Starting out the morning correctly can help set the rest of your day up for success.
Who doesn’t need that extra boost of energy in the morning? It doesn’t matter what you’re doing – you could be getting the kids ready for school and dropping them off before heading to work, or it could be a day of running errands that awaits you to make sure the household runs like clockwork – we always wish we had more energy! If this sounds like you, check out my top tips for getting that early morning boost…
Prep yourself the night before
One of the main reasons people have difficulty getting to sleep is because they lay there thinking about everything they must do the next day. A good night’s sleep is essential to your get-up-and-go attitude, so use that wasted energy to get yourself prepped for the day ahead; take 10 minutes to write down a list of everything you need to do tomorrow and in what order. This will help to clear your head of all those little anxieties. If you have difficulty choosing what to wear to work, plan your outfit the night before and lay everything out so that all you have to do is put it on, saving you half an hour of standing in front of your wardrobe panicking.
Start the day with a cold shower
This may not sound very pleasant, but studies have shown that by lowering the temperature of your shower, it increases alertness, as the shock of the water increases oxygen intake, speeds up muscle recovery if you have any aches from the day before, and even stimulates weight loss. You could lose up to 9 lbs a year just from having a cold shower each day!
Always have breakfast
Plenty of people end up skipping breakfast to save time, but this means we end up reaching for those sugary foods and cups of coffee to give us an unnatural boost of energy. Having a good breakfast will take away that craving, so stick to foods that are high in fiber and protein, and take healthy snacks like nuts and berries with you to snack on wherever you’re headed, to keep you going until lunchtime.
Light exercise helps
Most people won’t have the time to go to the gym first thing in the morning, but doing some simple stretches and light exercises can really help to wake you up and get you ready for the day ahead. Try doing just 10 minutes of Yoga or Pilates in the morning before breakfast, and not only will you start to feel more positive, but you should see a difference in flexibility, balance and any pain you usually have will start to ease.
I hope you found these tops tips useful. I’d love to know about your own morning routine and how you keep your energy levels up, so please leave me a comment!
Written by Natalie Bracco for Working Mother and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.
Featured image provided by Dane Wetton
Boost Your Mornings with MariGold!
It’s important to treat your body well, especially first thing in the morning!
In addition to setting your intentions (for your mind) and some beneficial movement (for your body), it’s important to make sure you’re fueling your body with the right energy-boosting nutrition.
Grass-fed Whey Isolate Protein Powder
Our Grass-Fed Whey Isolate Protein Powder is the perfect option for adding to your morning smoothie to not only satisfy your hunger but to get the protein your body needs to feel full longer and give you lasting brain and muscle power for getting through the rest of your day. Our protein powders are also great for an afternoon snack to keep you going! Oh, and stay tuned for more flavors coming soon!
High Protein Coffee
If you’re more of a coffee lover, but often find yourself rushing out the door without breakfast, our High Protein Coffees are a great option. Our Protein Coffees combine premium quality protein (Whey Isolate or Collagen protein available) with organic arabica coffee (2 shots of espresso) to give you a delicious caffeine, flavonol, and protein boost. It comes in a variety of flavors including vanilla and mocha infusions, but if you just like the pure taste of coffee, then our Iced Purist might be just the right fit!
Protein Bars with Grass-fed Whey Isolate
We also have our Protein Bars – which are always a great choice for any time of the day. A protein bar for breakfast will fuel you with premium quality Grass-Fed Whey Isolate protein, and healthy fats, like organic grass-fed ghee and organic coconut oil. If that weren’t enough, our bars come in many flavor options with incredibly tasty and beneficial ingredients in them such as organic pecans, cashews, almonds, and organic dark chocolate (rich in antioxidants and magnesium). We also add L-Glutamine for a healthy gut, immune system, and increased performance, and Sunflower Lecithin for healthy brain support.
Snack-Sized “Nugget” Protein Bars
We also have our NEW MariGold Nuggets for a smaller version of our protein bars. They have all the same awesome ingredients but come in a smaller size that’s perfect for a quick on-the-go snack.
And of course, we can’t forget our Snack Nuts and Fat Bombs which are excellent options for a pick-me-up that will fuel your body with the nutrients needed to keep you feeling good all day long.
I do my stretches in bed before I get up. That way I can’t skip them.