3 Morning “hacks” to boost your energy and win the day
“The way one starts their morning defines their whole day” is an old one, that you’ve probably heard before. The thing with cliches is that they are often true.
Most exceptional performers, business leaders, world-class athletes, have already nailed-down their morning routines that set them up to win the day. But what can the rest of us do to boost our energy levels in the morning, and not feel all groggy. Yes, a good ol’ cup of coffee can be great, but there is so much more to a powerful morning.
- Move it
Virtually any form of morning exercise, be it a walk in the park, a short workout at home, or resistance training in the gym, would do wonders for your day. Apart from the obvious benefits such as boosting your metabolism and being in shape, exercising in the morning improves your mood, alertness and cognitive abilities throughout the day. Studies have shown increased levels of some “feel-good” neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine after exercise. In addition, brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels also go-up, improving cognitive performance and short-term memory in particular.
2. Catch some sunrays
If you are lucky enough to get some morning sun, make the most of it! Direct sunlight exposure (in moderation) can be beneficial in a number of ways, and there is no better time to do it than the morning. We all know that sunlight helps us produce the essential Vitamin D, which is of utmost importance for certain metabolic and immune functions. Morning sunlight would also make you more alert, and improve your sleep at night as it directly impacts the circadian rhythm (the body’s natural clock). On top of that, you get some of the “good stuff” as well. Sunlight helps release an opiate (ß-endorphin), which improves your mood, putting that nice smile on your face. Direct sunlight exposure can always be timed with exercise on a nice walk/run in the park. Or not.
3. Have a cold shower
Wait, what!?! This guy must be out of his mind. Nope, there are clear benefits of using cold showers as a positive stress for the body. Good news is that you don’t have to get jump straight into the cold water. A regular hot shower, finished off by 30–90 seconds of cold water can have the same positive effect on both immune system and cognitive functions. A controlled group study by the NCBI showed that 30 days of consecutive hot-to-cold showering reduced sickness-related absence from work by 29%. What’s more, cold exposure increases the production of a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine, boosting alertness and cognition, while having a positive effect on overall energy levels and mood. Try it, the first few times do suck, but the feeling afterwards is definitely worth it.
BONUS: Get your sleep right!
Improving sleep quality is a topic worthy of an article (or a few) by itself, but all of the above will have little effect when your sleeping habits suck. Booze, device obsession before bed (blue light), and heavy dinners (spiking insulin) are only some of the factors that decrease the quality, and quantity, of your sleep. The simple tips explained above are only complimentary to what should be a balanced lifestyle.
Let us know if you have any energy-boosting hacks in the toolkit, and stay tuned for more on productivity, health and fitness on COMPOUND!
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