Although quarantine has messed up your routine a bit, you can learn to love your mornings again. If you have difficulty adjusting to working hours during quarantine, start by planning the night before to ensure the day is as predictable as possible.
1- Plan the next day
Never go to bed without planning for the next day. Write everything down on paper or in your cell phone’s notebook. This will allow you to sleep peacefully during the night, as you will be prepared for the next day. You will wake up feeling more relaxed and responsible, rather than rushed and tense.
2- Organize the mess
Take 10 minutes every night to get the house ready quickly, this helps reduce stress levels every morning, plus you have an incredible feeling of a tidy home as soon as you wake up—no need to clean. Just keep what is out of place.
3- Prepare breakfast
Preparing breakfast the night before is a huge time-saver. You can leave the table ready with dishes and products that don’t need refrigeration on a tray, leave the coffee powder in the coffee maker, water in the kettle, leave the cut and covered fruits in the refrigerator and leave the ingredients for the green juice frozen. The following day, you have to throw the juice ingredients in the blender, make the coffee, and start the day off right.
4- Keep everything you need close
In addition to choosing your outfit, you can use your evenings to gather any other essentials you’ll need for the next day. You’ll save a few minutes of sleep every day.
5- Choose your outfit
Do yourself a favor and choose your outfit the night before and keep everything separate. Check if your clothes need ironing.
6- Make your bedroom a sanctuary
Indirect light is the first step to start relaxing. You can install dimmers or lamps and use yellow bulbs. Some people need a pitch to sleep well, while others need some light through the crack in the door or window. Choose the option you feel comfortable with, invest in good, comfortable bedding, and keep your room clean and tidy.
7- Go to bed at the same time
Going to bed every night at the same time helps you sleep better and feel refreshed the next day. Try to avoid bedtime variations.
8- Have a hot drink
Choose a tea with a calming effect, such as chamomile tea, and some research suggests that it increases something called glycine, a natural sedative. Most people agree that it’s simply the heat of the drink that soothes, so if you think a hot drink can relax you, go for it. Also, the ritual of making a cup of tea can be relaxing and put your body into a routine.
9- Avoid technology
It would be best to avoid exposure to technology use for at least an hour before bed, and yes, that means no phone. For those who love checking Instagram or Facebook while falling asleep, be aware that screen exposure inhibits the production of melatonin, which is responsible for inducing sleep, and that’s something we don’t want to impede. So leave to see the stories of friends the next day and turn off the TV to sleep better.
10- When waking up, do not take a nap
Getting just five more minutes of sleep can be devastating and ruin your day, so jump out of bed when the alarm goes off and resist the snooze effect.
11- Don’t pick up your phone
When waking up every morning, wait at least 10 minutes before looking at your cell phone. Would you please leave it to check the weather, your email, and the news once you’re up?
12- Stretch
Take a good stretch before getting out of bed. Stretching or stretching gets your blood flowing through your body, releases endorphins, prevents headaches, and lubricates your joints.
13- Drink water
Drinking two glasses of water in the morning activates your internal organs and keeps you hydrated as soon as you get up.
14- Get natural light
When you get up, let some natural light in through a crack in the curtain. This will make your brain realize that it’s time to get started, and seeing the day outside might cheer you up.
15- Make your bed
Making your bed every morning will improve your day and lead to a sense of accomplishment, order, and productivity.
