5 Ways To Wake Yourself Up In The Morning That Have Nothing To Do With Coffee

As much as I hate to be that person right now, I have to tell you, I never use coffee to wake myself up in the morning.

In fact, the things that actually help me to wake up don't involve anything tangible at all. Rather, they have everything to do with my mind, and the overall mental state I try to adopt each morning.

I know, I can practically hear you groaning behind your computer screen.

But seriously, put your coffee down, and hear me out. There are so many other ways to get the day rolling that don't involve any form of caffeine.

Don't knock it 'til you try it.

1. Do Your Best The Day Before

If I know I'm waking up to incomplete tasks left over from the day before, something inside me will not want to greet the day.

So, believe it or not, the number one thing that helps me to wake up in the morning is knowing I performed at my optimal level the day before, and put my absolute all into everything I did.

There's something about completing the day's tasks at my highest potential that just really revs me up to do it all again the next morning.

It's basically like I want to make myself proud, and I'm genuinely excited to keep my good streak going.

2. Set Your Intentions

Part of doing your best the day before also includes setting your intentions for the next day.

When I know exactly what my day is supposed to look like, it takes the pressure off of waking up and allowing the day to rule me, instead of the other way around.

I no longer think, “What am I going do today?” Instead, I can immediately look to my to-do list to easily guide me.

Essentially, treat yourself like you are your own employee. You'd be surprised to see just how simple life can be when all you have to do is follow the instructions.

3. Do Whatever It Takes To Get Your Body Moving

Seriously, it never fails.

Whether I'm stretching, strength training, or going for a morning run, the feeling of my limbs and ligaments moving with intention invigorates me.

A healthy rush of endorphins is not to be taken lightly. It's a natural morning high, and it's so easy to get. Who wouldn't want that?

4. Put A Time Limit On Your Set Goals

If you're treating yourself like you are your own employee, think of what a real boss would ask of you.

When they give you an assignment, you'd probably abide by a certain deadline, right?

It's easy to get carried away with your feel-good routine when you don't have a specified time to alert you to move onto the next task. In fact, that's how your day begins to rule you. You lose track of time before you even realize the day is slipping by.

Take a cue from your boss, and set up, at the very least, estimated times for when certain tasks should be completed.

For example, if you're getting your body moving before work in the morning, set that timer for 10 minutes, and finish up exactly when that timer goes off.

The trick is to strike a balance between doing what feels good, and still maintaining control of your day.

5. Shower

By this time, you've managed to harness a sense of control and fulfillment from the day before, you know exactly what your day looks like, and your body's been flooded with feel-good hormones.

So, once you find yourself stepping into the shower, you've basically already had a lovely morning.

Everything feels right.

Even if minute, annoying things happened that you couldn't control, it's OK, because you're armed with endorphins and a positive attitude. You're operating at your highest potential.

Wash off those annoyances during your shower, and move on to tackling the day ahead.

More often than not, productivity starts in the mind. Within the first three hours of waking, you've been more productive than most — all with no coffee.