8 things for Waking Up

8 Things To Do When WAKE UP 1. Get a game plan ready the night before. If you have a clear plan of what you want to accomplish tomorrow, you’re more likely to complete your tasks than if you don’t. Tim Ferris, author of the 4 Hour Work Week, put it this way: if this is the only thing I accomplish today, will I be satisfied with my day? Ask yourself: what do I want to achieve tomorrow? Which tasks are most important? How much time should I spend on each one? When you write down the answers to these questions before you go to bed, you give yourself a clear picture of what your day will look like, instead of drifting aimlessly from task to task. It’s the difference between waking up confident and waking up befuddled. 2. Have stuff to get done tomorrow? Don’t oversleep. It’s tempting to sleep in, especially if you stayed up too late. But don’t do it, because a) you’ll feel like crap about yourself because you’ll immediately be behind in your work b) you’ll be stressed right from the moment you get up because you’re playing catch-up all day. Solution? Shut ‘er down and go to bed at an appropriate time in relation to how many things you need to get done tomorrow. 3. Turn that heat down, son! My wife had the car the other day so I took the bus into town at 10am. The driver had the heatcranked,and I was nodding off to sleep and feeling like unfocused garbage because it was so hot. My ability to focus and to even form a comprehensible thought were low. Turn the heat down and open a window. 4. Exercise or engage in a non-computer related activity before sitting down to work. Get the blood flowing shortly after you wake up. Push your body a little and make it do something. Run on the spot for 5 minutes. Do some push ups. Go for a quick walk. 5. Remember that you are in a body. I find that after being on the computer and the internet for a while, you can easily forget to eat, sleep – and even to move. Those are some serious effects, and in a way, similar to certain drugs! What else casts such a powerful spell over us as computers and the internet? I have a pedometer and try to get to 10,000 steps a day. If I’m at home on the computer, I force myself to get up every 20-30 and run on the spot or run around the house. I probably look like a complete weirdo…but I feel great after! You gotta keep moving. Too much time spent not moving/being sedentary will eventually = death.6. It’s okay to take a break! We all have the urge to plow through our work when we really need to get it done. But if you’ve already been sitting at your computer for 2 hours, forcing your way through a project you’re working on, continuing to plow through for another 2 hours because you’ve got to “get ‘er done” is not going to help you. Your brain needs a rest. Seriously. Get up, leave your computer. Go for a quick walk, eat a snack, drink some water. Let yourself relax for a bit. You’ll come back with a fresh perspective and maybe even some new ideas. 7. Give yourself a set amount of time to work on each task. Divide your tasks into 90 minute chunks. When you give yourself a set amount of time to reach a certain point in or to complete a task, you focus more on getting it done with a mini self-imposed deadline. It works great. If you’re really chugging along and making great progress, maybe you give it a bit longer. If you haven’t really been killing it and still continue, then the (sometimes crappy) work you’ve done on the task you’ve been trying to finish will bleed into the time you could spend working on something else. And, like #6, if you take a break from it and come back later, you may find that answers to problems you’ve been working on come easier after having a bit of distance from them. 8. One task at a time. Multi-tasking? Ya right. One thing at a time. That’s all our brains can really handle. http://optimalperformance.com/improve-morning-routine/

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First start with how to get to sleep. After schedule a regular bedtime each night - that way you can wake up at the same time each day - this is key to good sleep and routine. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Deep breathing. Try closing your eyes and taking deep, slow breaths. Feel your chest expand and try to make each breath deeper than the last. Visualization. Close your eyes and visualize somewhere peaceful where you feel at ease. Think about the colors, scents, and feelings. Progressive muscle relaxation. Muscle relaxation is especially helpful for people who have tightness in their body from stress. Start at your toes and focus on tensing your muscles, then relax completely. Work your way up through the body, tensing each muscle and then relaxing. Take a bath. Not only is the hot water immensely soothing, but I’ve found that bathing at the end of the day makes me feel like I’m washing off any negative energy and emotions from the day. Massage. Massage is another wonderful way to relax the body. Sit on your bed and warm a small amount of coconut oil between your palms. Start massaging your feet, and work your way up through each part of the body, using more coconut oil as necessary. Finish by massaging your face and scalp. Listen to relaxing music or a podcast. I’m obsessed with listening to Tara Brach’s meditation podcasts (you can find them on iTunes) before bed because her voice is incredibly soothing and she always has a beautiful message to share. Try magnesium. I’ve shared a lot of my personal experiences with magnesium supplements here on the blog before (you can check out my Calm-Marita and Blood Orange Spritzer recipes) and I highly recommend trying magnesium if you are someone who (like me!) struggles with stress and inconsistent sleep. Read more: http://www.insonnetskitchen.com/how-to-relax-before-bed/#ixzz3C1ZuKLD2 ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Despite being tired and ready to hit the pillow, there are some very meaningful things you can do at night that will make your morning (and all of tomorrow) go more smoothly tomorrow. I promise you will thank yourself. If everyone in the family gets involved and you ALL prepare the day ahead, think of the amazing things that will happen! 1. Start a load of laundry. Most families have to do a load of laundry every day. If you feel comfortable doing it, start a load before you go to bed. Let the washing machine work while you’re sleeping. When you get up in the morning, all you have to do is throw the items into the dryer and when you get home, you’ll have done a whole load. If you can, have your family members bring their clothes to the laundry room (as part of their 8 things) and this is an even quicker process. 2. Put your keys by the door. One of the biggest complaints people have in the mornings is they can’t find their keys. If you’re going for the gold, put your bags, backpacks and coats by the door too! 3. Lay out your clothes. While this sounds extreme to some, it avoids debate and time consuming decision making in the morning. Check the weather on your phone and lay out one or two options. Don’t forget to include socks, undergarments, and shoes. 4. Load and run the dishwasher. Waking up to a clean sink rocks. After dinner rinse the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Set it up to run so it works while you’re asleep. 5. Get the coffee pot ready to go. If you use a Keurig, put out your travel mug and get the kcups ready. If you use grounds, fill the unit with water and put the grounds in so all you have to do is hit the on button. It’s a glorious feeling! 6. Go through what you need ready for tomorrows day and write tomorrow To Do list. 7. Pack the workout gear. If yo have to come home from work, change and then head back out, your chances of finding the motivation are small. Pack your gym bag the night before so you have the clothes, shoes or equipment ready to go. 8. Relaxing Activities: Some activities you might consider adding to your routine are: yoga prayer read a devotional read a book for pleasure (not homework/work) take a bath stretch or foam roll have a cup of tea, hot chocolate, or decaf organize something small, like your purse or backpack light candles to set your mood listen to your favorite music write in a journal 9.Find the time to decompress. A good night’s sleep is a great start to any day. Make sure you give yourself time to take a warm shower, read a little, light a candle, meditate or do whatever else relaxes you before bed.