The Right Side of The Bed

story by Jake Hassebrock | photos by Dylan Hanson | design by Annie Tran

Mornings can be tricky. The warmth and comfort of the bed is often far more enticing than the work and responsibility of what the day can hold. But if you hit the snooze button too many times and rush to get yourself out the door, the rest of the day can easily feel just as frantic and unprepared. How you wake up can set the tone for the rest of your day. Here are a few of our tips to start your day on the right foot and in a good mindset.

1

Buy A Real Alarm Clock

Do not use your phone as your alarm. If you rely on your phone to wake you up, then the first thing you do in the morning is look at your phone, which means you are far more likely to scroll on social media. From a mental perspective, that’s kind of like inviting all of your friends into your room before you’ve even put pants on.

Using an actual alarm clock encourages you to leave the phone off until you’ve properly woken up and prepared yourself for the day. It’s worth the $10 investment.

When you do get a real clock, make sure to place it across the room instead of within reach of your bed. That way, you are forced to get out of bed to turn it off and you are already on your feet, so you might as well keep getting ready instead of hitting snooze.

2

Make Your Bed

Even if you aren’t typically a tidy person, making your bed in the morning gives you a sense of accomplishment that you can carry throughout the rest of your day. Recognizing the importance of completing even a small task can prove that you are capable of getting things done, which empowers you to go complete your next task.

Also, having a messy living space can cause additional stress throughout the day, even if you do not realize it. Clearing some of the mess can ease some of the stress because you no longer have to worry about when you eventually will have to make your bed - it’s already done.

3

Meditate

You don’t have to be religious to engage in mediation. Meditating can be as simple as finding a quiet corner and reflecting on yourself, the day ahead of you, or the previous day. If you are religious, take some time to engage in your spiritual life as you wake up.

Morning meditation can help give a sense of purpose in the day ahead of you as well as letting go of any negativity from the previous day. If nothing else, meditation can serve as a moment of stillness and calm before we engage with the craziness of life.

4

Eat Breakfast

It admittedly is very easy to skip breakfast. It’s easy to rationalize giving yourself a few extra minutes, especially if lunch is only a few hours away. Fight that urge and eat something.

It doesn’t have to be a full English breakfast, just something to get your body’s digestive processes moving and fuel you so that you can survive until lunch without wanting to kill everyone that you work with. A piece of fruit or a granola bar is better than an empty stomach.

5

Use A Planner

This one takes a bit of preparation ahead of time, but use a planner or calendar to schedule your days. Having a grasp of what your day will look like ahead of time is far less stressful and more efficient than running around on the fly hoping you don’t forget something.

Using a planner or calendar can also help you be more restful, because budgeting time gives you a clear sense of when you can stop working and switch into relaxation mode. Leaving tasks open ended leaves expectations unclear and allows work time to creep into important rest time.