It’s only mid-morning and you are already tired and ready for a nap. Sound familiar? Most people feel exhausted when they wake up. And rely on coffee to stay fresh and alert all day long. Contrary to what you think, feeling tired when you wake up is not normal.

Scientific studies have shown that chronic fatigue is a common symptom of most health issues. If you’ve been struggling with tired mornings, long afternoon naps, and low energy all day long, this article will help you.

Self-control and productivity

The University of Nottingham did 83 studies on self-control and its effects on energy and productivity. They found that self-control and energy are finite resources that tire like a muscle. As the day goes on, it gets harder to exercise self-control and focus on important tasks. Your productivity is killed when self-control gets exhausted. Self-control is usually at its peak in the morning hours, the most important part of the day.

This doesn’t mean that you should spend your entire morning working. You have to do the right things to make your self-control and energy last longer. Today, we are going to share with you a few effective practical tips that will help you break negative habits and keep your day fresh and healthy. Let’s get started!

1. Plan your day

As the popular saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail. You should never start your day without an organized plan. The best time to plan your day is the night before or immediately after getting out of bed. Planning your day will save you a lot of energy and time. By planning your day and following the plan, your day will be a success. When most of your days are a success, you cannot fail in life.

So, how do you plan your day? Write down all the tasks or activities that you want to complete. Next, organize them in order of priority. Writing your plan clears your mind so that you don’t have to waste time thinking of what to do next. Organizing your plan in order of priority helps you spend most of your time on high-priority activities which tend to pay off in spades in the long run.

2. Rise before the sun

Once you have a concrete plan in place, the next step is to follow the plan. When and how you wake up greatly determine how productive you’ll be. When the alarm goes off, wake up immediately. Don’t hit the snooze button.

If you have formed the habit of hitting the snooze button, place your alarm clock or phone away from your bed before going to bed. Getting up early will allow you to ease into the day with no hurries. You can practice yoga, exercise, read the newspaper, or whatever makes you happy.

3. Drink water first

Drinking water immediately after waking up spikes your physical and mental energy levels. Water is a source of natural and steady energy that lasts all day long by improving the absorption of nutrients in the stomach. You need to drink it on an empty stomach for it to be fully absorbed. You should wait for fifteen to thirty minutes after drinking water to eat your breakfast. This is the perfect time to exercise.Mimy Online

4. Exercise

According to a study conducted by the University of Bristol, people who exercise regularly tend to have a lot of energy and a positive outlook, which makes it easier for them to complete their high-priority tasks. While some prefer exercising in the evening, morning workouts have lots of benefits. They include:

• Fewer distractions – Exercising in the morning means you’re less likely to be distracted by messages, phone calls, and emails. Since nobody will be minding your business, you are likely to exercise consistently.
• More energy – Let’s face it. It’s difficult to exercise in the evening. After working hard all day long, the only things that will be on your mind are your favorite sitcom and your bed. Exercising in the morning makes it easier for you to follow your program. Plus, it boosts energy and reduces fatigue, making you feel energized all day long.
• Weight management – According to a small study published in 2015 by EBioMedicine, morning workouts are ideal for losing weight. In the study, participants exercised in the morning and evening over separate sessions. They found that fat burn was at its peak when participants exercised before breakfast. If you want to manage your weight, morning exercise is ideal for you.

5. Avoid screens till breakfast

The majority of people are addicted to their phones. If you are one of them, you likely start using your phone immediately after waking up. While it may seem harmless, diving straight into texts, emails, and social media platforms wastes your time and makes it easier for you to succumb to other peoples’ wants.

It’s important to take the first few minutes or hours of your day to do something that relaxes your body and mind. Meditating, reading, or watching the birds are all great ways to start your day.

6. Clean your workspace

A disorganized workspace is distracting and time-consuming. Remember, your productivity and performance are greatly determined by your ability to concentrate. A disorganized workspace will make it harder for you to focus and achieve your goals.

The best time to clean your workspace is the evening before. After working and completing your tasks for the day, take a few extra minutes to arrange your workspace before leaving. Do not postpone organizing your workspace because it will be much harder to do it in the morning. If you have lots of books and papers, consider decluttering.

You can store all your paperwork on an external flash drive or the Cloud. You can avoid spending a lot of time organizing your workspace by simply putting back things after use.

7. Learn to say no

Learning to say no will protect your mornings and allow you to fulfill your commitments successfully while your mind is active. People who say yes to everything are more likely to experience stress and depression. Learn to say no and you’ll have all the time to do what matters to you.

8. Avoid multitasking

Multitasking is a myth that drains energy and hurts productivity. Research studies have shown that the human brain cannot focus on two things at the same time. Therefore, when you multitask, you are simply switching tasks. Since you cannot focus on two or multiple tasks at any one time, you end up doing all the tasks in an average way.

To achieve our goals, we have to do all our tasks in a great way. And you can do this by simply focusing on one task to its completion. You can now see the importance of planning your day before you start working, said John H. from Mimy Online.

Researchers have found that frequent and heavy multitaskers perform poorly than those who focus on one thing because they tend to have more trouble organizing thoughts and filtering out information. Plus, they are slower at switching tasks. Multitasking reduces performance and efficiency because your brain cannot focus on two or more tasks simultaneously.

9. Limit caffeine

While caffeinated drinks such as coffee boost your energy, they can make you feel tired when the effects wear off. Caffeine is a stimulant that has short-term effects which can lead to dependency. As your body develops tolerance, you will crave more caffeine to experience the boost.

Caffeine has been linked to stress, headaches, high blood pressure, and difficulty in falling asleep at night. Consider switching coffee with a green juice or smoothie. This will not only boost your energy but also improve your health.

10. Sleep

You cannot stay fresh and energetic all day long if you don’t get a good night’s sleep. Medical professionals recommend seven to nine hours of sleep every night for adults. Sleep is a basic need just like food and water. Sleep deprivation leads to impaired memory, shortened attention span, weak immune system, low sex drive, and irreversible brain damage. If you have problems sleeping at night, here are a few tips:

• Stick to a sleep schedule – Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day is important for your body and mind. Your mind needs routine to operate at an optimum level. Remember, your body and mind can’t tell the difference between a workday and a weekend.
• Avoid screens – Computer, phone, and tablet screens emit blue light. Blue light reduces the production of melatonin, a hormone that tells your brain and body that it’s time to go to bed. Avoid screens at least thirty minutes before going to bed. You can use this time to plan your day, meditate, or read a good book.
• Create a conducive environment – The bedroom environment greatly determines the quality of sleep. Factors such as noise, lights, temperature, and room arrangement can cause poor sleep and other health issues. Try to minimize light and external noise. Ensure that your bedroom clean, quiet, and peaceful.
• Avoid eating late – Eating late at night can negatively affect sleep quality and the natural release of melatonin. Studies have shown that eating three to four hours before bed helps people fall asleep easily.

Conclusion

Creating a morning routine and sticking with it every day is the key to a successful life. Be intentional about your morning hours and understand that they should be handled carefully.