Morning Wake Up Routines – Does Yours Work

I've heard it said, over and over, humans are creatures of habit. Which is true! But, how do we go about creating a good daily habit? One that we enjoy, that puts us in a good mood and gives us the energy to face the day ahead!

Like most of us, I wake every morning, grab a cup of coffee, hit the shower, dress and head in to work. But its tough some days to get up and get going? Why is this?? and what does it take to create a good routine that becomes a daily habit?
Then it hit me, the answer was right there on my pillow. My question almost answered itself as fast as I asked it... plain as day, right in front of me, I'm lazy!! Wait, no I'm not. Well, Maybe? Or maybe, I'm just exhausted?

As Americans, we run ourselves ragged with work, school, kids, bills, daily stress, social clubs, deadlines, hectic schedules and poor time management.  It's no wonder that most of us feel as though we are always run down.

Some of the issues in my life, are that I run myself to a point of exhaustion and then don't allow myself enough time to sleep and recover. You might do the same thing.

But once you get rundown what do you do to give yourself a pick me up and get the day going?

Coffee - Caffeinated drinks like coffee or soda are what most of us use to put a little pep in our step to get or day started. There are debates as to the health issues, both pros and cons to caffeine. How much is enough, how much is too much?  And even with all that talk, it doesn't always work to wake us up. I think we've all had days where two cups of coffee later and we still want to put our heads down and go back to sleep.

Exercise - This works! I know that when I get out of bed and go for a walk or hit the gym, I have a ton more energy. But, lets face it working out in the morning is hard work and you need to wake up even earlier to allow time for your work out and cool down before heading in the office.

Energy Drinks - Red Bull, Rockstar, 5 hour energy. These drinks can help give you a little boost in the morning or anytime of the day. Again, health questions still surround these instant energy boosts.  Myself, I prefer these in the middle of the day or in the early evening to help me get through the long days. But the cost of these drinks ($3+) on a daily basis could put a pinch on your pocket book.

Breakfast - The most important meal of the day! I like to eat breakfast (a good breakfast, not donuts or candy bars), but who has time anymore. Grabbing something on the run or hitting the local fast food joint, is the normal routine for our society these days.  Guess that fact won't change unless we want to wake up a bit earlier than usual. Is it worth it? You bet!

More Sleep - Most of us think hitting the snooze button two or three times or more will work to get us a little more rest. But, for me, waking slowly isn't the answer either!  In fact, I find that hitting the snooze button only makes me more tired than if I just got up with the first alarm.

The real solution to a good morning routine, in my opinion, is a good bedtime routine. Staying up until all hours of the night, eating late meals, not getting enough sleep as well as a dozen other reasons, are the real culprits here. Maybe if we work on a better bedtime routine, our wake up routines can be modified for the better.

What wake up routine works best for you?