Many people would be happy to skip the first few hours of the day and skip straight to the stage where they feel awake and that they can function normally.
Currently, most of us are used to having a tough time getting into the day and don’t think it’s possible to change our morning attitude.
The good news is that mornings don’t have to be so bleak. Even if you aren’t a morning person yet, this can change.
Many researchers have studied which morning habits help our bodies and which are harmful. The findings show that the way we feel in the morning depends on the choices we make at this sensitive time.
So to help you hate the world a little less when you open your eyes, here are seven things you must avoid in order to finally have a really good morning.
Don’t press the snooze button
Yes, it’s hard to wake up; the snooze button on the alarm is an easy thing to do. Yet every time you press it you send yourself back into a new sleep cycle, which will be interrupted again in a few minutes.
These interruptions will make you more nervous, stressed and tired when the inevitable comes and you must get up. With all the difficulty, getting up at the first ring is the softest and most pleasant way.
Don’t brush your teeth after coffee
Some people find it more logical to brush their teeth after having coffee and something small in the morning. Yes, you want fresh breath before you meet people but this habit is definitely doing you more harm than good.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic explain that when you brush your teeth right after eating, the sugars rub against the teeth and may wear away the enamel that protects them.
When eating citrus fruits or other acidic foods, the risk of enamel erosion increases even more. If you must brush your teeth after eating, wait at least 30 minutes to protect your teeth.
Don’t shower
It seems to you that taking a morning shower is refreshing and gives you a boost of motivation before the day begins. But really, this is harmful.
Of course, you shower with hot water because who wants to shower with cold water? The long stay in the heat tells the body to relax the muscles, and this goes against your main goal to wake up and raise the body’s energy level.
Yet the (questionable) people who shower cold get some benefits. Cold water gives the body a shot of energy, and stimulates and sharpens the senses. Yet most of us refuse this torture.
Don’t stay in the dark
Sometimes we don’t feel like coming into contact with anyone and anything on particularly difficult mornings, not even with the sun, but staying in the dark will exacerbate the situation.
Our biological clock is greatly impacted by exposure to light. The morning’s natural light tells the body to stop secreting the hormone melatonin, which induces the calmness necessary for sleep.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School even recommend leaving the curtains open at night so that the gradually brightening sun will help you wake up more easily in the morning.
Don’t check phone notifications
In the morning, many of us feel all the negative emotions intensify. Stress, anxiety, despair: All these increase considerably in the first hours of the day .
Every time you check emails, WhatsApp messages or Facebook notifications, you only reinforce these negative feelings.
Experts emphasize that this problematic tendency even increases the new fear recently defined as the fear of missing out (FOMO): A constant fear of missing things and not being informed about what is happening around us. This situation also increases stress and makes it difficult for us to commit.
Don’t stick to a diet
If you’re also struggling with weight that refuses to come off, a high-carb meal in the morning will actually help you in this stubborn battle. This is shown by a particularly encouraging Israeli study.
Research shows that eating cookies, cake or chocolate alongside proteins and complex carbs at the beginning of the day helps prevent sudden cravings for sweets later in the day.
This is because eating sweets in the morning encourages the secretion of serotonin which causes a decrease in cravings for carbohydrates. Also cortisol and adrenaline (stress hormones) which are secreted at a high rate in the morning help to convert carbs into energy efficiently.
Don’t get up at the last minute
Every morning we face a very difficult dilemma – to wake up exactly when we need to or to sleep more.
Some people get up at least an hour before needing to leave the house, drink coffee leisurely, eat something and read the news. This way is recommended because the pressure of getting organized quickly will only exhaust the body, increase stress and make you nervous and less effective at work.
Instead, use the morning to do the things you really love. A Swedish study found that this is the time when self-control, concentration and confidence peak, and this is an excellent time to do something good for yourself.
