Top 10 actions that will help you quickly cheer up in the morning and increase your daily activity level

Dear reader, we present to you our beauty columnist Inessa Tsarkova!

Inessa is an active nutritionist, gastroenterologist, therapist, naturopath and aromatherapist, health coach, integrative medicine doctor with a holistic approach. And now he will share with us his knowledge in the field of both physical and mental health, nutrition and much more.

This is the tenth time the alarm clock rings, and we snooze it again and “fill up” five minutes of sweet morning sleep… Why is it difficult for us to get up in the morning? So what can you do to wake up easily and quickly and put yourself in a cheerful and active state? Let us turn to the laws of functioning and neurophysiology of the human body.

Inessa Tsarkova

Why don’t we sleep enough?

180 thousand years ago our ancestors left equatorial Africa. What is Equatorial Africa? The sun rises every day at six in the morning, sets below the horizon at six in the evening, and pitch darkness falls. At the equator the sun is at its peak during the day, and at night it is exactly the opposite – on the other side of the Earth. This is why the nervous system of our ancestors became accustomed to absolute darkness at night.

Therefore, one of the most important conditions for healthy sleep (and therefore subsequent daytime activities) is the complete absence of light in the room where you sleep. In “cave” conditions at night, our hormonal system in the process of evolution was tuned to high-quality work, and the nervous system was tuned to rest and restart. For full restorative sleep, you need complete silence, normal humidity and cool air temperature. It was under such conditions that our ancestors gained strength.

To create a completely dark house you need:

– hang thick curtains and turn off all lights. Even the light from small bulbs can prevent you from getting quality sleep;

— Avoid looking at device screens in bright light two hours before bed;

— Replace artificial lighting with dim lamps in orange-pink tones (the colors of the sun at sunset).

10 rules for a “cheerful” morning

What rules will help us shift into second and then third gear to enter a new day with joy and spend the day productively and actively?

#1: Feel grateful for the new day.

The first thing I recommend you do while still lying in bed is to thank the Universe or the Creator for the day ahead, for your body, for your ability to think, and for the opportunity to express, create and develop yourself. Numerous studies show that this practice helps you focus on the positive aspects of life. It helps increase the level of joy hormones and strengthens the belief in a fertile and generous Universe. After all, it helps us in every possible way to be happy if we want it.

#2: Set a daily intention.

The second thing to do is to declare to the Universe your intention to be cheerful and active, to receive joy and satisfaction from life. In the morning, it is important to prepare yourself for a successful and productive day, create your intention and imagine yourself active and happy. After all, our thoughts and beliefs take priority. They are the ones who can signal our body to get to work and take action. First the idea, then the implementation. Therefore, it is beneficial to first imagine yourself being active in order to be revitalized as soon as you get out of bed. Better yet, record your morning vigor intention on a voice recorder and let your subconscious listen to the recording the night before you go to bed.

#3: Wake up early

The third thing that is important for you to learn to do is to wake up early, ideally at 6:00-6:30 in the morning. Paradoxically, it is this habit that will help you go to bed at the right time (22:00–22:30). And going to bed on time means giving nighttime hormones the opportunity to do their job of repairing the body in the best way possible. The better we rest, the more strength and energy we have for our activity the next day.

Why at this particular time? Scientists have discovered that at 6:30 in the morning, each of us experiences the release of activity hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, as well as an increase in blood sugar levels. This means it’s time for us to take action: “Go out in search of food” and get ready to “escape danger.” But if you sleep more and wake up later each time, the body’s adjustments are lost. The development of pathological conditions in the cardiovascular system and carbohydrate metabolism is triggered, ultimately leading to various diseases. So 180 thousand years was enough for intelligence to develop, but not enough for our physiology to change.

No. 4. Start the day with active exercise

The best way to move the body is through stretching exercises (we often do this instinctively right after waking up), breathing practices and joint exercises. But rubbing, shaking, stroking, jumping, squatting and running in place will help speed up the metabolism, forcing the mitochondria (energy structures of cells) to produce energy for our activity and, eventually, wake up. Therefore, when at the end of the exercise you will feel a little short of breath and sweat a little, physical activity should be gradually increased to a noticeable level. After all, evolutionarily, we are runners, so it is precisely such movements that ensure the good functioning of all organs and systems, excellent well-being and mood.

#5: Drink a glass of hot water

Another aspect is also important for a cheerful mood in the morning – good fluidity of internal fluids. Blood and lymph, easily passing through the capillaries, activate metabolic processes and activate the brain, muscles, lungs and other organs. To do this, friends, do not forget to follow an important rule: drink 1-2 glasses of hot water immediately after waking up and 10-15 minutes before exercise. You can read more about its properties in my article: “How does hot water help preserve beauty and health?” However, addiction to coffee as a morning savior negatively affects the viscosity of the blood (I wrote about this here).

#6: Open your curtains as soon as you wake up.

There is another secret action that will really help you wake up in the morning and be more active – the so-called “sunstroke”. As soon as you wake up, open the curtains and look at the sunlight. Or, if this is not possible, turn on a bright fluorescent lamp. Better yet, place a photo lamp in the bathroom that will intensely illuminate the room for about 10 minutes while you wash your face. How can this help us? It is sunlight entering directly into the eyes or through closed eyelids that “turns on” the hormonal system during the day: it activates the conversion of tryptophan into serotonin (the hormone of joy and activity), which in the evening turns into melatonin and calls us back to bed.

#7: Inhale refreshing scents

For example, natural citrus essential oils are perfect for this: wild orange, lemon, grapefruit and tangerine. By the way, the latter is especially good at helping neutralize the effects of lack of sleep. Essential oils of spices and herbs have a refreshing and invigorating aroma: mint, ginger, cloves, lemon balm, rosemary.

Here are proven recipes for resourceful essential oil blends that will help boost and maintain performance throughout the day, whether inhaled through your palms or added to a diffuser in your office:

— 1 drop of clove essential oil, 2 drops of bergamot, 2 drops of marjoram, 3 drops of lemon;

— 4 drops of lemon essential oil and 2 drops of rosemary;

— 1 drop of clove essential oil, 1 drop of bergamot, 1 drop of marjoram, 1 drop of pine, 1 drop of lemon;

— 2 drops of lemon or wild orange essential oil, 2 drops of peppermint;

– 2 drops of grapefruit, 2 drops of ginger.

No. 8. Take a contrast shower

Our nervous system is directly connected to the skin because during embryonic development, both the skin and the nervous system are formed from a single germ layer. That’s why they remain interconnected throughout life: By acting on our skin, we somehow affect the nervous system. And vice versa. That is why skin diseases respond so well to treatment if you use various techniques to relieve excessive stress and restore balance in the functioning of the nervous system.

It is the contrast shower that helps “wake up” and “activate” our skin, through which it affects the nervous system.

How to properly accustom yourself to a contrast shower? You need to start with a small temperature difference, gradually increasing the difference between hot and cold water. After taking a shower and cleaning your skin with natural, environmentally friendly detergents and warm water, you can proceed with contrast procedures. You should start with hot water, then move on to cooling (do this three times) and finish the contrast shower with cold water. Then dry thoroughly with a towel (until the skin turns slightly red). After such a magical process, the skin pores open and start working well, the capillary system is activated (they are responsible for the level of metabolism in our body), excess cortisol decreases and testosterone (the hormone of activity and self-esteem) is secreted. -confidence) increases. A contrast shower improves our health and immunity and makes us quickly feel cheerful and active.

No. 9. Prepare the right breakfast

We are returning to our physiology and evolutionary attitudes formed in ancient times. To preserve your energy, you should not rush with breakfast, but rather “earn it” with any physical activity. After all, our ancestors did not have access to a rich breakfast as soon as they woke up. And it was dangerous to eat enough in the morning, because during the day you had to actively move and be able to escape from predators and enemies, which was extremely difficult to do with a full belly. This means that breakfast should be light, and its digestion should not take too much strength and energy from the body. Of course, the choice of your first meal will depend on the condition of your body (you can read more about this in my article “What and when is it best to eat for breakfast? Simple healthy breakfast recipes”). Therefore, according to physiologists, according to our “factory settings” the human body is most suitable for vigor and activity in the morning with juicy fruits or light vegetable salads with seeds, legumes or whole grain cereals.

#10: Walk at a brisk pace for at least 20 minutes.

Throughout the history of the world, all diurnal creatures have started their day with the first rays of the sun. That’s when they started chirping, coming out of holes, looking for food, catching or running away. In general, they began to act actively. And man, as a representative of a biological species, is no exception. That’s why we need a walk in the morning. If possible, try to plan your route to work so that you can walk (preferably through a square or park) or bike for at least 20 minutes. You can also walk a few stops from the metro or the parking lot.

My dear readers, remember that only by living in harmony with the biorhythms of our planet and observing the laws of physiology, a person can feel active even in the morning, be healthy and live a full, productive life.