How we wake up and what we do in the first hours of the day determines our productivity, anxiety levels, and even our ability to cope with stress throughout the day. That's why psychologist and psychotherapist Olena Shershnyova told UNN journalist more about how to make your morning truly "good" and set yourself up for a good day.
Why morning sets the mood for the whole day
The morning sets the tone for the nervous system and affects how a person perceives events throughout the day, says Olena Shershnyova. That is why even minor factors can determine the overall emotional background.
The morning sets the emotional tone for the nervous system. And it is in the first hours after waking up that the brain is still very plastic and sensitive to its state. Anxiety, calm, or an elevated mood become the background through which we then interpret events throughout the day. That is, in fact, it is the prism through which we look at everything that happens to us.
What morning habits increase productivity
The psychologist explained that forming the right morning habits can indeed significantly increase productivity and stability throughout the day, and it's not even about complex practices, but about regular simple actions that help you gently enter the day.
First, you should wake up without stress, not jump out of bed immediately to the alarm clock. It is also important not to pick up your phone in the morning. It is better to start with simple rituals: planning the day, prayer, visualizing goals, light physical exercises, or reading. These actions may not be long, but regularity makes them effective.
The expert emphasizes that the first 30-60 minutes after waking up are critical for forming the mood. And here, what we fill this time with plays a key role.
The first 30-60 minutes are very important, because that's when the emotional background for the day is formed. If you immediately immerse yourself in news, phone, calls, or stress, this anxious background is reinforced. If you give yourself a gentle start or begin with simple and pleasant rituals, your productivity will be much higher. This is directly related to a more stable mental state.
So, simple actions in the morning can significantly improve well-being and reduce anxiety. This happens because such habits help to focus on yourself, and not on external information noise.
Physical practices improve emotional state: exercise, breathing, stretching, or yoga. Light, silence or pleasant music, a warm drink are also important. It is useful to briefly determine what is important for you today. If you start the day with yourself, and not with other people's news or social networks, it significantly improves your state.
What does the absence of strength or irritability in the morning mean?
But when there is no strength in the morning, it can signal deeper problems, particularly with sleep quality, the expert emphasized.
If you have no strength and motivation in the morning, it often means that you haven't slept enough or your sleep was of poor quality. You should go to bed earlier and avoid information overload before bed, including news or social networks. If a depressed state lasts for more than two weeks, it may be a symptom of clinical depression. In such a case, it is important to consult a specialist and not ignore this condition.
In addition, irritability or anxiety in the morning also have their explanation and do not arise without reason. Often, this can be a signal of accumulated stress or overload. In such cases, the body reacts with increased tension already in the morning.
Morning irritation can indicate overload. In the morning, the level of cortisol – the hormone of activity – increases, and if there is accumulated stress, it manifests as irritability. Full sleep, reduction of information noise, and physical practices before bed help. It is also worth paying attention to the overall load and, if possible, reducing it.
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