#STEPS TO A BRIGHTER MORNING

For every early bird there’s at least a few of us who can’t seem to wake up before a certain hour. Truth is, the majority of people up for school and work at 6am have trained themselves to do so. I’ve learned how good it can feel to have a successful, productive morning (I love to multitask), but that’s not to say it’s a total breeze! For some, literally having a “good morning” is easier than others. But no matter what’s ahead each morning, there are ways to streamline and improve the first part of your day for good.

1. Consider your sleep cycles.

Nowadays there are tons of apps dedicated to making you feel refreshed when you wake up. Because our bodies go through sleep cycles in the night, simply telling them to wake up at an exact time each morning isn’t ideal. With the Sleep Cycle alarm clock, your alarm goes off during your lightest sleep cycle so you don’t wake up in the middle of a deep sleep that would lead to that foggy, groggy feeling right off the bat. It should also minimize the time you spend hitting snooze because you don’t feel as exhausted, and snooze only worsens your issue!

2. Save decisions for the night before.

Remember when your mom used to lay clothes out the night before? It’s not a bad idea! While choosing an outfit seems simple, we all know it can cause a headache in the morning. And when you’re not fully on your game, those conflicts tend to waste more time than they should. This can also include prepping a meal or writing your to-do list the night before. Let’s face it, we’re not all there when we first wake up… Might as well leave the decision making for a more clear-headed moment.

3. Find your morning ritual.

Whether you take 5 minutes or an hour out of your morning to do something that you WANT to do, it makes all the difference. This could mean working out, going for a walk, sipping coffee, meditation, whatever helps you to calm and refocus, and possibly even energize you for the day ahead. Just make sure that ritual isn’t more sleep! 😉

4. Time the necessities.

Knowing how much time it takes to prep your hair or complete your beauty look is essential to streamlining your routine. Try timing your morning routine for a week straight and then analyzing the results – you’ll see whether you’re waking up at the appropriate time and whether certain things ended up being cut for lack of time (#3 is usually the first to go when you’re in a rush!). Then, you can continue to step 5:

5. Find a system.

Some people thrive on repetition and some are better with spontaneity, so I won’t say that you need to complete an exact regimen daily in order to have a successful morning. However, you do want to find a type of routine that works for you. That might mean performing your morning ritual right when you wake up or as a break in between getting ready. It could also mean washing your hair the night before to save time or switching things up a bit mid-week.

What’s your morning routine? Any tips?

Sara Dal Monte