When you think of a ruined day, it isn’t the things that you do intentionally that most people blame. However, there are so many bad morning habits that can start your day off in the wrong way. By making changes to your mornings, you can prevent a ruined day before it starts.
1. Hitting Snooze First Thing in the AM
If your first action in the morning is to delay it, you are delaying the possibility for joy. Hitting snooze is an indicator that what exists in your day is not good. By rising when your alarm goes off, you may find yourself more willing to tackle the challenges of the day. With a positive beginning to the day, such as getting out of bed rearing to go, you might notice that your entire outlook changes.
2. Starting the Day Unproductively
Whether you’re scrolling through your social media feed first thing, staying in bed long after you’re awake, or sitting around as you try to work up the motivation for the day, the truth is that the morning is unproductive. Rather than starting with an unproductive morning, make sure to do constructive actions. Get in a workout, journal, or listen to an educational podcast.
3. Waking Up with a Negative Mindset
If you’re not a morning person, you likely wake up with dread. This mindset can have a greater impact on your entire day than you realize. You can teach your mind to have more positive thoughts upon waking. Doing so can help you to start your day with happiness, an emotion than can positively impact the whole of your day.
4. Keeping the Curtains Closed
While the sunlight can be hard on your eyes first thing in the morning, it can also be uplifting. Start your morning right by getting plenty of natural light. Sunlight prepares your brain for the day and energizes you. It also boosts the brain’s release of serotonin, which is a natural hormone that helps a person’s mood, focus, and level of calmness.
5. Drinking Coffee Before Water
Hydrating yourself after a long night of sleeping is imperative to starting your day in the right way. Rehydrating first thing in the morning will help to eliminate any waste in the body, boost the metabolism, and helps with digestion. Not only is water healthy in this way, but it helps you to feel more energy early in the day. In fact, water can do more for your energy levels than water.
6. Skipping Your Morning Meal
It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is true – and still, many people skip it or eat poorly. Rather than indulging in sugary cereals, donuts, or similar items, eat a healthy and filling breakfast. Eating well in the morning leads to a more productive day in the form of better energy and greater brainpower.
7. Difficult Decision Making
Making hard choices early in the morning can put a damper on the whole day. Sometimes any choices at all are too much in the AM. Try to make decisions the night before – the clothes you will wear, the food you will eat for breakfast, and what you will pack for lunch can add up to a lot in a single morning. Instead, setting out your clothes, getting your ingredients arranged, and packing a lunch the night prior can have a positive impact on your morning routine.
8. No Shower or Hot Shower
A cool morning shower works wonders in waking your brain up. Skipping a shower likely means you’ll drag in the morning and be slower to get going. A hot shower, however, can make you comfortable enough to want to get back in bed. It can also keep you in the shower longer, resulting in a less productive morning. To have a great, productive day, a shower with cool water in the morning is the right place to start.
Do More than Prevent a Ruined Day: Have Great Ones
Starting your morning off right by avoiding these things can be the boost you need to carry your great mood throughout the day. It can be hard to turn a bad morning into a great day, but usually the opposite is also true: It can be hard to turn a great morning into a bad day. Make your morning the best it can be, and you might find that your days are far better than they once were.
