For a good start to the day, the morning should be as stress-free as possible. For many people, however, the opposite is the case – because they make a few mistakes in the morning. You should avoid these common mistakes in the morning. But it is not a mistake to try out the lightening roulette.
WHAT NOT TO DO
- slumbering forever
The alarm clock rings, but there’s actually still a bit of time left. So you press the snooze button, turn over in bed again, and go back to sleep. Some people use the snooze function of the alarm clock two or three times, while others even more often.
Even if the few extra minutes of sleep feel good, snoozing has a negative effect: you feel even more tired. According to sleep researchers, this is because the sleep-wake rhythm is disturbed. If you fall asleep again after the first alarm, the body starts a new sleep cycle and releases hormones that initiate a deep sleep phase. The second alarm interrupts this process – which confuses the body. The result: you feel drowsy and exhausted, and this feeling can last for several hours. To avoid being tired all morning, you should therefore avoid snoozing and get up straight away.
2 Start the day on your smartphone
Waking up in the morning and checking emails, WhatsApp, or the news? Not a good idea. The news mainly reports on disasters and controversies and, according to studies, social networks can worsen your mood. Being constantly available on your smartphone is also not conducive to well-being.
So you should spare yourself the ‘digital stress’, at least in the morning. To avoid the temptation to look at your phone, you can switch it off or activate flight mode – then you won’t be able to surf and won’t receive any notifications.
- getting up too late
Every extra minute in bed in the morning is precious – but you should still set your alarm a little earlier. The later you get up, the less time you have for breakfast, getting dressed and getting ready – and the more stressed you are in the morning.
So get up earlier and take time for yourself. Have a leisurely cup of tea, meditate or do yoga before tackling your daily tasks and routines.
- leave the blinds closed
When it is dark, the body releases the sleep hormone melatonin and we become tired. Light has the opposite effect: it inhibits the release of the hormone and wakes you up. Don’t leave the shutters and curtains closed in the morning, but open them and take advantage of this effect of light. If it is dark for a long time in the morning in winter, a daylight lamp** or a light alarm clock** can help.
- drink coffee immediately
For many people, a cup of coffee is part of waking up. However, you should only drink your first coffee a little later in the morning. The reason: shortly after waking up, the body produces more of the wake-up hormone cortisol, also known as the stress hormone.
At this time, you don’t need an artificial stimulant such as caffeine. If you drink it anyway, you develop a tolerance to coffee, which means it loses its effect. It is most effective to wait at least an hour after waking up before drinking your first coffee.