The Best Way to Start Your Day

It is almost impossible to wake up in the morning with ease. The dreaded 7:00am presents itself way too early and with it comes the annoying buzz of your alarm clock and a bed that feels like it got cozier overnight. However morning doesn’t have to be such a miserable mess. Here are a few tips and tricks to kick start your day.

Alarm Clock Do’s & Don’ts:

This first set of tips has to do with your alarm in particular. To get yourself up and moving in the morning, place your alarm on the opposite side of the room so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Now that you’re out of bed the trick is staying out. Although hitting snooze and crawling back under the covers seems like a life saver, DON’T DO IT. When you fall back asleep after being woken up, your body restarts a sleep cycle that you will not be able to complete if you plan on being on time to school. When your cycle is left unfinished you can ultimately end up more tired than if you had just stayed out of bed. You can also make your bed as soon as you get out of it to prevent crawling back in. Even after all this, staying awake is still a struggle you can work on just gradually waking up 15 minutes earlier every day. Another thing you can do if you use your phone as your alarm is set it so that one of your favorite songs is what plays to wake you up.

De-stress Your Morning:

Nobody likes to wake up and feel rushed. Planning for the following day the night before can help to make your morning less stressful. Picking out your outfit before is a big help. I know for girls, the less time you have the more of a struggle it is to pick out an outfit so have one or two already set out to alleviate the pressure. You can also do things like pack your lunch, or shower or style your hair so that can be checked off for the morning. Making a list of things to remember is also useful. Weedsport Senior Gina Fischetti said, “If I have a lot to remember I will make a list, because you can check and be sure you didn’t forget anything.” Being able to check off the necessities as you go will help you be more efficient with limited time. Having something to look forward to the following day will also give you some more get up and go. Whether it be sitting with your friends at lunch, seeing your crush in the halls or an after school activity, anything that will make your day just a little bit brighter.

Take a Break for Breakfast:

Everyone knows breakfast is “the most important meal of the day” but not many people leave time to eat in the morning. Studies show eating breakfast will help your performance because it will give you added energy and help you to remember things better. There are so many quick and easy fixes for breakfast available. Just leaving yourself 10 extra minutes will benefit you greatly. Also when it comes to school, some students have to wait well into their day to eat lunch. By the time it comes around you’re starving and may overindulge which is again, unhealthy. Mrs. Speer, Librarian at Weedsport Jr. /Sr. High School, doesn’t go a day without having breakfast. “If I don’t actually sit and eat breakfast, my day doesn’t go as well. I sit for like twenty minutes, drink tea, eat breakfast and read a book… I want twenty minutes to center myself and start my day, feeling like that time was mine.” As you can see by Mrs. Speer’s example, eating breakfast isn’t just about the health benefits. The time left in the morning you can use to read as she does, watch T.V. or scroll through your timeline. Make time that is for yourself before starting your busy day at school.

A Good Night Makes a Good Morning

At night the struggle of putting your phone down and getting to bed can get real. In the morning it is a different story. Junior Cami Bauso says, “Playing a game on your phone when you first wake up makes your brain actually think and makes it more awake.” There are several games you can get for free on the app store that specifically target “working out” your brain. Anything having to do with logic, strategy or puzzles are recommended. These activities do not have to all be electronic. Some people may prefer Sudoku or a crossword in the morning paper.
Almost everyone relies on coffee as their morning Holy Grail. Mrs. Izzo is one of the many people who states, “I like my coffee, and I probably would drink more if I had a bigger mug to carry it in.” Coffee is a quick and easy to fix to a slow morning because let’s face it, 7:00am is just way too early. An popular alternative to coffee, especially among teachers, is tea. Both of these beverages can help get you through the morning in a particularly healthy way. Thankfully for both coffee and tea drinkers a stop at either Tim Hortons or Dunkin Doughnuts on the way to school in the morning can fulfill your morning cravings.

Sun Salutation:

Get your blood flowing in the morning with a quick yoga exercise. Unlike a full work out, yoga can be a relaxing start to your day. To get started I would recommend downloading the app SWORKIT from the iTunes app store. This app will create a workout routine that can range from 5 minutes to a whole hour. For school mornings, a 5-10 minute routine would probably be most ideal. If you are new to yoga the app is very helpful because it has features like showing videos of a trainer doing the different poses and it times the length you hold your pose. The best part is the amount of poses you can fit into a short time. If you don’t have access to the SWORKIT app you can also look routines on Google, search for YouTube videos or even create a routine of your own.