10 ways to wake up happy!

Welcome to Enjoying Today, this my first blog post full blog post!

Before we get into it I just want to say thank you for dropping by, I can't wait to connect with you and understand what you guys want on this blog. I hope you stick around and love the posts!

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Anyway on to the post...
I decided to start on a high note. With winter coming, it will be darker and colder when we have to pull ourselves out of bed and fly out the door, so I have pulled together my top 10 ways to wake up happy so you can get your day off to a positive start. It includes tips for before you go to bed, how to sleep better and how to spend your early morning to help you feel awake and ready to face the day.
I hope you find something that helps you and please leave a comment telling me what your favorite tip was and if you have any of your own ideas on how to make you morning better. 

1) Plan for the next day.
Before you go to bed take the time to make sure everything you need for the next day is in your bag and lay out the clothes you are going to wear.
You could take this further by checking to see if everything you need to get ready is where you expect it  to be (towels, shampoo, make up etc), and having a quick scan of the kitchen to see what you might have for breakfast.
Whatever you do, a little bit of prep will make getting ready in the morning that bit easier so you can minimise stress and maybe even get a few more minutes in bed!

2) Get enough good sleep. 
According to the National Sleep Foundation adults need around 7-9 hours sleep. So if you have to be awake at 7am make sure you go to bed at 10pm. It seems odd to have a bedtime as a fully grown adult but if you keep this consistent your body will get used to it and you will get a better nights sleep, helping you to wake up feeling full of energy.

3) Ditch the alarm clock!
Yes this one does sound a bit crazy but I started doing it about a       year ago and it has worked wonders. Once I had a regular sleep pattern I would wake up naturally at about 6am to 6:30am which gave me plenty of time to get ready.
With an alarm clock, I find that it shocks my body into waking up and often disrupts my natural sleep and I start to think negative thoughts about my day. Without an alarm I wake up in my own time and can do so gently and I often feel very positive in the morning as a result.
If your not sure about getting rid of an alarm clock, try a sleep app that tracks when you are most awake so that it wakes you up roughly when you need to be but at a time when you are sleeping the lightest.

4) Take a moment to breath. 
Just climbing out of bed when your still drowsy isn't ever a great feeling. So take a moment to lie in bed with the natural light streaming in and wake up a bit more; stretch a bit, breath and tell yourself today will be a good day. Perhaps you could add a very gentle yoga sequence in here, either in or out of bed, just give yourself some time to embrace the day ahead before getting on with everything.

5) Let water be your best friend.
Once I finally gather up the will to get out of bed the first thing I do is get myself a big glass of water and down it all in one. Now we all know the benefits of water and how necessary it is for us to have but I find it to be a great start to the day in itself. Its very refreshing and wakes me up quite a bit so the rest of my morning is full of energy.

6)Workout!
This probably isn't everyone's idea of happiness but it does get your day off to a good start. It doesn't have to be a seriously intense workout, just 10-20 minutes just to get your body moving. If you want to push yourself, remember that a good workout will release endorphins which make you happy!

7) Eat breakfast.
This one is probably quite obvious but it is worth mentioning as so many people either skip it or don't pay enough attention to it. I will often have a lot of fruit for breakfast with a glass of milk and a huge glass of water. If I am feeling extra hungry I add a slice of brown toast with a small amount of butter. Whatever you eat, try to make it healthy, filling and take some time over it. Sit down and watch a bit of TV or catch up with your family before you all head off to work/school.

8)Make your bed
Before I leave the house I always make my bed and spend about 2 minutes doing a quick tidy up. I find that it adds to the feeling of being put together and organized. It also helps when you come home; if your day was chaotic and you come home to a peaceful tidy space then you can quickly relax and forget about the day.

9)Always leave enough time to get ready. 
If you have prepared everything the night before as it says in step 1 then this part should be easy. When you leave the house you want to feel put together and ready to face the day, if you are rushed getting ready you will find it very hard to feel calm and ready. So make sure you give yourself enough time to do whatever makes you happy about the way you look; be that make up, straight hair or just a well thought out outfit.

10)Remember that timing is vital.
Its great if you decide you are going to take your time getting ready in the morning, get in a morning workout and leave a good amount of time for breakfast. However if you are used to getting up with not much time to spare then your grand plans are never going to work. Plan a timetable in you head, it doesn't have to be rigid but it will give you an idea of how much time you have for each thing and see if you will have to get up any earlier. But don't sacrifice sleep, if you have to get up earlier don't forget to go to bed earlier.


Well I hoped that helped you have a good morning so you can go skipping out of your house feeling relaxed and happy.
If you have any other tips for getting a good night sleep or having a good morning please add them to the comments!

Claudia x