Don’t Hate Your Mornings

Oh, those hateful mornings when you awake and all is not right with the world. You wake up tired and not ready to start the day even though you know you have to anyway. Whether you realize it or not starting your morning in a negative manner can ruin the entire day. Negativity passes from person to person, situation to situation, continuing on throughout your day. But, starting your day in a positive manner can lead to a much more pleasant day.

There are a few things you can do to start your day in a more positive way. One very important part of having a good day is to get plenty of sleep. If you feel you’re still tired every morning try going to bed an hour earlier than usual. Although some people can get by on less than 8 hours of sleep others need more than the standard 8.

One thing that hits people so hard is the alarm clock. Having it jerk you out of a deep sleep is not pleasant, no matter who you are. Start to wake up slightly before the alarm by leaving the blinds halfway up at bedtime. The sun coming up, even slightly, can trigger your brain to begin to come out of a deep sleep. Now when the alarm rings you should have a less rude awakening.

Set your coffee maker to start a half hour before your alarm rings. The smell of fresh coffee, along with a sliver of sunlight through the blinds, can help you to wake up in a more positive mood. And having coffee handy and ready to go helps you to wake up faster as well.

Take a shower in the morning. Even if you don’t actually bathe in the morning let the water run over you for 10 minutes or so. Water refreshes and rejuvenates and is a sure-fire way to get you going in the morning.

Get up early enough to where you don’t have to rush around to get ready. Allow yourself an extra 20 or 30 minutes for listening to music, reading the paper, watching a little television, or just sitting outside on the deck while enjoying your coffee.

Make decisions the night before so your mind isn’t boggled with these trivial things in the morning. Choose and lay out what you will wear and decide long before morning what you will eat for breakfast. Load your briefcase and gather other necessities that you’ll need the next day. If you are getting ready at the same time as children have them lay out clothing, pack lunches, and fill book bags the previous night. Less commotion means less aggravation.

It’s easy to get upset or irritated first thing in the morning but sometimes that leads to a bad day – all day. Prevent that from happening by trying to keep a positive frame of mind and wake up gently rather than to blaring noise and commotion. You’ll have a much better day and so will many of your associates.