What’s the first thing you do every morning, upon waking up?

If you’re like me — and you probably are — the first thing you do is to hit the snooze button of your alarm clock. 

Then, you cuddle your well-loved pillow and stay comfortably under the cozy blanket, enjoying the mix of warmth and coolness on the bed. 

But as it has been oft said, it does not matter what we do once in a while (i.e. waking up and actually getting up early in the day), but what we do every day that matters (i.e. pressing that damn snooze button). 

So what can we do for a morning head start? Here are some of our tried and tested tips and tricks:

Stretch to the beat of your alarm

Choose an alarm that will enliven you as soon as you hear it — and change it as often as necessary to avoid getting used to it and then sleeping on it.

Your alarm tone can be your favorite pop song (like that LSS-inducing Hailee Steinfeld song, “Starving”). Or, it can be as simple as a children’s song that will wake the carefree, happy kid within you. 

*Our personal fave is Jason Mraz' The Freedom Song - perfect for ultra good mornings.*

Then, lie on your back, stretch your arms above your head, extend your legs, and feel flexible. You can do this even with eyes closed. After a good full-body stretch, roll to your right side, then sit cross-legged. 

The aforementioned steps are not only so easy to remember but will also definitely get you moving as soon as you wake up. 

Recognize the importance of water

Our bodies are composed of three-fourths water. In our sleep (that’s more or less eight hours, if you’re lucky) we hadn’t taken any! Imagine the thirst! So, it’s advisable to drink a glass or two of water upon waking up. Not only does this refuel our bodies, it also helps restart our vital organs. As a bonus, this morning ritual can speed up our metabolism!

Aside from drinking water, another tip for a morning head start is to wash our face with cold water, and to bathe in cold showers. This will increase your alertness and will tighten your pores. Yay for good mood! Yay for better skin!

Use Helpful Apps

Let’s admit it: Nowadays, we can hardly relax for a minute without a phone in our hands. 

If you’re like many, you’re probably checking your phone even before you get out of bed. It can be difficult to get up in the morning when all you see in social media are the well-curated travel posts of your friends. Then, you start comparing yourself to others. Then, you realize how they’re all living a better life. Then, you lose inspiration. Then, you struggle with existential crisis.

Why use technology to demotivate yourself? Instead, harness its power for a glorious morning. 

There are alarm clocks that making snoozing a challenge. Our best picks at Upsize are Wake Up Alarm (Play Store), Shake-It Alarm (Play Store), Wake N Shake (App Store) and AlarmMon (Play Store, App Store). For a change, you can also try apps that track your sleep cycle to make sure you wake up gently at optimum time.

Try these three tricks and enjoy the morning sunshine!