“The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep.”

– Rumi, 13th-century Persian poet

Wellness Tip:

Try Yoga Nidra

Ever heard of yoga nidra? It’s one type of yoga that has nothing to do with human pretzels. In fact, you do it lying down!

A yoga nidra practice guides you into a meditative state – one where you stay awake yet on the edge of sleep. Brain waves slow down and serotonin is released. You emerge feeling rested and refreshed. 

Research shows yoga nidra relieves stress and improves sleep. One study found it’s better than regular meditation at reducing anxiety.

Yoga that’s all about slowing down and chilling out? Yes please! There are plenty of guided yoga nidra meditations online (like this one) for free. Why not try it?

Productivity Tip:

Break Up With The Snooze Button

Want more time in your mornings? Then how about giving up those extra minutes of snoozing? It’s possible! Here’s what to try:

• Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. (Go to bed earlier if you must!)
• Have a night routine for quality sleep. E.g. Do tech-free time before bed.
• Incentivize yourself. Do something you love when you first wake up.
• Gamify it. Set yourself a challenge of how many days you can go snooze-free.
• Make it difficult. Put your phone/alarm clock on the other side of the room.

Unlike yoga nidra, snoozing doesn’t really make us more rested, which is another reason to kick the habit. Are you in a committed relationship with the snooze button? Maybe it’s time to break up! Try the above and let us know how you go.

Routine Breakdown

Julia Marcum, Design Guru, Blogger & Entrepreneur

Julia Marcum of Chris Loves Julia says prepping the night before is key to her routine. She lays out her workout gear, drinks and medications before bed, then in the morning she:

• Has a gradual alarm that wakes her at 5:15 am.
• Throws on her workout gear and heads to the gym. She warms up on the treadmill then follows a workout on the Sweat app.  
• Heads home and spends time with her daughters while they eat breakfast.
• Listens to a podcast while getting ready to work (she likes Armchair Expert).

Why it works:

• Waking up to gentle alarm tones actually does reduce sleep inertia.
• Exercise is (obviously!) good – and research suggests fitness apps have benefits.
• Family relationships have a huge impact on wellbeing. 
• Listening to stimulating content while getting dressed is a great use of time.

“If you’re wanting to establish more of a morning routine, I would suggest starting small until it becomes habitual,” says Julia. “And then little by little make adjustments and improvements.” We couldn’t agree more! As she says, “This is going to look different for everybody!”. How’s your routine looking?