posted
12/11/10

Made Man Staff

This article is part of our celebration of Movember, moustaches, and all things men’s health and grooming. Made Man and Break Media are proud partners of The Movember Foundation. Grow a mo with mademan.com/movember.

There are some people who manage to slip effortlessly from slumber into the arms of a new day, firing on all cylinders from the start. If the headline of this article piqued your interest, it is likely that you are not one of these people. In fact, if you are still reading, it is entirely possible that you are sitting at your work desk with a death-grip on a cup of coffee, half an unshaved face and breath to match the cargo hold of The Deadliest Catch.

As always, we’re here to help. Here are 13 mistakes men make every morning, and how to correct them.

1. Wake Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed

The first mistake commonly made at the day’s beginning is starting off on the wrong foot. After an unappetizing dream, poor sleep or a stressful set of days, the mindset with which we greet the morning is absolutely essential to mental well-being. Famed author of 30 best-selling books, motivational speaker and PHD, Dr. Wayne Dyer has assembled a series of morning meditations addressing the importance of this exact moment. Starting with a prolonged “Ah” sound, Dyer says the following words to himself: “I know that I can connect my mind with the divine mind and guarantee myself peace in any moment.” We know. It’s a little, shall we say, California. Come up with your own. By speaking a morning mantra, you increase your chances of having a positive day.

2. Dehydration

Next step should be reaching for water. Do your best to drink an entire glass before addressing another task. The effect of water on your metabolism in the morning is important. It wakes up your digestive system before dehydrating it with coffee.

3. Bathroom Breakdown

Create a morning routine in the bathroom of rinsing your face with lukewarm water and a drop of soap. Even if you’re not inclined to utilize an expensive face wash, your skin craves water.

4. No Breakfast

For some of us, eating breakfast regularly can be a challenge. While our bodies might not feel hungry, skipping the first meal of the day is a detriment for those interested in maintaining a healthy metabolism. It does not need to be a hefty helping of eggs and sausage. In fact, eating a small piece of fruit, yogurt, small bowl of oatmeal or egg-white omelette is better for your body than bombarding it with heavy fats and carbohydrates generally found in typical American breakfasts. And for those of us on the run there are always easy-to-grab yogurts and bananas.

5. Lack Of Vitamins

Try a dose of Vitamin C for energy. After a few weeks of consistently reminding yourself to power up in the morning, your body will chart an apparent difference in energy abundance.

6. Caffeine Overload

While the first few hours of the day seem to challenge our eyelids’ ability to remain open, over-fueling on caffeine is one of the worst and most common mistakes made by working individuals. By artificially stimulating the senses at such a fast and intense rate, it communicates to our bodies a dependency on the substance that you won’t be able to shake for the rest of the day. Moreover, caffeine highs always result in devastating lows, causing you to crawl back to the coffee pot and repeat the cycle all over again.