How to make Winter Mornings more bearable?

I hate mornings. Well I don't hate mornings if something is good is planned for the day - going on holiday, visiting friends or frankly doing something that I love but sometimes those types of mornings don't tend to happen where Monday to Fridays are concerned. However, I think that we all can agree that getting up on a cold, wintery morning can be somewhat difficult, even if you have something planned. I mean your bed is warm, comfy and desirable - this is probably why getting up in a morning is so damn hard and who doesn't love sleep. 

I haven't always been a morning person but when you start working 8:30am - 5pm, it kind of a given that you have to start becoming a morning person but on the plus side being a morning person can be a good thing too.  Lately, I have been looking at different ways to become a successful morning person; instead of walking downstairs at 7am, half-dressed, my hair looking like I have been electrocuted and sounding like a zombie. So here is what I've come up with so far...

1. Let the morning in 

Okay, so during the winter months this is slightly impossible what with it still being dark when us 9-5er's get up and go to work. But in summer? There is no excuse! However as a tip for the winter months, I still feel that opening your blinds is a good place to start and the light will eventually shine through but whilst it is still dark using table lamps (or fairy lights) and candles because they aren't as harsh as ceiling lights which no-one wants to look at in the morning. 

2. Refresh your skin 

The first thing I do when I wake up is wash my face, it instantly makes you feel refreshed and 'awake', once completed finishing the routine off with a cool moisturiser is bliss. Sometimes after I finish washing my face, I splash a quick blast of cold water on my face - so if I wasn't feeling 'awake' when I finished washing my face, I do when the cold water hits. 

3. Have a 'hearty, healthy' breakfast

I never used to be a lover of breakfast but now... It's the one meal that I look forward to the most and I generally don't understand people who feel the need to skip it. I mean, how are their stomaches not screaming at them to be fed first thing in the morning? During the working weekend, I tend to stick with either cereal (Cheerios or Special K), smoothies or cinnamon porridge with fruit (mostly apple). However on a weekend because I have a little extra time, I tend to treat myself with something like scramble eggs on toast, or pastries. Yummy. 

4. Wind down in the evening 

Give yourself at least an hour to wind down, before going to bed is a must, otherwise your sleep will be restless and your morning will feel a lot worse than it needs to be. Chances are, you have been extremely busy during the day, running around trying to complete what feels like an list of endless tasks and your mind is working overtime; which is why it's so important to try and wind down at night. Whether you wind down with a good book, try a calming chamomile or de-caffinated tea or listen to music (I would stay away from the heavy metal and loud music though); the most important thing to remember is turn off or put down your technology a bright screen isn't good for a night-time routine. 

5. Do something you enjoy, first thing in the morning. 

I know getting out of a warm bed doesn't seem like a positive or very enjoyable but to help make your morning (and day) a success, doing something that you enjoy first thing in the morning can set you up for the rest of the day. Whether that is waking up to the best breakfast, arranging to meet a friend after work for dinner or planning your favourite dinner for after work, doing something you enjoy can set you up ready for the day ahead. 

6. Get going, as soon as you open your eyes. 

Who doesn't love sleep? Or their bed? Especially in a morning, when it's all warm, toasty and cosy. This is why a lot of us fail before the day has even begun; as soon as your alarm goes off, we mute it and go back to sleep and then panic station - we are running late! This is why it's so important to get going as soon as possible, giving yourself the chance to flop back down into bed is a disaster waiting to happen. I find that once you've made it out of bed to the bathroom, going back to sleep is out of the question. 

7. Socks or cosy slippers? The choice is yours. 

I hate having cold feet. One of the main reasons that I refuse to get out of bed in the morning is knowing that I am going to get out of a warm, toasty bed into a cold, icy bedroom. So, before I go to bed I always make sure that I have either a warm pair of socks on my bedside table or my cosy EMU slippers on the floor by my bed; when I hear my alarm clock go off, the first thing I do is put on either my socks or slippers - the comfort just makes getting out of bed ten times easier. 

Until the next top tips and advice post, Au Revoir! 

Love,
Lauren xo