Life
9 Health Mistakes You're Making Before Noon
I don't want to tell you that you're doing your morning wrong, but chances are, you're doing your morning wrong. So many of us spend the first half of our day slowly waking up only to start falling asleep again, an hour after lunch. It's not necessarily all our fault, it's just the way our schedules encourage us to behave.
We wake up with a fire under our beds, get dressed in a tornado, and spend the first few hours of the morning slowing our heart rate and re-focusing our eyes on our ever-growing inboxes. By the time we get a break, we eat the foods our body thinks it wants — which usually tends to make us start to feel tired and slow. Then the rest of the day is a lot of yawning and watch-checking and leg-bouncing and back-aching. Then by the time we get home, we're all "must get into sweatpants and watch TV" and we just want to melt into the couch and cease to exist before the next morning's fire starts.
But as it turns out, there are other ways to live! There are ways to keep our energy levels balanced throughout the day. There are ways to not yawn through the afternoon. There are ways to leave work without the need to stop for pain relievers for your headache and neck ache and back ache. There are ways to wake up at an easy pace and get to work in one piece. But in order to do this, in order to live this in calm and collected lifestyle, you have to do your morning right. You have to spend the hours before noon giving your body the tools it needs in order to ace the rest of the day. These are the top nine mistakes you're making before noon:
Not Planning Your Morning The Night Before
Don't fall asleep with your make-up on and your room a state of disaster. Pack your work bag, lay out your clothes, tidy up and wash your face. Don't set yourself up for a challenge in the morning. Waking up is hard enough.
Waking Up In The Dark
The point of closing your curtains is to allow you to sleep in. If you're not sleeping in, you don't need them closed! It will be easier and more enjoyable to wake up to a room drenched in warm sunlight. You'll snap out of dreamland much quicker than you would in a close-curtained cave. You're not a vampire, open the blinds!
Not Drinking Water
Starting your morning with a nice big cup of warm water with lemon is the best good morning salutation you can give your insides. It wakes them up and gets them going, without the jolt of acidic caffeine that's to come later. Water and lemon is a gentle nudge, and it's the hydration you need after a dehydrating night's sleep.
Working Out On An Empty Stomach
If you're the early morning workout type, make sure you wake up early enough to have something to eat before you get moving. If you think you can't eat before the gym because you're not hungry, then you're not getting up early enough. Working out on an empty stomach will probably leave you with low blood sugar and feeling sick to your stomach, basically cursing the rest of the day.
Not Eating A Smart Breakfast
If you load up on carbs in the morning, you're probably going to burn out early. The best thing to do is find a balanced breakfast that you can master on the go. Get your protein, get your fiber, get your healthy fat and then have some carbs. Just round it out.
Not Stretching It Out
It's so important to wake up your muscles and get your blood flowing in the morning. A good stretch can prevent a day of hunching and even ward-off headaches caused by neck pain.
Eating The Wrong Snacks
Sometimes listening to your body is not the best thing to do. When you're having a stressful groggy morning, your body is going to tell you that you need sugar. What you probably need is protein and fiber. Prepare some smart snacks so that you're armed and ready to outsmart your cravings when they come.
Not Sitting Up Straight In The Morning
When you get to your desk and you slump over because you're exhausted, you're setting yourself up for an afternoon of neck and back pain and even dizziness and trouble focusing. Sit up straight to breathe right, keep your focus and strengthen your core. It will become easier over time.
Check In With Yourself
Don't let the day get away without taking the time to check in with yourself and see what you need and how you're feeling. Make check lists, take walk and close your eyes and take a few deep breaths as often as possible. You can never be too in tune with your body.
