Making the Most out of your Mornings

How to make the most out of your mornings
Starting the day right is an influential step towards fostering a good sense of wellbeing and structure throughout the day. It is the time to enjoy time to yourself, while building a strong foundation for a day ahead.

While days can change a lot and challenges can come up, there are plenty of ways to build a positive mindset and mechanisms for approaching the day proactively.

After creating a set wakeup time and committing to it, here’s a few of our tips to have a productive and motivating morning.

The Night Before
Have an idea of what you will be doing the next day. Whether it’s a day full of classes, writing assessments, doing exam prep or going to work; make a rough schedule of your time and how you will spend it. Make sure to pop in time to eat and take short breaks - you deserve to rest, as much as you deserve to work hard and achieve your goals.

If you want to avoid morning rush, have an idea of what you want to wear and lay it out so you can easily get dressed in the morning. A great idea is to fill up your water bottle and leave it in the fridge so you can have a refreshing drink when you wake up, and packing some light snacks and healthy meals to get you through the day. Both your wallet and body will thank you for the time you take to put you first.

Tidy your space
After your alarm goes off, avoid the temptation to lie in bed by making it the first thing you do! This is a way to get your body moving and ease into the day. If there are clothes on the floor or loose things lying on your desk or other places, find a place to leave them and declutter.

You don’t have to deep-clean the space right after waking up but a simple effort to tidy will make it easier to build a habit of looking after where you spend time day-to-day. It will give you a small sense of pride for having completed your first task for the morning, so it’s a win-win situation.

Drink Water
Water is essential to your body and it’s considered an essential nutrient, so your body needs it to function. It’s also pivotal to reminding yourself to stay hydrated during the day, with experts providing that you should drink 2L of water a day or have 8 glasses.

If you need to take vitamins or other supplements, now is the time to remind yourself to do it too. Don’t forget about planning your breakfast either for when you feel ready to eat, it’s the meal not to miss.

Get Outdoors
Your health is a priority and we can always make time for things that matter. A quick 10-15 minute walk in the morning is a great way to exercise if you’re short on time. If you prefer a more lengthy exercise routine similar to a gym session, jog or run is great too. You can listen to music, your favourite podcast or take in the sound of the morning quiet.

You could also find a spot to read a listen or read a book and take in the morning sun, play some music and dance by yourself or watch a workout video and follow it from home. There are so many options to unplug and create time for yourself.

Breakfast
It’s the most important meal of the day and you should fill your body up with nutrients! Light breakfast options include fruit bowls, bananas, snack bars or yoghurt with honey and fruit. Not everyone likes to fill up first thing in the morning but for those who do, bake some muesli loaded with things you love, or make bacon with eggs and toast.

What should you wash breakfast down with? Some people like breakfast juice or others need a caffeine hit, so make whatever suits you. The most important thing is to value yourself enough to fuel your body and commit to fostering good health.

Final thoughts
Whether you see yourself as a morning person or not, there are things you can do to make them the time of day that sets you up for what you have planned for the day ahead. With these tips, you’ll be able to give valuable time to yourself and feel good about contributing to the tasks and people you’ve committed to during your day.