If you want to wake up feeling motivated and energized every morning, say goodbye to these 8 behaviors

We all know about the importance of having motivation and energy every morning. It’s the whole mantra we should follow, right?

Still, only some do.

Struggling to get out of bed in the morning, lacking motivation, and feeling sluggish is such a universal feeling for all of us. 

As for me personally, I think I became a morning person as I got older. I honestly feel like I do my best work first thing in the morning, but that wasn’t the case when I was younger. 

Setting the alarm for the latest possible time and then rushing around like a madman was my thing.

However, usually, only a few things stop us from having motivated and energized mornings. The good thing is you can change them relatively easily.  

So, if you want to wake up motivated every morning, say goodbye to the following habits.

1) Irregular bedtime and wake-up time

Fixed bedtime and wake-up time seem like distant memories for a lot of folks. 

If your “rise and shine” turns into the chaos of waking up whenever then you should consider changing this. 

Also, hitting that snooze button too often won’t do you any good, as it disrupts your sleep. It might seem like a convenient way to score just a bit more sleep, but it’s not giving you any more rest.

If it’s the sound of the alarm itself that’s bothering you, try finding some soothing melody that starts softly and gradually gets louder. 

That’s what helped me a lot besides having a partner who would pull me out of bed if they needed to (literally). 

But it’s not just irregular wake-up times. It’s our bedtime, too. 

Very often, our project deadlines mess with our bedtime. We sacrifice a night of good sleep by staying up longer than we should. 

It’s normal to do it sometimes, but if it becomes a part of our lives, then we should think about changing this vicious cycle. 

We should aim for a consistent sleep routine by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends.

2) Excessive screen time in the evening

If you’re a person who scrolls through social media and talks to people until late-night, or you often have Netflix marathons until 3 am, then you’re probably accustomed to the harsh reality of insufficient sleep.

But are you aware of it? 

The blue light, as they call it, interferes with your sleep cycle. It’s emitted by our smartphones, tablets, and other digital devices. 

If you want to feel motivated and energized in the morning, having any device late in the evening should become a thing of the past. 

We all need a digital detox and uninterrupted sleep and trust me, it’s worth it. 

So, try limiting your screen time, and don’t use your phone for one or two hours before bedtime. 

Or do you know what’s even better? Read a book instead. That puts me down while I’m still on the first page.

3) Messy and too-warm bedroom

A messy environment can make us feel stressed and anxious. Visual chaos affects us because we can’t relax.

Think about it. If you can’t relax and unwind, then it’s harder to fall asleep.

Temperature plays a crucial role in sleep quality, too. Our body prefers a cooler environment. And if we feel too warm overnight, then we become anxious and restless, and we can’t sleep.

We often wake up during the night trying to put one leg outside the duvet. It’s an automatic response that our body sends to us as it tries to regulate its temperature. 

All of this brings us a bad quality of sleep, and our mornings don’t look so pleasant anymore. 

Clutter affects your productivity and mood, so try to make your bedroom tidier and cleaner in the morning, and also make sure that it’s cool, dark, and quiet in the evening. 

I’m fortunate here because I’m the first person to wake up in the morning to start work, so my wife often makes bed instead of me as she wakes up a bit later.

I see it as a win-win situation; she sleeps longer, and she loves this arrangement, and I don’t need to make a bed.

But don’t be me. Make your bed in the morning, and your body and mind will thank you for it.  

4) Too much caffeine in the afternoon and evening

I think this one’s pretty straightforward. We know it, but we still do it.

Too much caffeine in the afternoon and evening can have a noticeable impact on the quality of your sleep and also your morning energy and motivation.  

If you enjoy your late afternoon or evening cuppa, a significant amount of caffeine stays in your system and affects your sleep. 

Is it a late afternoon date with friends? Is there a new coffee shop you wanna try, but you’re available only on afternoons?

I understand it, but try not to make it a habit. Try to set up a different time to drink coffee earlier in the day.

Also, I am sure there is a decaf version of your favorite coffee drink. Maybe you should give it a try. 

5) Intense workouts too close to bedtime

Exercising and taking care of our bodies is important, but having it too much and way close to bedtime isn’t ideal.

It can impact our ability to have a good night’s sleep and leave us less energized in the morning. 

It’s kind of similar to having a messy and too-warm bedroom that affects our mind and body.

Intense exercise raises your heart rate and body temperature, and what we need before sleep is to unwind ourselves and prepare our bodies for sleep time.

Try to schedule your workouts a bit earlier in the day, at least a few hours before sleep. 

If that’s impossible because of the busy schedule you have, then maybe do some stretching. 

Yoga and good relaxation time before bed is the best.

6) Eating heavy, rich foods before bed

I decided to treat myself last week to a dinner feast fit for royalty. Our friends came to visit, and we all went to a new fancy buffet close to our place. 

It was a combination of everything: creamy pasta, nice Thai dishes, Chinese dumplings, and a lot of spicy dishes, together with a decadent dessert that I couldn’t say no to.

Little did I know the struggles of digestive discomfort, bloating, and heartburn I would feel that night. My problem is that I eat with my eyes when my body disagrees. 

This heavenly dinner waged war on my peaceful sleep, and my morning was everything except motivated and energized. 

I’m trying not to repeat the mistake I made, and you should, too. 

Your evenings should end with lighter food choices or even just a healthy snack if you want to avoid that sluggish feeling in the morning. 

Allowing to digest food is just too important for sleep, so always finish eating a few hours before bed. 

7) Negative bedtime thoughts

We live in stressful times, and life sometimes gets in the way. That’s why our bedtime thoughts and nighttime overthinking make us prisoners of our minds sometimes.

We worry about the future, work deadlines, our friends and family. Their worries become our worries, and we don’t put ourselves in first place anymore. 

This all leaves very little place for positive thoughts that will bring us restful sleep.  

So, first of all, you should start making yourself a priority: 

You have a great purpose in this world, and you should take care of your mind. 

Try to start the day with something you love: yoga, reading a book, or even a bit of quiet time with a favorite beverage in the morning. That’s what my wife usually does. 

I don’t dare to disturb her morning cuppa as it helps her relax, unwind, and start planning the day, and actually, her day looks much better because of it. 

What helps me when I feel the blues is a warm bath before going to bed. 

It does wonders for my body, and it makes me sleep better and faster. If I fall asleep faster, I don’t have time for negative thoughts. 

Win-win. 

8) Long naps late in the day

When you crash on the couch, sometimes you take a longer nap than needed. But these naps sabotage the well-deserved sleep our body needs.

Instead of indulging in long naps, you should try shorter power naps, twenty to thirty minutes max. Even shorter.

Leave your hand hanging off the couch with a TV remote in it, and the falling remote will wake you up once you fall asleep.

Time it well, don’t oversleep, and your mind will feel rejuvenated. 

Consistency is key, so stick to these habits for better sleep and mornings

Waking up with enthusiasm and a burst of energy makes you more productive and boosts your mood for the day.

Our habits play a significant role in our lives and affect our sleep and joyful mornings. 

They set the tone for the rest of the day. 

So, whether it’s saying goodbye to the snooze button, finishing the day with a nice relaxing bath, or a light healthy snack, consistency is key. 

We should stick to good habits instead of being trapped in the bad ones.