’ve definitely noticed a difference in my sleeping patterns. Before doing this I used to find that I could wake up multiple times during the night but now I tend to sleep right through! I also find chamomile tea really helps me relax before bed – my favourite is by tea pigs (their peppermint tea is also an absolute winner, it tastes just like After Eights!!)
3. SWITCH OFF DEVICES BEFORE BED
I am definitely guilty of surfing the web and checking my social media before bed but it is SO bad to do this just before sleeping! It’s something to do with the ‘blue light’ omitted and it’s all very scientific but apparently it lowers our quality of sleep. This year I’ve been making a real effort to switch off my phone and ipad before going to sleep and I genuinely do believe that I sleep much better for it. It used to take me over an hour to get to sleep sometimes and I think this is one of the reasons for it. It was awful! I’d be constantly clock watching and just unable to ‘switch off’.
4. INVEST IN A LUMIE DAYLIGHT LAMP
I’m not one for gadgets really, but something I highly recommend investing in is a Lumie Daylight Bodyclock lamp. In a nutshell, this is an alarm clock that wakens you with a gradually brightening 30 minute sunrise. Waking up like this is said to regulate your sleep/wake cycle and has also been shown to boost mood and productivity for the rest of the day. I invested in one of these a few years ago and I couldn’t be without one now. I was worried at first that I’d need my regular alarm screaming in my ear before I’d move an inch from my slumber but this really does work, especially in the Winter when it’s really dark in the morning. For this reason it also helps combat Seasonal Affective Disorder. You can find these at a range of different price thresholds but the cheapest is around £50. I’m sure I got mines from Amazon but this one from John Lewis is exactly the same as the one I have.
5. GET SOME GOOD BREAKFAST RECIPES
Tell me it isn’t just me who’s starving from the second I open my eyes?! If there’s one thing that motivates me to get out of bed it’s food…especially if it’s a good breakfast recipe. I’m quite lucky in that I work from home most days so I have time to cook but if you find that you’re short for time there are some amazing recipes on Pinterest that can be pre-made and stored in the fridge so that you can just grab and go! Overnight oats are a firm favourite of mines. Not only is food a good motivator for getting out of bed but it’s also kinda necessary if you want to be functioning at 100%. I know some people struggle to eat first thing but if you can force yourself to do it and get into a routine it’ll really help perk you up in the morning. I also always force myself to gulp down some water first thing too – hot water with a slice of lemon is what I usually have as it helps kickstart the digestion! I don’t know what it is about cold water but I just can’t have it first thing. Is anyone else like that?!
6. EXERCISE IN THE MORNING
If you can force yourself to get up that little bit earlier to exercise then it really will do you the world of good. I always find myself feeling so much more energised when I do a little bit of exercise first thing – even if it’s some light yoga, it really does help waken me up and put me in a really good mood! Maybe it’s something to do with getting rid of all the bad toxins – who knows but it definitely works! If you’re looking to do some yoga at home I highly recommend Yoga With Adriene. She has her own youtube channel which is amazing and so easy to follow.
7. ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO
This might seem like a bit of strange one but I genuinely do feel like I get out of bed easier when I know I have a good day ahead of me or something good planned! Even if it’s just a mid week coffee and catch up with a friend it’s a good motivator! I always make a point of planning the following day in my diary before bed and jotting down some things I’m looking forward to and it always helps motivate me.
And there you have it! My top tips for becoming more of a morning person! None of this is rocket science but it really does work for me. Little changes really do make such a difference over the long term so if you’d like to become more of a morning person then try out some of my techniques and see if they work for you! Of course, everyone is different so not everything will work the same for different people but if you have any of your own tips please share them in the comments section below because we can help each other out!
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Are you a morning person? What are your top tips?
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I hope you have a great day!
Lots of love,
Chantelle
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