It’s pretty safe to say that not many people like mornings. This is a time for slugging through it and making it to work, but is it possible to actually enjoy those early hours? In the morning, there’s a sense of stillness, quiet and possibility which can help you set your entire day off to a peaceful and energized start – or at least, not in a complete daze – and give your mental health and wellbeing the boost it needs.
Changing your mornings begins with changing your attitude. Being ready and able to take on the day is a blessing – something that not everyone has a chance to do. Try to appreciate how lucky you are when your alarm goes off. However, if that doesn’t seem possible at 6:30am, why not write a morning to-do list the night before? You’ll feel amazing for making the most of that time, and you’ll be set up for a day of extra productivity and focus.
Next, make sure you’re the boss of your body clock. In order to wake up feeling great, you need to have a decent night’s sleep, and this begins with an earlier bedtime. Tonight, go to bed 10 minutes earlier than you usually would. Tomorrow, go to bed an extra 10 minutes earlier. It doesn’t sound like much, but in a week you’ll be going to bed an hour earlier – and your mornings will reflect that. You can also help your mornings by limiting your screen time and caffeine intake in the evenings, and avoiding super-late nights at the weekend.
If you really want to be jumping out of bed in the morning, you need to have something waiting for you which is more tempting than an extra 10 minutes’ kip. Have a range of small goals and big goals to convince yourself with. Small goals might include an early yoga class you want to hit, or a TV programme you’re dying to watch but won’t have the time unless you get up now. You also need big-scale goals, such as being at work fully focused and full of ideas to get that next promotion or to get ahead on an exciting project. Soon you’ll be taking over the world, one morning at a time.