We get it. In between squeezing yourself onto a rammed bus and paying £3 for your caffeine fix, mornings can be pretty rubbish.
But shake that feeling and make new habits, with these tiny changes you could make to improve your day – and mood! – before it’s even 9am.
1. Drink a large glass of water
Imagine not drinking a single liquid for the next seven hours. That’s what your body goes through when you’re asleep, so kick things off every morning by rehydrating with a large glass of water. Plus, it’ll get rid of that grim stale taste we all wake up with, too.
2. Do NOT stroll through Instagram
It’s so easy to switch off your iPhone alarm and mindlessly start scrolling through Instagram, but the likelihood of this being worthwhile or meaningful is next to nothing. Use the time to grab a few more minutes in bed, or get up and do something productive.
3. But maybe reply to the text you forgot about
We’re all guilty of opening messages and thinking ‘I’ll reply to that later’, or just ignoring them all together when we can’t be bothered to continue the conversation, but don’t let that feeling loom over you all day. Get your reply over and done with before the day has even begun.
4. Think about one thing you’re looking forward to that day
This doesn’t have to be a big thing – whether it’s the delicious lunch you’re planning on getting or even the thought of crawling back into bed at the end of the working day: if you set yourself a positive target or are counting down to something favourable, you’re surely you’re going to have a better day?
5. Make your bed
In the same way that a tidy person would never leave the house without making their bed, set yourself up for the day by having a bedroom you’ll be happy to see that evening – not one with stuff strewn everywhere and nowhere you could fathomably sleep.
6. Smile at the first person you see
‘Grumpy’ may well be your middle name in the morning, but there’s no better way to set a happy tone for your day than forcing yourself to smile at the first person you see. Whether it’s a flatmate, boyfriend or stranger in the street, the chances are they’ll smile back, and then you’ll all be starting the day that little bit brighter.
7. Use a sleep cycle app for a more natural wake up call
Alarm clock apps like SleepCycle analyse your sleeping patterns, and wake you up during a light period of sleep as opposed to an REM-sleep or heavy period. You set a time frame – 30 minutes by default – that ends at your desired alarm time, and the alarm will go off during that time when you’re at your lightest sleep, which in theory should make you feel more rested than your alarm going off at a set time, irrespective of how deep your sleep is.
8. Listen to your favourite song
Put your mood on the right track (wahey) from the word go by listening to your favourite jam as you’re getting up. It’s probably not a good idea to set it as your alarm tone, but while you’re doing your makeup or when you’re in the shower? Bruno Mars + pre 9am = happiness.
9. Stretch
No, you don’t have to do a full Sun Salutation or YouTube workout (unless you want to!), but standing on your tip toes and stretching out your body after a night of being curled up is bound to only do good.
10. Pre-make your breakfast the night before
Take some of the stress out of your morning routine by meal-prepping your breakfast in advance so you don’t have to worry about feeling hungry when you wake up. Plus, having overnight oats or eggs already made and ready to go will remove any room for temptation if you’re trying to stick to healthier food choices.
11. Tell yourself you’re going to have a good day
Because at least having the intention is the best place to start, right?
