Feeling Tired in the Morning? Read This To Have More Energy All Day!

One of the worst feelings is waking up in the morning, knowing you have a full day ahead, and already being exhausted. I know that I personally experienced this for years, and a lot of my clients struggle with this as well. Trust me – you are not alone.

I want to share some of my top tips for how you can maintain a higher level of stabilized energy throughout the day and sleep better at night.

#1. Eat Smaller & Earlier
Eating smaller portions and giving your body more time to process your food before lying down for the night will help improve the quality of your sleep and allow you to wake up with more energy. Try to eat your last meal at least three or four hours before you go to bed. I recommend trying smaller dinner portions for one full week to see how your body reacts. Eat your biggest blood-sugar-stabilizing meal earlier in the day, so your body has time to break it down.

#2. Drink Water & Think Green
We’re the most dehydrated in the morning after a night of sleeping with no liquids. A lot of people insist on starting their mornings with caffeine, but caffeine is a diuretic, which means that it causes your kidneys to flush extra sodium and water from the body through urine. Instead, you should start each morning with two glasses of warm water and then drink water throughout the day. This is going to hydrate you and give you that great energy you’re looking for.

Another way to hydrate and get more energy is to drink green juice made with vegetables like kale, cucumber, celery, spinach, and parsley. These vitamin and mineral-rich vegetables are going to give you an energy boost, without the caffeine jitters!

Your number one goal should always be to stabilize your energy throughout the day. Many people have a tendency to head straight for coffee and a muffin or pastry in the morning. Unfortunately, these caffeine and sugar-loaded morning go-to items cause major inconsistencies in our blood sugar levels and send our bodies (and energy levels) on an up-and-down roller coaster throughout the day. To stabilize our energy we must first stabilize our blood sugar.

#3. Get Moving
I know when we’re tired, the last thing any of us want to do is exercise. Exercise is what gives us energy. Even something as simple as a 10-minute walk around the office after lunch or a simple morning stretching routine before you hop in the shower can make a huge impact on your energy level throughout the day.

Being aware of your movement is especially important if you sit the majority of your work day. Having a job that limits your mobility, because you need to be sitting at a desk or in front of a computer, does not mean you can’t be mindful of your movement. I highly recommend researching some easy, beginner-friendly breathing exercises that you can do anytime and anywhere – including in your cube or car! Not breathing well can make us tired. In contrast, by fully expanding your lungs and dropping your breath into your belly (what I call the “360 Degree Breath”) you’ll not only get your body moving, you’ll also increase the amount of oxygen going into your body, which will naturally heighten your energy level.

#4. Take A Cold Shower
I’m not going to go into the major details of why this is so important. Instead, I’m going to recommend you simply try it out. Turning down the temperature first thing in the morning is going to wake up your nervous system and help keep you awake throughout the day. It makes excess blood go to your core to wake you up, whereas a warm shower causes the excess blood goes to your limbs. Give it a try and see what you think!

#5. Journal
If we’re tired in the morning, it might be because we’re not looking forward to the day ahead or there may be a few big projects we’re really stressing over. Journaling and getting some of those thoughts and feelings down on paper is a great way to channel any negative energy first thing in the morning. Doing this allows you to go into the rest of your day with a more positive mindset.

Writing things down also helps you complete the thought process. In order to take the extra time and write down what is going through your mind, you are actually forcing yourself to have fewer thoughts per minute. This is also a great opportunity to make sure you have a clear direction and goals set for the day, which will in turn help you prioritize, make the right decisions to create momentum, and take intentional action in all areas of your life.

If you’re not in the habit of journaling, I recommend starting with a simple exercise. Every morning for one week, write down at least one thing you’re excited about, one thing you’re looking forward to, and one thing you’re grateful for. Not only does this help you slowly start a new habit, it is the first step in having awareness that negative energy and thoughts can really put a damper on your mood, especially in the morning. Shifting your mindset and starting your day on a more positive note will surely impact more than just your energy level.

What are you grateful for today? What gives you energy and gets you out of bed in the morning? I hope these tips help you increase your all-day energy and guide you on your mission to find and develop your deep life’s purpose!