Five Tips to Start Your Day Right
The Kiwi summer has ended, replaced instead by the season of crunchy leaves, crackling fireplaces and cosy blankets.
We’re big fans of the cold around here. After all, there’s not much better than tucking into a comforting bowl of gooey mac and cheese on a chilly winter’s night.
But if there’s one thing we’re not too keen on, it’s getting out of bed on a freezing morning. Nope. Nuh-uh. No Bueno.
When it’s cold, all we want to do is stay tucked up under the covers and tell the world to leave us alone. Unfortunately, though, adult life calls.
Here are our best tips for getting the day off to the best start possible for those mornings when you'd rather just go back to sleep.
Get Brekky
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”.
You’re probably reading that in your mum’s voice, right?
The good news is that Mum is absolutely right. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And as your very first meal, it’s not only the incentive to get out of bed, it’s also going to set the tone for the entire rest of your day.
That’s why you should make sure your breakfast is something worth eating.
Whether you’re into toast, a quick smoothie on the run, the classic bacon butty or a full big breakfast, make sure you leave enough time to fill your belly and start the day right.
For weekends when you’re super keen to wake up on the right side of the bed, indulge in some two pan French toast. It’s a sure way to start your day sunny side up!
Get Prepped
There’s nothing worse than starting the day on the back foot. You know the days we’re talking about – the ones where you forgot lunch, have a hole in your shirt because you dressed in the dark, and rolled out of bed five minutes before you had to leave.
The day starts as a nightmare before it’s even begun.
While some of these bad days can be attributed to just plain bad luck, some are caused by our own lack of preparation.
But don’t stress – it isn’t too difficult to get prepped for your day ahead. Make a quick list of the things you need to prep the night before. Or even better, get yourself organised at the beginning of the week.
Our baked penne with salami is an awesome meal to prep on a Sunday, so it’s ready to go in lunchboxes for the days ahead. And simple solutions like laying out clothes the night before can avoid the mismatched outfit saga.
Of course, the best hack of all when it comes to getting prepped the night before is making sure you set the alarm – it’s a godsend!
Get Moving
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: we’re all about balance here at Henderson’s. This means that as much as we enjoy chowing down on oodles of streaky bacon, we also aim to live life the same way we make our bacon – clean, simple and delicious!
For us, this means staying active and moving our bodies. According to studies, the very best time to exercise is in the morning – which we’re fully prepared to embrace.
Getting moving can look different for everyone. It might mean a few quick stretches to limber up and get ready for the day for some. For others, it might mean running 20km before 6am.
Whatever sounds more like you, make an effort to get your body in the right space for the day ahead.
Get The Team Onside
As parents, we can be guilty of trying to do absolutely everything for everyone.
By the time 8.30am has rolled around, we’ve already packed four lunches (plus one for the dog who is headed to doggy daycare), made three different breakfasts and tied four lots of shoelaces!
While we certainly don’t suggest you get your two-year-old making bacon and eggs anytime soon, there’s something to be said for letting the kids help a bit in the morning prep. As Mum used to say, if they can see the kitchen bench, they can make their own lunch…
Recipes like our salami pizza scrolls make great lunchbox additions for all of the family. Have some stored in the pantry, along with some pre-cut carrots, nuts and fruits, then have the kids prepare their own lunchboxes.
The older they become, the more tasks you can give them to become adults who are fully capable of facing the morning.
Get Up
Last but not least, our very best tip for starting the day right is to get up.
That’s right. Very simple – just get up.
Don’t hit the snooze button, don’t laze around thinking about getting up, just get up. The quicker you get up and are ready to face the day, the easier it’ll become.
The Mel Robbins 5-Second Rule puts it best: “The 5 Second Rule is simple. If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it. The moment you feel an instinct or a desire to act on a goal or a commitment, use the Rule. When you feel yourself hesitate before doing something that you know you should do, count 5-4-3-2-1-GO and move towards action.”
So there you have it. Don’t think about getting up. Just get up.
The day is waiting!