Spark

This just in: mornings are tough. Ok, so that’s news to no one, but experts (and our most zen friends) seem to believe that building some simple rituals into your mornings can really help to set the right tone for your day. If you’re already the type to rise at 5am to get in an hour-long workout and make a three-course breakfast, much respect to you! But if you’re just interested in some super simple, very doable ways to start your day off on the right foot, read on.

1. Drink water as soon as possible.

This one may sound a little overly simplistic, but it’s actually a big deal. Think about it: depending on when you went to bed the night before (check out this post for some tips on getting better sleep), your body has been without hydration for a pretty long time. The sooner you remedy that, the better!

If you want to make this extra simple, fill up a reusable water bottle before you go to bed at night, and leave it in the fridge or on your nightstand to down first thing in the morning. This will wake up your mind and body, including your digestive system.

2. Take a few minutes for some simple stretching.

Exactly how far you take this is up to you, but pretty much everyone who has something to say about this topic agrees that even some very basic and simple movement is a great way to start your day. If you’re not the bootcamp-at-5am type, we hear you and that’s totally understandable – but that doesn’t mean that the principle doesn’t still apply.

Keep a yoga mat handy, and follow that big drink of water with some light stretching or yoga to get your blood flowing. Even 10 or 15 minutes of moderate stretching is a great way to wake up your muscles and other body systems, calm your mind, and start your day.

Remember to take it easy so that you don’t pull or strain anything; this isn’t necessarily about working up a sweat. Got kids? Get them in on the action! Once you’re in the habit, you may find yourself really looking forward to these few minutes of stretching, and feeling that it’s well worth setting your alarm a few minutes earlier.

3. Do something that makes you happy.

You know that five minutes you spend checking Instagram or your emails in the morning? Maybe don’t. To be clear, we do it too and we know how hard it is to resist. But those emails will be there when you sit down to work, and Instagram will be there when you take a work break, or sit down on the bus, or just at some later point. Take that five minutes before your day gets crazy to do something that makes you feel good instead, whatever that is for you.

Maybe it’s playing with your kids for a few minutes. Maybe it’s locking yourself in the bathroom to get away from your kids for a few minutes (no judgement). Maybe it’s taking the time to make a really great cup of coffee, to chat with your significant other, or to play with your dog. It could also be something super intentional, like journaling or meditating. Figure out what that happy activity is for you, and give yourself a few minutes to do it. It’s so worth it.

So all in all, pretty simple, right? We totally get how crazy mornings are in most households as we rush to get ready for work, school, and everything else. We also get how great beds are, and how tough they are to climb out of most mornings. But trying even one of these things might just end up making you feel a little more positive, awake, and ready for your day. And hey, if not, you can always go back to hitting snooze, right?

For those magical mornings when you’ve got the time, watch our video tutorial with Chloe Wolchock to see how she achieves the most enviable fluffy brows we’ve ever seen.