Scientists have yet to come up with that magic pill that will turn anyone into a perky morning person. But that doesn�t mean the morning blahs are unavoidable. Simple changes in your A.M. routine can serve as potent doses of all-day energy. Try these adjustments to send the morning zombie packing.
Awaken to bells, not beeps
Your day is going to be full of noises�why start off with a grating beep beep beep? Trade your digital alarm for something less jarring, like the Zen Alarm Clock ($110). Tibetan meditation bells ring at your appointed time, then again three-and-a-half minutes later, then chime more frequently over the next 10 minutes. Even if you�re in dreamland, the chimes bring you awake gradually (the way it�s supposed to happen) rather than jolting you with a beep or buzz loud enough to startle the dead.
Three ways to take five
To do all the things you�re going to do for others during the day, start by doing something for yourself. �Even if it�s as little as 5 minutes or as many as 10�ease yourself into the day,� says Lynn Burgess, director of Yoga from the Heart in Sarasota, Florida. She recommends the following three ways to do just that.
- What: Supta-Tadasana (Reclined Mountain Pose)
How: Lying on your back, sweep your hands overhead and stretch your arms and legs in opposite directions. Lie there for three to 10 slow, deep breaths.
Why: �Your body is stiff from inactivity overnight,� Burgess says. �This is a gentle way to get blood flowing to your limbs, to center yourself, and to let the day come to you instead of jumping all over the day from the minute your toes touch the floor.�
- What: Yoga Nidra
How: When your alarm goes off, sit on the side of your bed. �Become extremely aware of your body, the room, and what�s going on around you,� says Kellye Davis, author of The Bliss Principle: 5 Easy Ways to Reduce Stress. Next, unroll your yoga mat (which you strategically placed next to your bed last night), and lie on your back in Savasana, or Corpse pose, keeping your eyes open. Inhale and tense the muscles in your feet, then exhale as you release them. Work up through your body: each leg, your buttocks, abdomen, shoulders, and face, tensing and releasing with your breath.
Why: For one thing, it gets you out of bed. It�s important to get out and onto your mat, Davis says. �Your yoga mat is a whole other territory. It reminds you of the benefits of posture, relaxation, and mindfulness, which require you to be awake and alert.�
- What: Wake up and smell the roses
How: Grass, orchids, or good ol� fresh air will do. �Get out of bed, walk outside, and look at something in nature,� Burgess says. If you don�t have a secluded backyard, keep a plant or fish tank in your house and look at it first thing in the morning.
Why: �It makes such a difference in grounding you before entering the world of e-mails, phone calls, news�and that entire list,� Burgess says. Stepping outside to greet the day �should feel akin to that �ahhh� feeling when you reconnect with old friends or family.�
Take the leaf instead of the bean
You love your java, but the boost that sends you buzzing through your morning inevitably backfires during your day. Recent Duke University research found that people who drink four or five cups of coffee throughout the morning experience a 32 percent increase in stress hormone levels and a 3-point spike in blood pressure on average throughout the day. Over time, this elevated arousal can cause heart problems and weaken your immune system. If you think coffee is leaving you drowsy in the afternoon, drink white tea. Steep two or three teaspoons of loose leaves in a cotton teabag for a few minutes before drinking. �The scent and flavor energizes the body, and its high levels of antioxidants and vitamin C protect your immune system,� Davis says. White tea does contain some caffeine�but only about 15 mg per serving, compared to about 80 mg in a cup of joe.
