Do you know that more than 60% of people wake up feeling tired in the morning? If you always feel exhausted and have no energy in the morning, you are not alone.
Little sleep, high levels of stress, worrying, overwhelm, or lack of physical movement can all be reasons why you don’t have energy in the morning. So, it may not be a surprise that uncovering the real cause of your morning lack of energy may require some digging.
However, if you have been feeling stuck for a while, tired, and want to boost your energy in the morning without the second or third cup of coffee, I have a few hacks you can try right now. Keep reading so getting out of bed is much easier in the mornings!
Why Do You Feel Tired When You Wake Up?
The most common reason why you may feel tired when you wake up is that you didn’t deliver enough hours of sleep. The Sleeping Foundation recommends 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
Be honest with yourself. How often do you sleep the average eight hours of sleep?
You may not see much difference in your energy levels if you have a night or two of sleeping less than the recommended amount. But if you constantly sleep fewer hours, your energy will plummet.
Although science cannot explain why humans sleep, it is obvious that if you don’t you can suffer major health risks. During sleep, your body and mind undergo regrowth and restorative processes that are essential to functioning correctly.
The morning grogginess is caused by sleep inertia. The moment between coming out of your sleep cycle and waking up. You may feel disorientated and foggy. Your brain needs that little extra time to be fully awakened.
And this moment is crucial when it comes to you bouncing out of bed full of energy. Because you have just come out of a sleeping cycle, your best move is to get up. Even if you feel a bit groggy, this will quickly pass, and you’ll be ready to face the day.
The biggest killer of your energy, focus, and productivity is hitting the snooze button. Because when you hit the snooze, you signal your brain to start a new sleep cycle. And we all know how hard it is to wake up when you have just fallen asleep!
To make the most of your morning, and to have energy that lasts through the day, you need to build a healthy and sustainable morning routine. But regardless of whether you have a morning routine or not yet, try one or all the hacks to boost your energy.
#1 Meditating
Our days can bring a lot of stress and overwhelm, so welcoming mornings with energy may be a challenge. But you can regain your mental energy by spending just a few moments meditating.
What comes to mind when you think about your morning? Is it busy, noisy, or rushed? Truth be told, if you are out of breath in the morning, you will be trying to catch your breath the entire day.
Contrary to the popular view, meditation is easier than you think. And you don’t need anything special to start. You don’t need to worry about stopping your thoughts (actually the opposite is more accurate) or emptying your head.
The aim of mediation is to streamline your focus so you can become strategic in your thinking, more centred, and mentally energised. When you create some space to think, without the mental chatter, it is going to be much easier to make decisions that serve you.
If you still think mediation is not for you, I want to strongly encourage you to spend a few moments focusing on your breathing. A big part of mediation practice is the practice of diagrammatic breathing.
Diagrammatic breathing, also called deep belly breathing, activates your parasympathetic nervous system and moves you into a state of relaxation and calm. It leaves you energised not only in the morning but for the rest of your day.
#2 Journaling
I can’t imagine my morning without some form of writing. Whether it is journaling, prioritising, or scheduling. Writing is therapeutic and helps to regain your energy in the morning.
Don’t be discouraged by journaling, thinking that you need to spend hours and hours pouring out your deepest feelings. Of course, you can do that if you have the time, but journaling can be as easy as you want it to be.
You may start by writing three things you are grateful for today, write a special message to yourself to help you show up as your best self, or you may jot down some affirmations.
Or you may take it to be a more strategic and logical move and use the journaling to set priorities and intentions for the day. I start every day by setting three tasks for the day that need to happen no matter what. I also do a brain dump to relieve my brain from the overload of information.
It gives me the mental energy I need to know where my focus should go, and what I need to do to feel accomplished at the end of the day. Prioritising also reduces stress and overwhelm. And it is a great tool to be productive rather than busy.
#3 Stretching
I know that the last thing you may want to do when you feel tired is to exercise, but that is exactly what your body and mind need. After all, energy creates energy. And starting your day with some form of body movement will elevate your energy levels.
Because you have just woken up, and you may feel less energetic about putting a full session on a treadmill, I want you to embrace a gentle form of exercising. And what your body needs is a little bit of stretching.
Unfortunately, we don’t stretch nearly as much as our body requires. Stretching greatly improves your body’s flexibility and mobility of your joints. It keeps your muscles strong and healthy so they can carry you throughout the day.
In addition, stretching activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and moves you from a state of stress and overwhelm to relaxation. It also helps with improving blood circulation so vital nutrients can be delivered across your body.
The beauty of stretching is that you can do it right after you jump from bed while still wearing your pyjamas! Start by touching your toes, standing on your tiptoes and stretching your arms to the ceiling, and doing some side-body stretching.
You can even stretch when you dress, brush your teeth, or wait for your morning cup of coffee. And once you awaken your body, and you are ready for it, you can go for a full workout.
I like to keep the momentum, so I keep stretching throughout the day. Every now and then I move my body to keep my energy levels high.
#4 Having a Green Smoothie
Let’s face it, to have the physical and mental energy to face your day you need to nourish yourself through food. And when you are lacking energy in the morning, the quickest way to increase it is by having a healthy breakfast.
Now, there are different schools when it comes to what a healthy breakfast looks like. But for me, it will always be a balance between healthy fats, proteins, and complex carbohydrates. And the easiest and fastest way to do it is by having a green smoothie for breakfast.
I know, green smoothies may not be your first choice, but hear me out.
You can add all the food groups into your smoothie with just one touch of a finger. You can make it the day before, saving time in the morning. And if you are really running out of time, you can take it in your travel mug, without comprising your health.
For me, it is the ultimate kickstart to my day, and the best way to boost energy. It also takes the pressure off thinking about what I’m going to have for breakfast. Why else do I love green smoothies for breakfast?
Because if I skip lunch or have a more comforting dinner, I don’t have to feel guilty about it, because I still deliver high-quality nutrients to my body thanks to my morning green smoothie.
How Can I Stop Feeling Tired in the Morning?
Lack of the recommended hours of sleep is the most common reason why you may feel tired in the morning. When you add stress and overwhelm bouncing out of bed may seem very challenging.
But you can easily boost your mental energy by meditating and journaling in the morning. And stretching and nourishing yourself through nutrients dense food will give you the physical energy to do the greatness you know you were born to achieve.
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