Ahhhhh, morning time. I always wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to jump out of bed! Many days, I don’t even need an alarm, as I just naturally wake up with the sun. I especially love getting up very early, and I am always immediately full of energy and ready to go!
Alright.
I’m being way sarcastic.
The first paragraph does not describe me at all. I am not a morning person, and do not enjoy waking up early! I always take a while in the morning to fully wake up and feel ready for my day.
All of this is amplified on work days! I wake up very early for my job, and it is always the worst part of my day.
However, there are a few tricks that I try to incorporate into my routine to not make my mornings as terrible. These morning beauty tips are things I do every morning, whether I am working or not. If you are enjoying a lazy Saturday or waking up to get to your job by 7 am, these are steps you can do to help you feel energized and look beautifully awake!
Some of these tips focus on outward beauty, and some are focused on internal health! Both are vital to help you look and feel your best self, and allow you to conquer your day.
1. Keep your schedule (somewhat) consistent
I know it is so tempting to sleep in and lay in bed for hours when you don’t have somewhere to be in the mornings. Trust me, I get it. As a teacher, I wake up around 4:30 am when working, and want to sleep in until noon on the weekends and summers off.
However, I understand just how destructive that can be to the body and mind.
I’m not saying that you should wake up at 4 am every day. I am saying you should keep your body on a somewhat consistent schedule.
This just means not fluctuating your wake time dramatically. On days that I am not working, I try to wake up around 8 am. I also do not let myself lay in bed for long. This is still sleeping in quite a bit more than I normally get to, so I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself.
When I wake up at a decent time on days where I don’t have to be anywhere, it makes the early morning work days just a tad bit easier. I am also able to fall asleep at a decent time each night, so I get a good amount of sleep in the night.
Now my sleep schedule is not going to work exactly for you. Everyone’s schedule is different, and everyone’s body has different needs depending on their schedule. I am just sharing what works for me, the same way you need to figure out what works for your body!
The more consistent you can keep your sleep schedule, the more on balance your body will be, and the more energy you will have throughout your day.
2. Health Shot
Alright, this is probably the least-fun tip I have…but it’s so important and helpful!
Health “shots” come in many different forms, and you can find a lot of different recipes and concoctions online. What I’m talking about is a “shot” (think: tequila shot, not doctor shot) of liquid, usually including apple cider vinegar and possibly other super foods.
If you can stomach it, I actually recommend taking a shot of straight apple cider vinegar straight in the morning. Yes, this tastes absolutely disgusting. However, apple cider vinegar (ACV) is so good for detoxing your stomach, de-bloating and cleansing your insides! I am not a doctor, so if you don’t believe me, google the benefits of ACV to see for yourself!
Although drinking ACV straight is gross, I focus on getting it down quickly and then moving on with my day. Adding honey helps with the taste a little, but is also added sugar you don’t need, and still tastes kinda nasty.
If you want to start out with something less strong, here is a different recipe I love that is still super good for you!
- 1 glass of warm or hot water (12-16 oz.)
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½-1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- dash cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon honey
Play around with different combinations until you find something you like!
Starting your day off with a health shot will give you a boost of natural energy and cleanse your tummy from anything nasty the day before.
3. Be Active
Now it really is so important to be active at any point during your day. However, when I choose to start my days with a workout, it truly changes the way the rest of my days go.
I know the word “work out” is kind of scary and intimidating. But, it doesn’t have to be!
The key to staying consistent with being active in the morning (and not dreading it every day), is finding something you love to do and that works well with your body!
Are you a runner? A yogi? Weight lifter? Dancer? Gymnast? Cardio-enthusiast?
Find what you love to do, and you will find yourself craving the activity every morning! When you are getting your heart rate up, and blood pumping, it sets your body and mind up for a successful day. Working out in the morning also helps jump start your metabolism…extra bonus!
Getting my sweat on in the morning has been something I’ve come to love. Even when it happens earlier than I would normally choose. Do your body a favor and jump on this idea!
4. Hydrate
You’ve probably heard about the importance of water a million times before.
Well, there’s a reason for that.
Hydration is so important, not just for your health and digestion, but also for your hair, skin, and nails! Drinking plenty of water throughout the day helps flush out toxins from your body that cause weak hair and nails, and breakouts on your face.
In the morning, I love to start my day with a huge glass of warm lemon water. This helps with detoxifying your body and flushing out any nasties from the day before. A large glass of lemon water also kicks your metabolism into high-gear, so your tummy will be workin’ right all day.
When you wake up, your body is actually very dehydrated from going so long with no fluids. Your body is basically begging for water, even if you don’t seem thirsty!
I actually find that I also eat less when I am filling up on water. This helps me avoid mindless snacking. A lot of times, I feel like I’m kind of hungry, or wanting a snack, but a glass of water helps curb that craving!
5. Cleanse your face
I know it is so easy to want to skip thoroughly cleansing your face in the morning.
Trust me, I have been super guilty of just splashing my face with some cold water and callin’ it good.
However, your skin actually builds up so much oil, toxins and just gunky build up while you sleep. Even if you washed it the night before, it is so important to completely cleanse your face again when you wake up. This will help prep your face for makeup as well.
I will be doing a full skin-care post later, so I am not going to go into full detail right now of every step I do on my face. However, I will say that you should at least be cleansing and moisturizing your face in the morning.
Even if you have oily skin, moisturizer will help balance the oils in your skin and help prime it for makeup.
Below, I have listed some of my favorite cleansers and moisturizers to get you started! Some are cheaper and some are a bit more on the pricey side. However, I think skin care is one place it is worth it to splurge a little more. If you don’t take care of your skin, no amount of makeup is going to cover that up!
Some of my favorite cleansers:
Some of my favorite moisturizers:
- Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief
- Neutrogena Hydro-Boost Water Gel
- First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
6. Load up on protein
Protein is that macro nutrient that is going to help recover and repair your muscles. Remember earlier where we talked about how you need to be getting active in the morning? Well, once you’ve completed your run, or your yoga session, your Pilates stretch, or your HIIT routine, that’s where you load up on protein!
Protein powder is an easy way to do this. You can make a super yummy shake in a couple of minutes, and add a lot of good fruit to it.
However, definitely be careful when it comes to protein powders. There are a lot on the market that put a bunch of extra junk in the powder that just does not need to be there. A protein shake can also be super high in sugar, especially if you add fruit. I don’t like having a lot of sugar early in the morning because I find myself crashing a few hours later!
Going for whole food, complete proteins are your best bet. When I have a hearty, protein-filled breakfast, I have fewer cravings throughout the day and find myself making better choices the rest of the day as well!
Some of my favorite ways to get my protein in in the morning are:
- Scrambled eggs. I love to add in whatever chopped veggies and leafy greens I have on hand.
- Sausage. Some of my favorite brands are Ardell’s, Pederson’s and Applegate. Those brands don’t have added junk…just good-quality meat and flavor!
- Egg cups. These are perfect for when you don’t have a lot of time in the morning! On Sunday, meal prep your breakfasts for the week by taking a muffin tin, and lining each tin with a couple strips of bacon. Then, crack an egg in each cup. Add any seasonings or chopped up veggies you want. Bake in the oven at 375 for about 20-25 minutes. Boom! You can easily grab one of these on the go every morning the rest of the week!
- Granola. Many brands have granola that is high in protein (Bear Naked is one of my favorite brands). However, just be careful with this one that you aren’t also loading up on sugar and carbs in the process.
How do you get over not being a morning person? I am always trying to incorporate new things into my routine to help make the morning less awful.
Be sure to check back on Thursday to see my six beauty tips for nighttime! Everything you need to help you peacefully wind down your day and get some restful beauty sleep.
