5 Ways to Start Your Day

The alarm clock is ringing, screaming at you like an angry mutant bird, pulling you away from a wonderful dream and the blissful relaxation of a good night's sleep. You probably briefly contemplate throwing the alarm clock out the window or smashing it against the floor/ wall and ignoring it. The last thing you want to do is crawl out of your nice, soft, warm bed, out from under your cozy blankets, and pry your head off your big, fluffy pillow. Unfortunately though, you can't just stay in bed all day. So what can you do to get yourself fully awake and ready to face anything the day can throw at you? Here are just a few ideas to make starting your day a little more pleasant. Because we have all been there, and we have all had to force ourselves to greet the day.

1.) Take a long hot bath or shower.

Taking a shower in the morning may already be a part of your routine, but if it's not, you might want to consider making it a new addition. In addition to washing away any sweat or other smells that may have gotten on your body in your sleep, you will now be starting the day squeaky clean. A long, hot bath or shower in the morning can be very relaxing. It can also help you wake up, almost as if it is washing away the last traces of sleep to make way for focus and energy. Using citrus, fruit, other invigorating scents of body wash, and shampoo can add to the experience, giving it a little extra oomph to the waking up powers of your shower. Keep in mind, though, that different scents have different effects on different people, so pick the scent that makes you feel the most awake.

2.) Coffee...and Breakfast

Let's face it—we all knew this one was coming. Coffee is a wonderful, blissful, amazing way to start your day. It can wake you up and has this magical way of making everything in the world seem less annoying. Coffee alone, though, might not be enough. You should also eat something in the morning. You know what they say: "food is fuel." So brew that coffee and grab some food to go with it. It doesn't have to be a big meal, but SOMETHING is better than nothing. You might be thinking, but I don't like coffee. I know it is shocking, but some people really don't like coffee and that's alright. A cup of tea can work, too. You don't have to drink coffee. Drink anything you like. It's your breakfast as long as you enjoy it. That is all that matters. You should still EAT something, though. Cereal, fruit, doughnuts, croissants, eggs, sausage, bacon, these are all great breakfast choices, and many of them will go wonderfully with that fresh hot cup of joy we call coffee getting your morning off to a spectacular start.

3.) Make your bed.

Making your bed in the morning after you get up is a good way to ensure that you won't crawl back into it right away. Not only does it make your bedroom look cleaner and more organized, but if you just spent the time and energy to make your bed and make it all nice and pretty, you're not gonna want to jump right back in the bed and mess it up again. If you did, that would just mean you would have to spend the time to make it again, and nobody wants to have to re-do something they just spent all that time to do in the first place. Plus, look at it this way: if you make your bed, then it is nice, neat, and ready for you to get back in it later that night. No having to wrestle with messed up sheets to get the covers on you just the way you like because all you will have to do is pull the sheets back and slide right in. So it will not only benefit you now, but later as well.

4.) Do some light stretches/exercise.

Whether it's yoga, going for a jog, taking a walk, dancing around in your underwear while listening to old music, or just improvised stretches getting some light exercise in the morning can be really helpful to waking you up. You can get your blood pumping and loosen up your joints and muscles and get your mind working. If you have pets such as dogs or cats, you could take them for a morning walk with you so you and your furry companion could both get some exercise. There are other benefits too, one of which being keeping your body in shape and burning a few calories. Whatever exercise you decide to do, make sure it is the one that is right for you. Choose an activity you will enjoy, because if it is not something you will have fun doing, you won't want to do it at all, and the point is to enjoy yourself while waking yourself up, not to dread it and eventually not do it at all. Keep in mind though that you shouldn't overdo it. This is meant to help you wake up and get ready to face the day, not to make you so tired you want to go back to bed.

5.) Meditation and Relaxation

After taking a hot shower, drinking coffee, eating breakfast, making your bed, and getting some exercise, a little meditation and relaxation are the perfect way to clear your mind and get a sense of calm before beginning the rest of your day. Just sit down, close your eyes, and breathe in...then out while listening to some beautiful, relaxing meditation music. If you don't own a CD or anything with this type of music on it, don't fret. You can find it on the old trusty internet extremely easily with a wide variety to choose from. The point of this is to clear your mind and relax.

Hopefully the things listed in this article will help you start your day off on a better foot, ready to face the world. Pick and choose which ones you want to try yourself, or try them all. Do them a couple times a week or do them every day. The choice is entirely up to you. But always remember that no matter what, you got this. You can make it through the day.