Morning hacks - Make mornings easy

Mornings suck. Ok. Maybe you’re one of those rare morning people. If so, feel free to read the hacks. You probably don’t need them, or already do them. Just revel in your superiority while reading.

For everyone else, it’s normal to start slowly in the morning. It’s just how your body works. Still, days feel better when they get off to a good start, so these are some simple ideas that can help you find that good start more consistently.

Stay on top of your night chores

The best way to start your day well is to give yourself a better chance the night before. Any chores that you can do tonight and not have to face in the groggy morning go a long way. Get all of the dishes washed. Make sure your laundry is done and good to go. The last thing you want facing you in the morning is a pile of dirty dishes.

Also, find the night routine that helps you sleep better. If you go to bed feeling clean, relaxed, and happy, you’ll get better sleep. Things that might help you achieve this include meditation, evening skincare, a sleep apnea machine, or a relaxing evening routine. There are countless things that can help with this process. You’ll have to do some self-discovery to perfect your evening preparation.

Drink water

The first thing most of us do when we get out of bed in the morning is to go to the bathroom. That’s pretty normal, but after you finish, you should drink a glass of water. It’s seriously the best.

You don’t need to chug a preset amount of water. The idea is to clear any morning dry mouth or grossness with a glass of water. You can do it before you brush your teeth, and you can take your time. You can follow it up with coffee later.

But, you want that glass of water. Your body loses water over the course of the night. When you rehydrate, it will help you wake up. From the time you start drinking, it will take most people 5 to 30 minutes to start feeling the effects. When that happens, you’ll be ready to take on any day. Drink that water.

Get your blood flowing

Another thing that helps a lot is improving your blood flow. If you enjoy starting your day with a real workout, that’s great. If you’re mortal like the rest of us, you don’t need to work up a full sweat. Any jump start to blood flow is valuable.

You can stretch, do light yoga, walk around your yard or house. Simple stuff like that is fine. Relaxed movement is enough to help things move internally. That improves blood flow, and it helps you feel more awake. Combine that with the boost from your water, and you’re in better shape than most of the population.

Avoid screens

The easy way to wake up is to grab your phone. You check the time. Now that you’re on the phone, you might as well check messages and scroll some social media.

It might help a lot to avoid all of that. No one really needs you until you’re awake and functioning. They really don’t.

Let’s be real. Some of that might be enjoyable and give you a dopamine boost, but some of it is annoying, too. It’s easy for phones to put us in a less than stellar mood, and that’s not a great way to start the day.

More importantly, when you skip the screen, you end up wasting less time at the start of your day. It gives you the freedom to do all of these other things.

Buy yourself time

Speaking of time, make sure there’s some of it dedicated to you in the morning. Now, you might be ready to point out the contradiction. Phone time is me time, right? Well, there are plenty of other things you can do with me time, and you got those minutes back by leaving the phone dark.

Personal time helps you collect yourself. It lets you wake up a little before you tackle any stress at the start of the day, and it’s extremely meditative.

You can do whatever is right for you in your me-time, as long as it is psychologically positive. Get lost in a cup of coffee. Step outside and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of nature. Meditate. Practice gratitude.

Any of it is fine. If you can, build 15 minutes of me-time into your morning routine. It sets the tone for your entire day.

Take a better shower

A lot of us find some zen in the shower. People can’t really interrupt you in there. It’s warm and feels good. You’re getting clean. The running water and steam help to wake you up and make you feel fresh. All of these things are good.

You can make your shower more efficient so that you have more wiggle room in your schedule. Things like two-in-one shampoos (this is where we plug the MANSCAPED™ Ultra Premium™ 2-in-1 Shampoo + Conditioner), full skincare body washes, and any other products that reduce the steps in your shower are helpful. You can use that stolen time to relax in the shower more, or you can put it to any of these other hacks.

Make your bed

This is the last hack for a reason. The point of making your bed in the morning is to start your day with a sense of accomplishment. It’s small, but you will psychologically notice that the bed is made. The sense of order or organization feels good. Checking something off of your to-do list feels good. It’s also an extremely easy way to get these feelings. And, apparently, most CEOs do this. 

Making your bed generates positive brain chemistry and gives you a little more power to face the rest of the day, and it’s substantially less draining than dealing with work emails first thing in the morning.

These are just a few hacks. If you really think about what helps you in the morning and what stands in your way, structure your morning around that knowledge. Get rid of the things that bring you down. You really can. You don’t owe your mornings to anyone or anything (except maybe your dog). You can plan a great morning on a regular basis and reap the benefits.