Honestly, I’m a night owl. Mornings have never really been my thing (even as a kid). I tend to stay up later then I should and mornings are tough to start. I really love sleep and feel like I never get enough of it! As a mom, my alone time starts when the kid’s go to bed, so the evenings are precious to me and I tend to extend them way into the later hours, hence feeling so groggy and tired in the morning. This affects everything in my day. Starting the day off right means I’m a better mom to my kids, I’m more patient, energetic and overall it has a huge impact on my wellbeing and mental health. Lately I’ve made some changes to kickstart waking up feeling refreshed and I’m sharing how I’ve started having better mornings all together!
5 Easy Tips For Feeling Better & Waking Up Refreshed:
#1 Set your coffee maker up the night before.
We have a drip coffee maker that I can set to brew in the morning. Waking up to the smell of fresh coffee is literally the best thing ever. If you don’t have a coffee maker that you can set up the night before, just get everything prepped. Fill the water reservoir, scoop the grounds into the coffee maker and put your coffee mug out. Then you just have to press a button after waking up.
#2 Invest in some high quality, cozy bedding.
This is so important. Throughout the years, you spend a ton of time in your bed sleeping, so make it luxurious and a place you can’t wait to crawl into at night. I’ve been investing in great bed linens over the years and we currently have the envello percale duvet and sheet set, along with extra cozy flannel pillow cases. They’re really soft and comfortable, they wash amazing and the colours are beautiful (my sheets and duvet are the colour Bone). They’re a Canadian company too! They also don’t use chemicals when manufacturing their linens and their packaging is recyclable and reusable (the bedding comes in cute reusable cotton bags).
#3 Use an app to track your sleep cycle.
This is seriously mind blowing. Years ago, when Kiel and I lived in Norway during the winter season, my sleep cycle was way off (it was dark around 2:30pm plus we lived in a basement suite with few windows). I found the Sleepytime app, and being able to track when I wanted to fall asleep and when the best time to wake up was blew my mind. It times your sleep cycles, takes into account the average amount of time a person takes to fall asleep and aims to wake you up at the end of your sleep cycle, instead of in the middle. You are less groggy, feel better and more alert. If I know I won’t be getting a full night’s sleep, I’ll use this app to determine the best time to wake up.
#4 Put on some music!
Music is a huge mood booster – the kid’s and I love to have dance parties in the morning. I made a playlist on my phone of our favourites and we have a little portable Bose speaker I use. It’s a fun way to get energized and feel great in the morning.
#5 Diffuse your favourite oils in the morning.
I have a diffuser in the kitchen, and I’ve started diffusing my favourite oils when I wake up. It’s a mood booster and makes the morning feel fresher and brighter. I used to do this in the winter as a way to start the day but stopped for some reason. I forgot how much I love it and how it sets the tone for the day. My favourite oils to diffuse are a simple combination of lemon and peppermint. It’s bright and citrusy and smells amazing.
#6 Tidy the house and put away dishes the night before.
I am a HUGE believer in cleaning the house before bed and thankfully my husband feels the same. After dinner, we clean the kitchen up and the kid’s help up quickly tidy the toys. Before bed, I do a quick walk through while I lock the doors and check on the kids, putting any stray dishes or snack bowls in the dishwasher and turning it on before bed. I’ll put the throw blankets in their basket and fluff the couch cushions too. Waking up to a clean house is a huge mood lifter you guys. It starts the day off on the right foot.
All of these small changes help so much. Even on days where I didn’t get enough sleep, my mood is so much better! Do you have any of your favourite tips to share?
Thank you to envello for partnering with me on this post. As always, all opinions are mine.
