5 Ways to Feel Good at 5 a.m.

I have a new routine. It involves waking up at 5 a.m. and being ready to be awesome all day by 6 a.m.  I’m used to mornings and I’m not a miserable morning person but 5 a.m. is a whole other level of waking up in the dark.  Instead of grunting about it everyday and upping my caffeine intake, I’ve decided this is a good opportunity to make some good habits and see if I can feel fabulous at 5 a.m.  Here are my 5 favorite ways to feel awesome at 5 o’clock in the morning.

1. Eat light (or not at all) before bed.

I’m not suggesting you starve yourself or anything, but I do highly recommend eating early enough that you are going to bed with a settled, close-to-empty stomach. Waking up hungry and not feeling heavy from what you ate the night before are the best ways to feel fresh and ready to move shortly after waking.  If you need a snack, or have no choice but to eat late, just keep it light and as unprocessed as possible. Avoid fried food, a lot of cheese, and gluten when possible when eating later in the evening.

2. Get up with the first alarm.

This may sound counterintuitive since more sleep usually equals more happiness but I firmly believe that getting up right away instead of fighting it will ultimately make you feel better.  Those extra five or ten minutes of sleep really don’t do anything for you and there’s something about getting right out of bed that really makes you feel like you can conquer anything. It’s a hard habit to break, and I think the only reason I did it is because I don’t want my boyfriend have to struggle through three alarms when he has two more hours to sleep, but alas, I love the results. I feel better. Try it. You can do it.

3. Take five minutes for you.

Snooze is gone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t sit on the couch and just be for  or 10 minutes between waking up and getting going. Whether it’s before you start getting ready or before you walk out the door, take a few minutes to inhale, exhale and mentally prepare for the day. Sippin’ coffee, thinking about what’s on the agenda, or even perusing Facebook, it’s all good for taking a few minutes to wake up and get set to go.

4. Drink water spiked with lemon.

Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate.  It helps. It helps more than coffee, believe me. Your body can’t function properly without hydration so dehydrating it further with coffee and depriving it of water aren’t really doing you any favors. And the lemon? It makes the water special, sure; but it also aids digestion, boosts your immune system, clears your skin, and sets you up for a day full of good, healthy decisions.

5. Make getting ready luxurious.

Morning routines are monotonous, uneventful, and worst of all, rushed.  What if you could take just five extra minutes so that you could have some extra time in each of your morning tasks?  Brush your teeth a little more gently, make sure you cover your whole leg with lotion, not just the part that might show…It’s the little things in life that we forget to enjoy a bit and don’t realize that doing so could just make us feel really good. Kind of like those five minutes on the couch, taking extra time while you’re getting ready helps prepare you for the best possible day you can have.

There ya have it: five things you can do tomorrow that will help you feel better for the whole day.  It’s okay if you only pick one.  Baby steps. 🙂

Be well.