“What starts well ends well” is a very popular phrase among us. This is particularly true when it comes to the start of the day. If we have a good start of the day, the rest of the days seem to go without a hitch. But we have all had those groggy mornings, where the entire day feels like a waste. Luckily, if you avoid these bad morning habits you can actually kickstart your day with a bang!
By Minhaz Remo
STAYING IN BED WITH YOUR PHONE
This is one of the biggest culprits. While it is true that most of us use our phones as alarms, the 20-30 minutes of social media surfing and email checking that invariably follows may not only delay you for work or other tasks, but also put you in a bad mood. Things like checking your email, or Whatsapp text from your supervisor can put you in a bad mood, spiking up your stress hormones like cortisol.
Instead, get a regular alarm clock to avoid the distractions. Instead of scrolling mindlessly through social media like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, use that time to do absolutely nothing. Enjoy the nothingness. You won’t get this tranquility until the end of the day.
“Enjoy the nothingness”
NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER
Keep in mind that you haven’t had any water for at least six-eight hours while you were asleep. Your body is quite dehydrated at the start of the day. Hence, you will notice that the first thing that we feel at the start of the day is the feeling of thirst. You should listen to that feeling. Why? Not only will it give your body the water it needs to prepare for the day, it also takes care of your morning breath. Drinking enough water also makes sure your body flushes out all the toxins and waste material from your body and keeps you free from medical issues.
SKIPPING BREAKFAST
Unless you are following some strict diet by your doctor for a medical condition or treatment, there should NOT be a reason to skip your breakfast. Our body starts the day on an empty gas tank. If that tank is empty, your body would feel like running the latest Need For Speed game on Windows 98.
And no, you do not need to starve yourself to lose weight. There is plenty of research that shows that all the fancy diets fads ultimately lead to eating less, which causes weight loss. There is a reason that food timing matters in sports nutrition. Have you ever heard any performance athlete train on an empty stomach? Start your day with a healthy breakfast.
NOT GETTING ENOUGH SUN
Our body has its own biological clock which is adjusted with the movement of the sun. It is called the circadian rhythm. Basically, exposure to sunlight and darkness releases certain hormones in our body to make sure it follows the cycle of the sun for rest and recovery. But our modern lifestyle and access to endless amounts of tech and gadgets makes it quite impossible to follow the solar cycle.
So, regular exposure to sunlight at a certain time can help reset that out-of-phase sleep cycle, and make sure that you wake up feeling well rested. No extra effort is required for this bit: Just wake up and open the curtains and stare out the window for five-ten minutes. Going out on the balcony and practicing nothingness is a plus point for added Vitamin D.
SNOOZE BUTTON
Stop pressing it! You are not getting added rest; you are just delaying the inevitable. What you may not realize is that every time you wake up, your body restarts its sleep cycle from ZERO. That’s why it makes you feel even more tired.
Just like every time you completely stop the car, it starts from zero or rest. Just make sure you get enough sleep, and remember that your sleep cycle restarts, so that is why you wake up feeling irritated. So, instead of pressing the snooze button, get up immediately.
If you can avoid these negative habits at the start of the day, it will be safe to say that you will have a better day than your other times. Give it a try and let us know how it went.
