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how I'm choosing to live my best life

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Katherine Moon
Katherine Isabella Moon
Meow, hello there, my name is Katherine, but you can call me Kat; because I basically am a cat. Anyways, I am a 26-year-old, lifestyle blogger, with an INFP-T personality type, from the United States. I love fashion, the color pink, cats, dogs, and spending all my time on my computer. I'm often seen wearing cat ears headbands.
The Kat Life
The Kat Life

how I'm choosing to live my best life

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

6 Little Things That Help Get Me Out Of Bed

Photo courtesy of Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash

I'm not gonna lie, I absolutely love my bed; so sometimes getting out of it can be a real struggle. So needless to say, in the same way that I sometimes really don't want to work out for one reason or another, there are also a ton of reasons (and excuses) that I can make for choosing to just stay in bed all day. As a matter of fact, I probably have way more reasons and excuses to stay in bed than I do to not work out, let's be honest. 

But just as I don't actually like missing my workout when there's no reason why I actually have to take a rest day that day, I also feel extremely guilty when I sleep in past 10 AM (or later). Oftentimes, oversleeping also makes me feel a lot groggier when I finally do get out of bed as well; so not only am I feeling guilty about needlessly wasting away the morning hours, but I also feel quite sluggish throughout the day, and it's hard to do anything productive. So even when I really don't want to get out from under the covers, I know that getting out of bed by at least 9 AM, or preferably even earlier than that, is best for me. 

I'll be honest though, simply knowing that I'll feel better throughout the day isn't always enough on its own for my feet to hit the floor. Sometimes it takes a little bit of an extra push (and some bribery).






1 - Start with a good bedtime routine!


Photo courtesy of Sylvie Tittel on Unsplash

I know, you've already heard this one on countless blogs, but it's true that a good morning really does start at night. Not only does having a good bedtime routine help you wind down, and prepare your body for sleep so you can have a more restful night of sleep (which in turn will help you feel more energized in the morning), but adding in a couple of steps to prepare for the next day will also make it a little bit easier to get out of bed. 

As part of my bedtime routine, I like to just take a few minutes to write down the things I want to get done the next day; as well as plan my outfit and breakfast! Which leads us to the next thing...



2 - Have something that you like for breakfast


Photo courtesy of Dominika Pecková on Unsplash

I completely understand that eating a huge breakfast every day isn't really everyone's thing, and I know that not everyone wants to (or even can) take the time to cook something every morning. But it's still important to treat yourself to something you like that helps give you energy in the morning, even if it's just your favorite cup of tea, coffee, or even hot chocolate alongside a granola bar. Although it is better to try to get a good breakfast if you can, and there are plenty of quick options out there aside from just having cereal every day. There are also things you can prepare on Sundays and have enough for a few days, or even most of the week!  

For me personally, planning out a slightly bigger breakfast that I'll really be looking forward to is more of a form of bribery to myself than anything else; but hey, it works! 

Psst... That thing can even be donuts on Mondays if you'd like! 



3 - Add something you enjoy to your morning routine


Photo courtesy of Plush Design Studio on Unsplash


While it's important to have a good productive & efficient morning routine to get your day started the right way, I also feel that it's important to add something that you find fun and enjoyable to your morning routine. This can be just about anything that makes you happy, as long as it won't become too time-consuming and interfere with the rest of your morning (or day). 

Personally, my favorite thing to do in the morning is color, as it is super relaxing, but also gets my mind going a little bit without too much on the brain in the morning. I also enjoy doing a little bit of yoga in the morning, reading a chapter or two from a book, journaling, or sometimes just scrolling through Pinterest. Seriously, just take 20 minutes to an hour, depending on how much time you have, to just do something you like. It doesn't necessarily have to be anything productive unless you want it to be. So don't feel bad if you just want to play games on your phone. 

Just whatever it is you choose to do, make sure you aren't laying or sitting in bed while you do it. I can't even tell you how many times I've fallen back asleep in my bed with my iPad or phone in my hands in the morning. It also may not be a bad idea to set a timer so you know when it's time to get on with the rest of your morning routine. 



4 - Place your alarm where you'll have to get out of bed


Photo courtesy of Enikő Tóth on Pexels

I don't think I really need to explain this one. My main reason for not getting out of bed is that I simply don't want to; so placing my alarm out of my reach forces me to get out from under the covers, and put my feet on the floor. Which is always the hardest step. And since my phone is my alarm, this also deters me from using my phone when I'm supposed to be sleeping; so there is more than one benefit there. 

While you're at it, it may also not be a bad idea to disable the snooze function (if you can on your phone) so you aren't tempted to crawl back under the covers for 9 more minutes. 



5 - Have something cozy to put on when you initially wake up


Photo courtesy of Viktor Hanacek on PicJumbo

Okay, I feel like that last tip was a bit cold. Literally. The fact that it feels cold in my room when I get out from under the covers sometimes causes me to just want to jump right back in. So having something a little bit cozy, such as a warm robe, small throw blanket, or my wearable blanket with a hood (OMFG I love that thing for real though!), to put on as soon as I get out of bed really helps.



6 - Turn on the lights or let in natural light


Photo courtesy of Lina Kivaka on Pexels

Because I do typically wake up sometime between 7 and 9 am (I really need to work on making that time more consistent, I know), there usually is already quite a bit of natural light when I wake up. Though it can still be kind of dark in my room on a gloomy day, or even almost completely dark in the winter or after a time change. (Can we seriously STOP with the "Spring Forward" though?!) In either case, even if there's only a little bit of natural light outside, opening my curtains helps to wake me up. 

If you're waking up at a time when there's no natural light yet, just simply turn on the lights and it should have a similar effect. 

Helpful Hint: I know, turning on the light in the dark can be very hard on the eyes, especially when you're still half asleep; but closing your eyes for a couple seconds as you're turning on the light helps with that initial shock to your eyes. 



Photo courtesy of Vladislav Muslakov on Unsplash

I know, some days getting out of bed seems to be easier said than done; unless maybe you're an extreme morning person, and absolutely love mornings. (I wish I could get there honestly, haha; but I'm a night owl by nature, and I'd be fighting my biological clock.) Even if you're typically an early riser, or just enjoy the feeling of being up early and being able to get more done in the morning, there are just some days where you can't help but hit the snooze button over and over. But there are always plenty of little ways you can get yourself out of bed on time, without making yourself even more tired by oversleeping and being woken up by the snooze alarm every 9 minutes. 

How do you get yourself out of bed, when you really don't want to get out of bed just yet? (Or do you just keep hitting snooze, or straight up ignore the alarm; I know I've done that too, LMAO.) Do you offer yourself little bribes and rewards for getting out of bed on time on difficult days like Mondays?  Especially the Monday after Daylight Saving Time in March... (I'm still off track from that time jump last week.) Or do you just set your alarm on the other side of your room, and force yourself to get up and not get back into bed? And if you have any unique tricks, or breakfast ideas... let me know!! I'd love to hear your ideas! :) 
Thank you for reading, and I hope the rest of your day is wonderful!
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