I am definitely not what you would call a “morning person” so I have to take time to wake my brain up before I can get moving. Laying in bed and watching TV helps but it still takes me about 2 full hours before I am completely awake. I just don’t understand how people can pop up at 4am and be all jolly by 4:30. Thankfully I found this list of 5 ways to kick start your brain in the morning for when I have to get up before 10am. If you have the same problem you should take a look after the jump!
#1.) Split Your Breakfast Into Four Meals.
Obviously don’t eat four FULL breakfasts. But a study in the U.K. found that when you eat four SMALL meals instead of one big one, it improves your problem-solving and verbal reasoning skills by about 35%. It’s because spreading your meals out gives your brain a more consistent supply of energy.
#2.) Make One of Those Mini-Meals a Handful of Walnuts. Researchers in Spain found that just a few walnuts each morning can improve your “working memory” by 19%.
Your “working memory” is basically like the RAM on your computer: It helps you remember things for a few seconds, and it’s the reason you can remember what was in the first paragraph of an email while you’re reading the LAST paragraph. Essentially, it’s your ability to focus.
#3.) Start the Day with a 20-Minute Walk. A study at the University of Illinois found that it improves your “cognitive flexibility” by 16%.
“Cognitive flexibility” is defined as your brain’s ability to produce a flow of ideas and answers when you’re presented with a problem.
#4.) Eat Something That’s High in Protein. Compared to a breakfast that’s high in sugar . . . or no breakfast at all . . . Japanese researchers found that a high-protein breakfast can increase brain activity by almost 20%.
Sugar gives you energy, but only in the short-term. Protein takes longer to digest, so it gives you consistent energy all morning. That’s why eggs are such a good breakfast food . . . unless you have really high cholesterol.
#5.) Have One-Fifth of a Cup of Coffee. A recent study at the University of Bristol in England found that just 20 to 30 milligrams of caffeine boosts brainpower . . . which is about 100 milligrams LESS than your average cup of coffee.
Getting MORE than 30 milligrams of caffeine is fine. But the researchers found that it doesn’t provide any added benefits when it comes to brain function.
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