Quite often I get asked how am I a morning person and how do I get up so early, even during quarantine. These questions can be answered really simply and you too can become like this if you just adjust a few things in your life.

1. Drink more water

I feel like we could all do with drinking more water. When I was younger, I used to hate the taste of water and would always avoid drinking it, but now I drink so much of it, I love it! A tip for drinking more water is to always have a water bottle with you (a reusable one where possible) every where you go – even if that is just out to the shop up the road, or in school. I’m not kidding, every where I go (even around the house), I have a glass/bottle of water glued to my hand. Also, make sure to have a glass of water on your bedside table each night so that when you wake up, the first thing you do is drink water – this energises me from the word ‘go’. Not too long ago, I ordered one of those 2.4 litre gym water bottles and I lug that round with me at school (despite the weird looks I get) but I would recommend these water bottles because it forces you to make a conscious effort to drink more water (and therefore pee more!!).

2. Eat healthily

Over quarantine, this has definitely been one of the hardest things to keep track off, because, especially with this poorer weather now in England, it’s easy to just want to eat snacks all day. We are all guilty of this and it’s fine, but if you want to be more energetic in the long run, I recommend eating a bowl of fruit and some form of veg with your dinner each day, as a starting point. I eat a lot fruit and veg as they make up most of my diet, but recently I have been eating a lot of cupboard snacks like cookies and crisps because this weather just makes me want to curl up under my duvet and eat Ritz crackers all day. It’s hard, but make a conscious effort to skip that third Digestive with your cup of tea and add more veggies to your plate at dinner.

Snacking is fine; it’s normal. But try to limit this as much as you can, even during quarantine when that’s all we want to do. Instead of getting a snack, try to busy yourself with doing another thing, drinking a glass of water, or a hot beverage.

3. Keep a uniform sleeping pattern

The next two things go hand in hand with each other, but this one is probably the most important out of the two. To be honest, during this time, we are all probably going to sleep later than we usually do, watching Netflix until 3am some nights (or most nights). This isn’t very good for you, you must know that by now! To avoid being lethargic, (or having teenage-syndrome as I call it – moping around the house all day, being tired), try to set yourself a bedtime alarm, a time when you have to go to sleep, the same each night, even if it is 2am for example (but try sleeping earlier). The recommended sleep time is 8 hours a night, but I know that when I have less, I function better (somehow), but I know if I have four hours of sleep every night for a long time, then that would not benefit me and eventually it would become rather difficult to function.

4. Go to sleep earlier

I know it’s hard right now, as we just watch so much Netflix or snapchat our friends etc., but try and set a bedtime alarm for around 10-11pm every night. Or at least make it that time so that you are actually in your bed by then, so you are settled and your body is relaxing. It is very important to get the correct amount of sleep, (though that amount is different for everyone), even during quarantine when we aren’t doing a fat lot. In order to feel energised, we must sleep to gain that energy.

5. Avoid alcohol

During quarantine, it’s easy to lose track of what day it is and start having a cheeky G&T in the garden most nights – I am guilty of that, – but this won’t energise you, and will only make you feel groggy in the morning, even if you are not hungover, in the long run. Keep it for the weekend (Fridays and Saturdays) or don’t touch it at all. For example, I am not drinking again until my birthday, which may be a little challenging because it is nice to enjoy a drink with your friends either on a Zoom quiz or in the garden when you visit occasionally during lockdown. Save it for special occasions or at least the weekends.

6. Limit your caffeine intake

This one is incredibly hard for me, though I did not drink coffee yesterday or the day before that, to help with my bloating, and just for a general detox. It was hard but it was needed. Today I have felt the effect of no coffee, despite letting myself have one this morning. I recommend during lockdown or in general, every couple weeks or every month, go a day or two without coffee – it does wonders to your body! Don’t rely on caffeine, either. Being at home all day truly does make you tired, but try and avoid the coffee, by drinking water or using these other tips, to avoid a slump.

7. Do exercise (but don’t over do it!)

Make sure you are doing at least 20 mins of exercise a day (I do at least an hour), even if that is just a walk, or playing badminton or football in your garden with your family. During this time, it is very important to keep moving, so that you can earn your sleep and not therefore mess up your sleep schedule. I’d recommend doing cardio (a run or long walk) four/five times a week, and try to do at least a 15 minute home workout each day. It is good for your mental health and of course physical health, and tires you out for sleep later on in the day.

8. Keep an eye on your screen time

It’s easy to get addicted to social media in particular right now, and if you have read my other blog posts, you’ll know how I feel about the toxicities of social media right now. When I am bored throughout the day, and in quarantine I get this every day, I scroll through insta, tiktok, snapchat etc., mindlessly, or watch a lot of Netflix/Youtube. I am not saying that this is bad, but it’s certainly not good. Our generation/the world right now spend all of our time online – what happened to the outdoors? It’s the end of spring, the beginning of summer, so, luckily, we can go and enjoy the weather. If quarantine was happening during winter, it would be a different story, but it’s not. Get up and spend an hour outside each day instead of scrolling through instagram and comparing yourselves and lives to others, it is not healthy and is very unnecessary 🙂

I know it’s difficult to not be online, especially if, like me, you are a student and have to still do online schooling 8-4pm each day. That sucks but it’s compulsory I’m afraid, which means I have to spend all day on my computer, making my eyes hurt and giving me a headache most days. For that reason I’d recommend purchasing blue light glasses. They don’t have to cost more the £20 (you can get some under that on Amazon – they still do something for you). I have a pair of Quay Australia blue light glasses (around £40) and they work really well, but I also have a cheap pair from Amazon which work just as well.

9. No phone before bed

This one is hard, but easy once you start doing it. Each night, charge your phone away from your bed, whether that’s out of your bedroom, or on the desk across from your bed, it’s up to you. Personally, I charge my phone at my desk and not out of my room, because I use it as an alarm clock. I try to turn on the limited screen time setting but most days I tap on ‘no limit today’ when I have reached the limit at the end of the day. I must not do this anymore! Instead of going on social media, read a book or write in a diary before sleep – these things will tire you out too, and relieve your eyes from the constant blue light. Again, I’d purchase some blue light glasses for this! By not going on your phone, in the long run and definitely immediately, you will wake up and be less groggy.

10. Remember it’s ok to have rest days

Even during quarantine, schedule in those rest days where you do no exercise and have a break from everything. We still get exhausted from life even when we do very little so it is very important to take a break from time to time. Also, having social media and coffee detoxes and days where you don’t snack etc., this is very important.

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy and looking out for those around you. Remember, it’s ok to have a cheat day (or eat shit for a whole week if you want to!) but make a conscious effort to do better to make yourself do better, whether that’s with a healthy diet or less screen time. Check in on your friends with a simple text message, and care for your friends and family ❤