gaystudies:

my morning routine:

• alarm at 6:30 plays slow-building music
• guided meditation
• get on my phone, scroll through social media to wake myself up
• alarm at 6:50 plays more vigorous music to startle me awake if i fall back to sleep
• lift weights
• shower

recommended apps:

• productive - really nice, simple, and pretty app that lets you keep track of good habits.
• stop, breathe & think - the only guided mediation app i’d ever recommend, allows you to put in how you feel and calculates a meditation for you based on that.
• nightstand - an all in one sleep timer/alarm app that lets you include your own music and photos as well as set a gradual alarm. the only thing is you have to keep it open all night. 

how to set useful alarms:

• set more than one, especially if you’re prone to falling back asleep. turn snooze off for each one, though.
• set them in reasonable intervals. don’t set them every five minutes unless you need every last minute in the morning. mine are 20 mins apart. it may take some trial and error, but you should find what’s best for you.
• the first one should have the calmest song, then each should increase in intensity to help you avoid sleeping through them all.
• name them with cute emojis, motivations, etc to make them feel less dull!!

tips on staying awake:

• sit up. i always find it harder to stay awake if i can just roll over and close my eyes again.
• do something that gets you out of bed. an exercise, getting coffee, finding your pet. it can be anything, large or small, as long as you have to leave the warmth and comfort of your bed for it.
• look at your phone. if it can keep you up at night, it will wake you up in the morning. but be wary of this. try to stay on sites/apps that are more positive than not.
• drink water. keep some beside your bed. even if it isn’t cold, it will rejuvenate your body system and get it functioning normally for the day.
• leave a to-do list beside your bed full of little things you need to do some day. use those as an incentive to get out of bed. “i’ve got to change the litter box” can be the difference between awake and asleep (again).
  

tips on avoiding grogginess and starting the day happier:

• mediation (guided or unguided). sit up and just assess how you’re feeling. address any left over emotions from the day before and remember that today is a new day! 
• tea. i can’t speak from experience for this one, but many people i know suggest tea over coffee because it too has a bit of caffeine in it, but rather than jittering you awake, it slowly brings you out of your sleepy state and into the morning.
• open your window or keep your blinds open before you go to bed. in the morning, natural light and fresh air will slowly awaken the senses as you get up and prepare for the day.
• eat !!!!! holy crap i cannot express how important eating is in the morning. if you eat in the morning (especially proteins and fruits), your body will have more energy throughout the day and you won’t want to eat as much later on. 

helpful/inspirational sites/articles:

• mymorningroutine - successful people write about their morning routines.
• morning routines of 12 women leaders - forbes article.
• 22 quick habits to add to your daily morning routine - article. not all of these will apply to you, but they definitely give you something to think about.
• how to create a success-based morning routine - 7500 words of pure help. the author even put it into chapter format and linked a .pdf version of it!

thanks for reading !! if you have any additional tips, feel free to add them below, and if you have any questions, please message me !!

(find my other posts here)

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