Your morning sets the tone for your entire day. If you want to have a productive and proactive day there are certain toxic morning habits to quit. What we do in the morning may not seem like a big deal but it affects every aspect of our day. It does not matter whether you are a morning person or not, whether you wake up at 5 AM or at 11 AM. Start practicing and adopting good habits that will improve your day.
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Here are some toxic morning habits to quit
Snoozing Your Alarm
This is one of the toxic morning habits to quit. If you tend to snooze your alarm a couple of times in the morning or even set several alarms minutes apart, this is a toxic habit. This habit makes you grumpier when you wake up because sleeping in small doses leaves you feeling more tired and exhausted. Snoozing your alarm could mean that you are not getting enough sleep. Use your phone to track your sleep cycle and to ensure you’re getting enough rest. If you also party over the weekend it could mean you have accumulated sleep or sleep debt and that’s why you find it hard to wake up. It could be you snooze your alarm just because you’re not a morning person.
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If you suffer from snoozing your alarm, you can use a dawn-dusk simulator. It gradually lights your room by altering its brightness and you can choose from different nature sounds to wake up to. You can set this 20 minutes before your alarm. The light and the natural sounds ease you into the morning as compared to the rude awakening of your several alarm sounds. You also wake up in a better mood.
Checking Your Phone Before You Get Out of Bed
Most people check their phones first thing in the morning after waking up. This is one of the toxic morning habits to quit. Checking your phone while you’re still in bed increases your chances of not being productive during the day. Looking at your phone does not help you be more alert in the morning. In some cases looking at your phone has a high chance of affecting how your day goes. Especially if the first thing you check is social media. It can give you anxiety and make you more critical of yourself.
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Keeping your phone in another room might make you anxious because emergencies can happen anytime. The best place to store your phone is in your bedroom on your vanity or away from your nightstand. This way you can still hear your phone but it’s not the first thing you wake up to. Do not use your smartphone to set your alarm clock unless you have intense self-discipline. Using your phone is very tempting because after you turn off your alarm, you start to see notifications and they will distract you. Use an actual clock or a dusk dawn simulator to set your alarm.
Not Making Your Bed
After waking up, the first thing you should do after leaving the bed is make it. his has a way of increasing your productivity during the day as it sets the tone of the day. Making your bed sparks a chain reaction of completing things throughout the day. Also, who wants to go to sleep in an unmade bed? Make it a habit of making your bed the first thing when you wake up.
Drinking Coffee Immediately
If coffee is what motivates you in the morning this will not make you happy. In the morning we already wake up energized because our hormones are producing high amounts of energy. Drinking your coffee immediately after waking up can cause confusion in your body and can leave you feeling overly energized and alert. This will lead to a crash and low energy levels as the day goes by. Save your coffee for mid-morning or at least a couple of hours after you’ve woken up.
Not Drinking Water
A regular sleep cycle is 7 to 8 hours, so when we wake up our bodies need water to hydrate. Drinking a hot or lukewarm glass of water in the morning is great because it helps promote relaxation and flushes out toxins according to Healthline. Drinking hot water with a slice of lemon in the morning has multiple benefits from weight loss, boosting the immune system, and flushing out toxins. Drinking cold water in the morning is not as hydrating as hot or lukewarm water and can also shock your body preventing the above benefits.
Carb-Heavy Breakfast
If you love having bread or muffins for breakfast, it may be time to reevaluate your breakfast options. Breakfasts that are rich in wheat i.e. bagels may leave you feeling full for short periods of time. They also take a longer time to digest and once they do they consume a lot of your energy. Focus on protein and high fiber breakfasts for more energy. They keep you full for longer periods of time. Such breakfasts include Oats, smoothie bowls, chia seed puddings and so much more.
Skipping Breakfast
Skipping breakfast is bad for your overall health. It can lead to reduced energy throughout the day and can lead to overeating throughout the day. Breakfast is what gives our body energy to function during the day. Skipping breakfast does not contribute to weight loss. Grab a healthy breakfast in the morning and it will keep you full for longer periods of time. If you have no time to make breakfast you can always try meal prepping to ensure you always have something to go.
Brushing After Breakfast
Brushing your teeth after breakfast does more harm than good. As you sleep bacteria accumulate in your mouth, which is why you end up with morning breath. Brushing your teeth before breakfast helps get rid of the bacteria and gives a new layer of protection against your food. If you want to still feel fresh after eating your breakfast you can always gargle mouthwash and floss after.
Not Planning Your Day
If you want to have a higher productivity level during the day, you have to have a plan. Start with your most difficult task of the day and work your way into the much easier ones. This way you will get more things done. Starting your day with intention also gives you a certain kind of motivation that keeps you focused.
Physical Inactivity
Make exercise a part of your morning routine. If you’re not a person who likes to get physical especially in the morning you can always try yoga or something light to get you started. Exercising in the morning is very beneficial because it leaves you feeling fresh and energized.If you have a desk job you should always find a way of incorporating some sort of physical exercise before you start your day. It could be walking to work or even taking the stairs.