The key to a more pleasant morning: sunlight! Our bodies are designed to respond to light in many ways. I learned in an intro neuroscience class that aside from rods and cones (which help us see in dark lighting and register color), our eyes are also equipped with intrinsically photosensitive ganglion cells, or ipRGCs. These cells absorb light to help set our circadian clocks. Leave your curtains partially open before you go to bed to allow sunlight to enter your room and rouse your body naturally.
If you are like me your phone is glued to the palm of your hand 24/7. I used to reach for it as soon as I opened my eyes in the morning, hopping on Instagram and Twitter to see what’s going on in the world. Now that I’ve made the first 15 minutes of my morning phone free, starting my day has been a lot smoother. I use these minutes to pray and meditate on the type of day that I want to have, mentally organize the tasks that I need to accomplish and take note of any special occurrences I need to remember (i.e. someone’s birthday). Meditating and praying first thing in the morning helps me start the day off on a positive note.
You can shave time off your morning routine by choosing your outfit the night before. Take 30 minutes before you go to bed to go through your closet and decide what you will wear the next day. I use an app called Stylebook to virtually organize my closet and put together outfits. For those who are super ambitious, Stylebook features a calendar that lets you plan your outfits weeks in advance. This is super useful when planning for vacations!
Prepare Breakfast Ahead of Time
