Husband shakes my shoulder wildly. I'm terrified. shit. I didn't set the alarm. I quickly open the duvet. Little Man is already standing next to me. “Mommy, you really are a sleepyhead.” I mumble that he shouldn't talk to his father so much and walk over to the dark walk-in shower and check my phone. I have trouble getting up in the morning, but this time it's really late. It's time to hurry.
My ritual – showering, dressing, make-up, toilet, curling hair and having breakfast – I have to shorten. I can't get used to rushing in the morning since Little Man starts school. Now that it is still so dark in the morning, it seems like the middle of the night.
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I read in the NRC that some people always get up early while others find it very difficult to get out of bed on time. This is partly in the genes. British and American researchers have identified more than ten different gene variations that determine whether someone is more of a morning person or more of an evening person. The results of a study by the California DNA analysis company, 23andMe, appeared in the magazine Nature Communications , at the same time as two studies from the British National Biobank.
It may be a little tricky to determine whether or not your ancestors were morning people. But there is a good chance that it is hereditary whether you get out of bed singing in the morning or have trouble getting up in the morning.
As soon as Little Man is in bed and the teenagers are busy with homework, friends or sports, I plop down on the couch. All that remains is to operate the remote control to watch Netflix. I settle between the cushions of the sofa, stir the honey into my tea and then I hear something ringing in the back of my head.
Sure enough, there's my inner critic again. That annoying voice comes into play again:go to sleep on time, otherwise you won't get out of bed tomorrow. Should I not watch that last series? The voice is a little bit right, tomorrow Little Man will be standing next to my bed early. Thank you inner me .
If you're not a morning person, it's smart to go to bed on time. And that is why I force myself not to make it too late in the evening – completely against my nature. Do you also have trouble getting up in the morning? I have some good tips that can make it easier.
When my alarm goes off, I always lie down for a while. No, I'm going not snooze, because then I get up even more rotten. I often read De Telegraaf on my phone, so my eyes can get used to some light.
As soon as I really have to get out, I slowly open the duvet, even though I have trouble getting up in the morning. I take a few deep breaths in and out before my mind wanders to what I have to do today. Then I stretch to get my body out of sleep mode.
I eat healthy in the morning and add some protein. For example by eating eggs or yogurt. I put some fruit in the yogurt, so that I immediately get some vitamins. The faster I get energy and this energy stays longer because of the protein.
Research shows that Dutch women are the first to check in the morning whether they have any new WhatsApp messages and are willing to answer them immediately. If you're waiting for important news, it makes sense but different:don't do it. I desperately need my morning routine for myself and my family and so do you if you're having trouble getting up in the morning.
If I time my morning routine to the minute, things often go wrong. Then I get stressed when something unexpected happens. A garbage bag that tears, a child that still has to poop, toothpaste on my shirt and my coat that I – I thought – had hung on the coat rack and has now flown away by itself. That's why I calculate extra time. That way I can deal with these kinds of surprises without thinking at the start of the day:I'd better go back to bed right away.
In the evening before I always prepare as much as possible for the morning. I prepare the bread in advance, so all I have to do is take it out of the fridge. And I put everything – what I have to take to school or work – ready in a fixed place. Very useful if you have trouble getting up in the morning. This way my brain can also wake up quietly in the morning.
Last but not least :Do you have trouble falling asleep at night? Try going to bed 15 minutes earlier to read a relaxing book. I can't keep my eyes open after ten minutes of reading.
Whether you are a morning or evening person is half genetically determined. The other half is determined by the environment, for example by children. They say morning people are persistent and suffer less from frustrations and obstacles. Evening people, on the other hand, are more extravagant, impulsive and have a great need for excitement. That's why I just have to do something fun in the evening. I may function better in the morning if I got enough tension the night before. Or will I not fall asleep again because I am too excited 😉 ?
Do you recognize yourself in this story? Do you have any tips to get through the mornings better?
-x-
Ievy
