Apart from the obvious of cleaning your teeth, fresh underwear and maybe occasionally running a brush through your hair, what does your current morning routine look like? If it does literally go as far as fresh underwear then maybe you should read on. I get it, not everyone is a morning person. I'm not asking you to save lives in your bed hair and dressing gown. I'm simply suggesting adding in these five simple ways to make your morning slightly more digestible and in turn set you up for a great day ahead! Each day you'll only get a certain amount of 'oomph' and willpower and this is likely to fade as the day develops and your diary begins to fill. Use your morning oomph! Consistency is key. Following your morning ritual will feel forced at first but stick with it, your perfect morning is just a lemon water away.
LEMON WATER
Get a glass, a large one. Add quarter of a squeezed lemon and fill it half with cold water and half with boiled. Apart from being the best thirst quencher, this little mix does wonders for your rehydration and gets you well on your way to hitting your recommended daily water intake. The temperature of your lemon water also has huge benefits towards your digestive system.
BREAKFAST
Instead of grabbing a croissant with your cappuccino on the way into the office, enjoy breakfast at home. If you're the type that skips breakfast all together then start by slowly introducing something small and light in the mornings. If you're purposely trying to skip breakfast for weight loss - then don't. You're more than likely going to binge out on an early lunch anyway because you haven't eaten in 20 hours.
TIME
Take a minute. Or two. Get out your bed and fling open the curtains. Make time for your mornings and slowly wake up and move into your routine. Don't be a snooze button warrior. Leaving the house in a rush and fluster is only going to echo into your day.
DIARY/PLANNER
Plan for the day. If you're like me then every day is different. Yes I do similar things each day but the people I see changes, topics change, timings change, if I don't have this written down I'm not even going to attempt to wing it. Use a diary, paper or phone, and stay organised. I also have a notepad for lists which doubles up as a fridge magnet. It's the best ever - if it's not on there its not getting done.
WALK/EXERCISE
Wake yourself up with a walk or a workout. This doesn't need to be anything crazy. If you are able to, walking or cycling to work is a great start, however if this isn't an option then take the stairs, get off the train at an earlier stop or park your car in the furthest bay possible. If you're the kind of person who finds it hard to fit the time into exercise later in the day then definitely put your workout here.
By Andy Pilides
www.morethanmuscle.co.uk