The slower you build up energy in the morning, the more painful waking up will be. What’s better, spending thirty minutes wrestling with the snooze button followed by an hour ramp up to normal mental functioning or quickly starting the day with energy?

In my recent article on morning rituals, I mentioned how I wake up at 5:30 each morning. A few readers asked how I deal with the initial grogginess that comes with waking up so early. As someone who isn’t a natural early-riser (I could easily sleep in until noon) getting over the early-morning sleepiness wasn’t easy. However, by using some of the tips I’ll describe, you can be more alert in your morning hours without having to inject yourself with a pot of coffee.

Why Go Without Caffeine?

I never drink coffee and I only occasionally drink caffeinated teas. While caffeine can be a temporary chemical solution to your drowsiness, I don’t believe it is the best strategy overall. I’ve found caffeine offers more energy, but it comes with side-effects. A few I’ve noticed:

* Post-caffeine crashes.
* Disrupting normal sleep.
* Withdrawal symptoms and addiction.
* Difficulty focusing. (Although some research suggests otherwise)

Whether caffeine is a miracle drug or junk is hard to say. However, given the side-effects, if you can boost morning alertness without the artificial stimulants, why bother drinking the stuff?

How to Build Energy Into Your Mornings

Here are a few things I’ve found helpful to reduce the transition period from being asleep to becoming fully alert. Not only does speeding up this wake-up process save time, it makes waking up less of a struggle. A few tips:

1. Light.Your body’s natural clock is tuned to the amount of light. Turn on all the lights in your room right after waking up. Getting bright lights can help trick your body into thinking it is time to get out of bed.

2. Exercise.Put something physical right at the start of your morning. In the summer, I did a quick morning run and found it helpful in shaking off any sleepiness. Considering the outside temperature hovers around -30 C, I’ve stuck to doing a few pushups in my room. The exercise gets your heart pumping and snaps you out of a groggy state.

3. The 10-Minute Rule.If you want to stick with a consistent wake-up time, practice the ten-minute rule. This means you commit to staying awake for at least the next ten minutes. Once you get over that initial period, the temptation to go back to bed is usually gone.

4. Active Work.Start your day with work that actively uses your mind. Creative activities like writing, drawing, programming or designing work better than passive activities like reading. By focusing your mind early you can stay focused and brush off any unwanted drowsiness.

5. Don’t Skip Breakfast.Wake up early enough to get something to eat. Skipping meals throw your metabolism out of balance, causing you to gain fat and lose energy. Skipping breakfast also means your blood sugar will be low in the morning and energy levels down.

6. Commit to a Sleep Schedule.The obvious solution to combat sleepiness is to get more rest at night. Carrying a sleep debt throughout the week with the hopes of paying it off on the weekend is a bad strategy. Instead, compress your work into the morning hours so you can get the 6-8 hours you need each night.

7. Turn Up the Volume.I’ve found listening to music or audio books helpful in keeping myself awake during the morning. Best of all, if you put on an audio book from your favorite speaker, you can get some encouragement to start your day.

早晨起床越慢，越會覺得這是一件痛苦的事。 躺著掙紮三十分鍾，然後花上一個小時才能清醒過來，還是神清氣爽的迅速開始新的一天，你會選哪個呢
？

在我最近的一篇文章“早晨的習慣”中，我提到我每天都是5:30起床。一些讀者吃驚的問我起那麼早

，是怎麼對付早上困的東倒西歪的狀況的。作為一個沒有早起習慣的人（我可是很容易就能一覺睡到大中午）
，大da清qing早zao從cong床chuang上shang爬pa起qi來lai並bing且qie迅xun速su擺bai脫tuo困kun倦juan可ke不bu是shi一yi件jian容rong易yi的de事shi。下xia麵mian是shi我wo的de一yi些xie秘mi訣jue

，它ta們men能neng更geng好hao的de幫bang你ni在zai清qing早zao保bao持chi清qing醒xing
，而er不bu是shi去qu依yi靠kao一yi大da壺hu咖ka啡fei。

為什麼遠離咖啡因？

wocongbuhekafeibingqiezhishiouerheyidiancha。zhexiedongxilimiandekafeiyinsuirannengzanshijiejuenidekunjuan，danshiwoconglaiburenweizheshijiankangdejiejuefangfa。wozhidaokafeiyinrangnigengyoujingshen
，danshitadefuzuoyongyebukehushi，biru：

* 效力過後更加困倦
* 影響正常睡眠
* 習慣以後上癮
* 無法集中注意力（盡管有些研究說沒有這個效應）

咖ka啡fei因yin到dao底di是shi提ti神shen的de特te效xiao藥yao還hai是shi有you很hen多duo副fu作zuo用yong的de垃la圾ji還hai很hen難nan說shuo。但dan是shi
，考kao慮lv到dao這zhe些xie副fu作zuo用yong，如ru果guo你ni能neng不bu通tong過guo它ta的de刺ci激ji就jiu能neng保bao持chi清qing爽shuang
，為wei啥sha還hai要yao去qu喝he它ta呢ne。

清晨怎麼做才能提神
？

這(zhe)裏(li)是(shi)一(yi)些(xie)能(neng)有(you)效(xiao)地(di)幫(bang)你(ni)從(cong)半(ban)睡(shui)半(ban)醒(xing)到(dao)神(shen)清(qing)氣(qi)爽(shuang)的(de)小(xiao)竅(qiao)門(men)
，我(wo)相(xiang)信(xin)它(ta)們(men)會(hui)對(dui)你(ni)很(hen)有(you)幫(bang)助(zhu)。很(hen)快(kuai)清(qing)醒(xing)不(bu)僅(jin)能(neng)幫(bang)你(ni)節(jie)省(sheng)時(shi)間(jian)，也(ye)能(neng)讓(rang)你(ni)少(shao)掙(zheng)紮(zha)一(yi)會(hui)。下(xia)麵(mian)竅(qiao)門(men)來(lai)了(le)：

1.明亮的燈光：nishentideshengwuzhongshiyouguangxianyingxiangde。suoyizuihaoyiqichuangjiudakainifangjianlisuoyoudedeng。chongzudeguangxiannenghuanxingnideshenti，rangtajiaodeshishihouqichuangqingxingle。

2.運動熱身：早上一起床就做一些運動。夏天的時候我通常會在清晨小跑一會，這可以很有效的幫你甩掉困倦。現在溫度已經降到了零下30度，我轉而在房間裏做些俯臥撐。運動能讓你心跳加速

，幫助身體走出倦怠。

3.10分鍾原則：如果你想養成同一個時間起床的習慣，可以試試10分鍾原則。這個原則是指你起床時向自己保證在接下來的十分鍾裏保持清醒。一旦你度過這10分鍾，想再躺回床上的欲望一般也就隨之而去了。

4.主動的工作：一(yi)天(tian)剛(gang)開(kai)始(shi)的(de)時(shi)候(hou)，安(an)排(pai)一(yi)些(xie)主(zhu)動(dong)的(de)使(shi)用(yong)你(ni)的(de)大(da)腦(nao)的(de)工(gong)作(zuo)。比(bi)如(ru)一(yi)些(xie)創(chuang)作(zuo)性(xing)的(de)工(gong)作(zuo)像(xiang)寫(xie)作(zuo)，畫(hua)畫(hua)，編(bian)寫(xie)程(cheng)序(xu)，或(huo)者(zhe)一(yi)些(xie)設(she)計(ji)性(xing)的(de)工(gong)作(zuo)。比(bi)起(qi)被(bei)動(dong)性(xing)的(de)活(huo)動(dong)如(ru)讀(du)書(shu)
，這(zhe)些(xie)主(zhu)動(dong)工(gong)作(zuo)可(ke)以(yi)更(geng)有(you)效(xiao)的(de)幫(bang)你(ni)集(ji)中(zhong)精(jing)神(shen)

，擺(bai)脫(tuo)困(kun)倦(juan)。

5.吃好早餐：早zao點dian起qi床chuang，然ran後hou弄nong點dian東dong西xi吃chi。不bu吃chi早zao餐can會hui讓rang你ni的de新xin陳chen代dai謝xie失shi去qu平ping衡heng，造zao成cheng你ni長chang胖pang或huo者zhe無wu精jing打da采cai。不bu吃chi早zao餐can也ye會hui造zao成cheng你ni在zai早zao晨chen血xue糖tang偏pian低di

，這zhe會hui讓rang你ni感gan到dao困kun倦juan。

6.按時睡覺：要(yao)避(bi)免(mian)早(zao)晨(chen)無(wu)精(jing)打(da)采(cai)，晚(wan)上(shang)保(bao)證(zheng)睡(shui)眠(mian)顯(xian)然(ran)是(shi)必(bi)須(xu)的(de)。工(gong)作(zuo)日(ri)欠(qian)大(da)量(liang)的(de)睡(shui)眠(mian)債(zhai)，而(er)企(qi)圖(tu)在(zai)周(zhou)末(mo)一(yi)次(ci)補(bu)齊(qi)絕(jue)對(dui)是(shi)個(ge)壞(huai)主(zhu)意(yi)
，不(bu)管(guan)對(dui)精(jing)神(shen)還(hai)是(shi)身(shen)體(ti)。為(wei)了(le)避(bi)免(mian)這(zhe)樣(yang)的(de)情(qing)況(kuang)


，把(ba)工(gong)作(zuo)壓(ya)縮(suo)到(dao)你(ni)精(jing)力(li)充(chong)足(zu)的(de)早(zao)上(shang)，從(cong)而(er)保(bao)證(zheng)每(mei)天(tian)晚(wan)上(shang)最(zui)少(shao)6-8小時的睡眠。

7.把音樂打開：我wo發fa現xian早zao晨chen聽ting些xie音yin樂le或huo者zhe有you聲sheng圖tu書shu能neng很hen有you效xiao的de幫bang你ni保bao持chi清qing醒xing。特te別bie是shi如ru果guo把ba你ni最zui喜xi歡huan的de朗lang誦song者zhe的de有you聲sheng圖tu書shu播bo放fang上shang，總zong能neng鼓gu勵li你ni更geng有you精jing神shen。