The most common solution to morning tiredness, a cup of coffee before work or college is a staple of many people's daily routine. But is it really the best thing to wake you up and get you ready for the day? Here are some things that you might consider as an alternative, and maybe even an improvement, to your daily morning dose of caffeine.
Apple
A great source of carbs and fibre which is the fuel that helps the body going throughout the day, it also has loads of fructose in it, A natural sugar that travels slowly through the body, which means that you are woken up quickly, without having a crash halfway through the morning.
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Shower
Everyone knows that showering is a great way of waking yourself up in the morning. Aside from the fact that it's basically just a voluntary version of someone throwing water over you to wake you up, the shower generates positive ions, which can actually make you feel more positive. Which makes total sense when you think about it.
Water
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Obviously when you sleep, you don't take in any water, and the body can become quite dehydrated as a result, especially if it was a warm night. Now it's not going to be life-threatening dehydration or anything that dramatic, but lack of concentration and drowsiness are two symptoms of even mild dehydration, so when you put it like that, a glass of water sounds more and more like a great idea.
Exercise
People often think of being tired after exercise, but after the initial stage right after your workout, you can actually have more energy throughout the day. It doesn't have to be a gruelling session in the morning, but any good exercise that gets the blood flowing around your body and gets your metabolism going, is guaranteed to wake you up. Exercise is also a great source of endorphins, a drug released in the brain that makes you feel happy. It is also produced during sex, and when you're eating chocolate; two of life's great pleasures.
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Sex
And speaking of sex, getting busy in the morning is also a great way to wake yourself up. Aside from the aforementioned endorphins, and the fact that it's a form of exercise, there's a whole host of health benefits to having regular sex, including the reduction of the risk of heart problems, and the improvement of your immune system.
Stretching
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If you don't feel up to getting a real sweat on, however, good stretching of the muscles can also get the blood flowing naturally, and gets you ready for the day ahead.
Smoothie
Like the apple, smoothies are full of natural sugars and are a great and easy way of consuming food in the morning. A benefit for people who don't really have an appetite or feel like eating so early in the day.
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Meditation
This one isn't for everyone, but meditation is a great way of preparing yourself for the day ahead, and any of the challenges you might face, especially if you're dealing with a lot of stress. Something you can also do to deal with stress is to massage the pressure points on your body. They are; your temples, the base of your neck, the space between your index finger and your thumb, the point right below the centre of your knee cap, and just under the balls of your feet.
Matcha Green Tea
Although it contains caffeine, like coffee, it also contains L-theanine which when combined with the caffeine gives you the boost of energy that you would normally get from a morning coffee and it will be sustained until lunch time.
