Contrary to popular belief, we do not have infinite supplies of will-power. And the morning is the time of day when we have our highest levels of it, so getting your mornings right is key to adopting new and healthy habits. (Remember it takes around 21-30 days for a new behaviour to become habit).
Getting a good night's sleep will help us feel ready to get up when the alarm goes off. But what if we still struggle to prize ourselves out of bed? The old 3-2-1 trick (or the 5 second rule as popularised by Mel Robbins) is a simple way to send a signal to your brain to trigger the fast acting part of your brain as well as limiting the influence of the slow acting part of your brain. This method is simply counting down from 3 or 5-1, once we have made the decision to roll out of bed.
And really key to winning in the morning, is preparation the night before. Before bed, lay out your clothes or work-out gear. Having something appropriate and comfortable to hand first thing in the morning, takes away the energy required for decision making (what shall I wear? What's the weather doing today?) You can even check the forecast or have 2 options ready, if it could go either way.
A breakfast high in (healthy) fats and protein is just perfect for sustaining will-power. But perhaps you feel you don't have time for anything other than a slice of toast on the way out of the door? Prep your nutritious breakfast before bed, ensuring you opt for high protein, high fats. There are some great plant-based recipes for breakfast on this site. To up the healthy fats, add half an avocado or a small handful of nuts. If you are working out first thing, start the day with lemon water or black coffee. Or both, in that order. Save your breakfast for after your workout.
Proper relaxation before bed is very underestimated, but can be a great stress-buster and help with insomnia and hypertension. Firstly, a screen ban for 60 minutes before bed is really helpful; therefore any alarms on your phone might best be set early evening- or be radical and buy an old-fashioned alarm clock!
An old fashioned book at bedtime can do wonders for your sense of inner peace and tranquility, lowering blood pressure among other benefits such as improving memory and analytical thinking.
Some people like to do a relaxing practice of meditation or yin and/ or nidra yoga before bedtime, for their benefits for stress and anxiety.
Whatever you choose to include in your bedtime routine, have your productive early morning start as your goal: whatever you can do before bed to maximise your chances of a better morning, is worth doing.
Finally, if your mind is still buzzing when you are ready to sleep, take a moment to recall any thoughts that may be weighing heavy on your mind. One helpful strategy is to recall the thought in your mind''s eye, as if you are seeing it appear on a screen. Then swipe it away, and watch it disappear. This act of recalling and swiping away, allows the mind to relax. Often those thoughts and worries that come to us late at night, and seem so important, are often on waking, not as important as we thought.
Getting a good night's sleep will help us feel ready to get up when the alarm goes off. But what if we still struggle to prize ourselves out of bed? The old 3-2-1 trick (or the 5 second rule as popularised by Mel Robbins) is a simple way to send a signal to your brain to trigger the fast acting part of your brain as well as limiting the influence of the slow acting part of your brain. This method is simply counting down from 3 or 5-1, once we have made the decision to roll out of bed.
And really key to winning in the morning, is preparation the night before. Before bed, lay out your clothes or work-out gear. Having something appropriate and comfortable to hand first thing in the morning, takes away the energy required for decision making (what shall I wear? What's the weather doing today?) You can even check the forecast or have 2 options ready, if it could go either way.
A breakfast high in (healthy) fats and protein is just perfect for sustaining will-power. But perhaps you feel you don't have time for anything other than a slice of toast on the way out of the door? Prep your nutritious breakfast before bed, ensuring you opt for high protein, high fats. There are some great plant-based recipes for breakfast on this site. To up the healthy fats, add half an avocado or a small handful of nuts. If you are working out first thing, start the day with lemon water or black coffee. Or both, in that order. Save your breakfast for after your workout.
Proper relaxation before bed is very underestimated, but can be a great stress-buster and help with insomnia and hypertension. Firstly, a screen ban for 60 minutes before bed is really helpful; therefore any alarms on your phone might best be set early evening- or be radical and buy an old-fashioned alarm clock!
An old fashioned book at bedtime can do wonders for your sense of inner peace and tranquility, lowering blood pressure among other benefits such as improving memory and analytical thinking.
Some people like to do a relaxing practice of meditation or yin and/ or nidra yoga before bedtime, for their benefits for stress and anxiety.
Whatever you choose to include in your bedtime routine, have your productive early morning start as your goal: whatever you can do before bed to maximise your chances of a better morning, is worth doing.
Finally, if your mind is still buzzing when you are ready to sleep, take a moment to recall any thoughts that may be weighing heavy on your mind. One helpful strategy is to recall the thought in your mind''s eye, as if you are seeing it appear on a screen. Then swipe it away, and watch it disappear. This act of recalling and swiping away, allows the mind to relax. Often those thoughts and worries that come to us late at night, and seem so important, are often on waking, not as important as we thought.
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