It doesn’t matter whether you’re a morning grouch or an early riser – everyone has their own morning routine during the week.
Anyone who has found their ideal morning routine and enjoys a lot of energy and vigor throughout the day can be satisfied.
However, if you’re feeling sluggish, tired, or stressed, it’s time to take control of the routine and maybe make some changes. Because some morning routines that appear healthy are actually rather counterproductive.
The alarm goes off and you jump out of bed immediately – at first glance, this seems like a good way to start the day.
dr Catherine Jackson, a qualified psychologist and certified neurotherapist, explains to the ‘Bustle’ portal that this stress can put unnecessary strain on the body and even trigger anxiety.
So if you tend to start your day really quickly, then take a moment. Stay in bed for a while, wake up slowly or meditate and prepare yourself for the coming day.
On the other hand, hitting the snooze button over and over again and falling back asleep multiple times is just as unhealthy. This little nap affects the brain.
“That’s because a sleep cycle lasts about 75 to 90 minutes,” says psychotherapist Dr. Lin Anderson. “On average, you go through three to five sleep cycles in one night.”
She explains, “Now when you select the ‘snooze’ option, the brain is put into a sleep cycle, which is suddenly interrupted by the alarm nine minutes later.” This can lead to what’s known as sleep inertia: you feel sluggish for the rest of the day.
The first thing you do when you wake up is scroll through your smartphone’s apps? Not a good idea.
“Often, looking at the missed notifications, emails, and updates can trigger stress and anxiety, throwing your mindset from calm to confused,” explains Dr. Kristamari Collman.
“Instead, after waking up, take a few minutes to enjoy the morning by choosing another activity that’s more tailored to your needs,” she explains.
Small rituals like meditating, listening to music or a cup of tea can make the morning much more pleasant.
Juice can be part of a healthy breakfast. However, if you often get tired in the late morning, you might want to eat something else.
“The problem with juice is that when you juicing, you lose pretty much all of the fiber, and therefore dietary fiber, from the fruit,” explains certified health coach Marissa Szabo.
“However, fiber helps slow the absorption of sugars from fruit so they don’t dramatically affect blood sugar.”
So whole fruit is fine. But without the fiber on the fibers, the sugar increases blood sugar levels very quickly. It crashes again shortly afterwards and you get tired.
“Hot showers are relaxing and can help increase alertness. But they also damage the skin,” says Dr. Thanu Jey, director of the Yorkville Sports Medicine Clinic. “This is especially true for dry skin, as the hot water only makes the condition worse.”
But that’s not the only reason to prefer cooler showers. Even with injuries, showers that are too hot can increase the inflammatory response and slow down healing.
It’s important to listen to your body. If that means delaying breakfast or just having a quick bite to eat, that’s perfectly fine.
Skipping breakfast just to lose weight or because it’s supposed to be healthy isn’t a good idea. When you sleep, the body fasts. After that, however, it is important that you provide it with nutrients.
Also, don’t overindulge in foods like cereal, toast, or bagels at breakfast. The body needs carbohydrates. However, if you eat too much of them early on, it can lead to a blood sugar crash.
Try eating a protein-based breakfast instead, like eggs or a smoothie made with nuts and seeds.
If you do want to eat carbohydrates, choose complex carbohydrates like oatmeal. They also contain protein and fiber. This combo slows down digestion and makes you feel full and satisfied for longer.
Of course, it’s important to think about what’s coming up for the day. However, that doesn’t mean you have to get things done early in the morning, especially if they’re stressful.
A calm morning program, on the other hand, can reduce stress and let you start the day with peace of mind.
“It’s okay to have caffeine every once in a while,” explains Dr. Rob Danoff.”But relying on coffee for energy instead of getting a better night’s sleep can lead to a vicious cycle of fatigue.”
If you also need plenty of caffeine during the day to make ends meet, it may be a sign that you are sleep deprived.
Many common morning habits do more harm than good. So it can be worth rethinking your routines and changing them if necessary.
A bit of exercise with fresh desire, stretching all your limbs or just a moment of rest and relaxation can have a major impact on how well you get through the day afterwards.
Originally posted by FitForFun, Nine Habits in the Morning Aren’t As Healthy As You Think.
