Don't Do These 6 Things When You First Wake Up
We all do certain things in the first couple of minutes after we wake up. These first decisions of the day can greatly impact the way the rest of the day plays out. It’s not always about what we do in the morning. Sometimes it can be about what we don’t do. Here are 6 things you should never do when you first wake up.
1. Don’t Hit Snooze
It can be tempting to hit the snooze button in the morning, especially if we didn’t get enough sleep the night before. However, hitting the snooze button takes away valuable time we need to get ready for the day properly.
Not only does hitting snooze take up valuable time in the morning. It can also cause you to wake up during REM sleep instead of allowing your body to go through the proper sleep cycles, which can make you feel more groggy throughout the day. Go to bed at a reasonable hour and wake up when your alarm goes off the first time.
2. Don’t Write Your To-Do List
When you first wake up, you may feel tempted to run through everything you have to do that day. You don’t want to think about everything you have to do when you first wake up, as it can give you anxiety.
It can be much more relaxing for you if you write down your to-do list the previous night. You’ll know that you have everything written down, so you can focus on your morning routine instead of your to-do list.
3. Don’t Worry About Unimportant Decisions
We make a number of decisions every day. Some experts even claim that we make an overwhelming 35,000 decisions every single day. Of course, some of those decisions carry more weight than others. People can experience decision fatigue if they aren’t careful, so you should really only focus on the important decisions if possible.
Therefore, it’s best to eliminate some of your choices early in the morning. You should know what you will have to drink and eat in advance. You should also pick out your outfit in advance. You’ll experience less stress if you reduce the food items and clothing items in your home, too. If you meditate in the morning, you’ll be able to handle the more important decisions you encounter throughout the day.
4. Don’t Stress About Things Later in the Day
If you have an important meeting at 3:00 p.m., you shouldn’t worry about the meeting until closer to the scheduled time as you prepare for the meeting. Stressing about the meeting isn’t going to make it go better.
In fact, it can make it go worse if you allow yourself to build up too much anxiety about it. It can also prevent you from focusing on your morning routine. Instead, focus on each task as you reach it on your schedule. You can improve your ability to focus and experience life in the moment by practicing mindfulness sessions in the morning. Mindfulness is the process of learning how to live in the moment.
5. Don’t Make Yourself Uncomfortable
You don’t want to start your day uncomfortably. Therefore, you don’t want to overeat or wear clothing that doesn’t properly fit you. You want to eat a healthy breakfast, but you don’t want to overdo it. You want to look good, but you don’t want to make choices that can make you feel restrained. In order to make sure you remain comfortable through the day, consider stretching when you first wake up.
6. Don’t Race To Work
It’s important to give yourself time to prepare in the morning. Running late is an awfully stress inducing activity. Set your alarm for a time that gives you plenty of time to eat breakfast, shower, meditate or exercise, and watch the news (or whatever you do for your morning routine). If you don’t have enough time, you’ll race to work and possibly even be late, starting your day off on the wrong foot.
