For a good start to the day, the morning should be as stress-free as possible. For many, however, the opposite is the case – because they do something wrong in the morning. You should avoid these common mistakes in the morning.
1. Slumber forever
The alarm clock rings, but actually there is still a little time. So you hit the snooze button, turn over in bed, and go back to sleep. Some use the snooze function of the alarm clock two to three times, others even more often.
Even if the few minutes of extra sleep feel good, snoozing has a negative effect: you feel even more tired. According to sleep researchers, this is because the sleep-wake cycle is disrupted. If you fall asleep again after the first alarm, the body begins a new sleep cycle and releases hormones that initiate a deep sleep phase. The second alarm interrupts this process – which confuses the body. The result: You feel drowsy and exhausted, this feeling can last for several hours. In order not to be tired all morning, you should avoid snoozing and get up straight away.
2. Start the day on your smartphone
Waking up in the morning and first checking emails, Whatsapp or the news? Not a good idea. The news mainly reports on catastrophes and controversies, and studies have shown that social networks can worsen the mood. Constant accessibility via smartphone is also not conducive to well-being.
So you should at least spare yourself the “digital stress” in the morning. To avoid the temptation to look at your phone, you can turn it off or put it on airplane mode – then you won’t be able to surf the web and you won’t get any notifications.
3. Getting up late
In the morning, every extra minute in bed is precious – but you should still set the alarm a little earlier. The later you get up, the less time you have for breakfast, dressing and getting ready – and you’re already stressed out in the morning.
So get up earlier, take time for yourself. Sip a leisurely cup of tea, meditate, or do yoga before engaging in your daily tasks and routines.
Tips and inspiration:
- Morning routine: 10 tips for a better start to the day
-
Learning to meditate: tips for beginners
- Mindfulness: what it is and how to practice it
- Yoga for beginners – these tips will make it easier for you to get started
4. Letting shutters
When it’s dark, the body releases the sleep hormone melatonin and we get tired. Light does the opposite: it inhibits the release of the hormone and wakes you up. Do not leave the shutters and curtains closed in the morning, but open them and use this effect of the light. If it’s dark for a long time in the morning in winter, a daylight lamp** or a wake-up light** can help.
5. Drink coffee immediately
For many, a cup of coffee is part of waking up. However, you should not drink your first coffee until a little later in the morning. The reason: Shortly after waking up, the body produces more of the stimulant hormone cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. “About 30 to 40 minutes after getting up, there is a veritable cortisol peak,” says science journalist Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim.
At this time you don’t need an artificial pick-me-up like caffeine. If you drink it anyway, you develop a tolerance to coffee, which means it loses its effect. The most effective thing is to wait at least an hour after waking up before drinking your first coffee.
More information:
A cup of tea (e.g. fruit or herbal tea), diluted juice or water in the morning is better than coffee.
6. Too much sugar
Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day – but for many people it is not exactly healthy. Nutella bread, sweet cornflakes, fruit yoghurt or muesli mixes, for example, contain a lot of sugar.
Cocoa and juices also contain more sugar than expected. In fact, fruit juice can contain as much sugar as Coca-Cola, even if it’s “no added sugar” or freshly squeezed. Nutrition experts therefore recommend eating fresh fruit instead of drinking juice. If it’s supposed to be juice, just a small glass.
If you’re not careful, you’ll already have your sugar needs for the day in the morning. Avoid such sugar traps in the morning and prepare yourself a healthy, wholesome breakfast. Tips and Recipes:
- Healthy breakfast: This is how you start the day fit
- Make porridge yourself – 3 healthy options for breakfast
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Make muesli yourself and make crunchy muesli yourself
- Make your own vegan spreads with just 2 ingredients
7. Only brush your teeth before breakfast
To get rid of the unpleasant odor in the mouth, many brush their teeth as soon as they get up. However, it is more important to brush after eating: “Since breakfast can only cause new deposits to accumulate on the teeth, brushing your teeth before breakfast makes no sense,” says dentist Dr. Hans Hugo Wilms from Laufenburg. “If you wake up with a bad taste, you can rinse your mouth out with water or a mouthwash.”
While brushing your teeth just before eating isn’t harmful, you should repeat it after breakfast.
You can also do something wrong with toothpaste: In the Stiftung Warentest, 16 out of 31 toothpastes scored “inadequate”. Conventional products often contain questionable substances – organic toothpaste is better. More information on sustainable dental care:
- Leaderboard organic toothpaste
- Sustainable tooth brushing: dental care without plastic and harmful substances
- Bamboo toothbrushes in comparison: Recommended manufacturers
- Make toothpaste yourself: a guide
Read more on Techzle.com:
- Almost everyone makes these 6 hygiene mistakes
- Evening routine: 12 tips to help you sleep better
- Constantly tired: These tips will help against tiredness