Wake up refreshed and tick some things off your to-do list
This Sunday, March 30th, the clocks will go forward one hour marking the beginning of British Summer Time. Despite losing an hour, the mornings will be lighter so what better excuse to get out there, grab life by the balls, and pursue your goals.
To tackle the early morning starts head-on, the boffins at FUEL HQ have compiled a list of top tips to make the most of those all-important extra minutes of sunshine.
A recent study by FUEL revealed an overwhelming sense of keenness amongst respondents to be more productive in the morning, with people’s good intentions including a morning run, cycling or walking to work, hitting the local lido for a swim or taking the dog for a walk.
1. DON'T HIT SNOOZE
We are snoozing too much, which is not an effective use of our time and does not improve the quality of our sleep, only our perception. The reality is we need to break the viscious cycle of snoozing and make good use of those morning hours, as is the premise of FUEL YOUR 10K HOURS. Use those extra minutes to do something you’re passionate about, learn a new talent or take up a hobby such as cycling, swimming, or even taking a photography class.
2. THE IMPORTANCE OF H20
Stay alert and energised in the morning by drinking a glass of water. Studies have shown it increases the flow of oxygen and flushes toxins out of your body. Grabbing a cold shower on a dreary, winter morning may not sound like your idea of fun, but the temperature change will perk you up by boosting your circulation. Still resistant? Try running your wrists under a cold tap or splashing your face.
3. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Athlete or artist, businessperson or musician, it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to become elite. One in 10 people wish they could be more productive in the morning. FUEL wants to motivate and help people to, bit by bit, use those extra daylight minutes to achieve their goals and kick start their day. Indeed, just by quitting the snooze, you could achieve nearly half of their ten thousand hours and be well on their way to achieving personal greatness.
Not only does it burn off that excess energy, but a study from the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine has shown that moderate exercise helps to offset anxiety, which has a direct relation to how easily people fall asleep. Just 30 minutes of jogging a day is enough to feel the effects.
4. BREAKFAST
Everyone knows how important breakfast is, yet 43% of Brits admit to skipping breakfast. We're not saying you have to sit down and prepare a healthy feast, but eating breakfast on-the-go has never been easier with convenient breakfasts like porridge pots and liquid breakfast drinks.
Breakfast helps set the tone for the rest of the day, you wake up your metabolism and get your engine humming. So grab breakfast to-go and use the extra time to achieve your goals or do something you are passionate about.
5. PRIORITIES
The quiet hours of the morning can be the ideal time to focus on an important work project without being interrupted. What’s more, spending time on it at the beginning of the day ensures that it gets your attention before others (kids, employees, bosses) use it all up