By: Hayden Ginder –
You wake up to the loud screech of your alarm at an ungodly hour. As you grab your phone to check the time, you realize that you’re already late. You scramble out of bed and throw on some ratty leggings and a sweatshirt, fearing that you might not even have enough time to stop at Dunkin’ and get an iced coffee before your dreaded 8 a.m.
It’s not uncommon to instinctively grab your phone when you wake up. Tristan Harris, a former Google Design Ethicist, explains that when you wake up and immediately pick up your phone to check your notifications, “it frames the experience of ‘waking up in the morning’ around a menu of ‘all the things I’ve missed since yesterday,” which increases stress and decreases productivity. Instead of checking to see how many likes you got on your post from last night, try to take some time to yourself and chill.
Now that you are in the right frame of mind, spend the next few minutes thinking about the day ahead. When there’s a lot on the agenda, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and procrastinate. If you know you have a ton of work to do and want a productive start to your day, make a to-do list the night before. If you start out by smashing some smaller tasks earlier in the morning, you’re more likely to continue the productive vibe throughout the day.
Another tip to cure morning dreariness is to stretch right when you hop out of bed. Stretching in the morning can promote better posture and an increase in energy while relieving stress. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, a quick morning workout will increase your metabolism and keep you active.
Ashley Nichole’s YouTube video on “How to Become a Morning Person” has some really creative tips like setting your alarm to a song you like and making your bed first thing in the morning to increase productivity.
Getting up early to start your day is not an easy task, but with these tips in mind, you’ll be ready to get up and grind in no time.