Ways to jumpstart your day

Do you wake up with a dark cloud over your head and wonder how you will get through the whole day. Here are tips from our experts to jumpstart yourself You don't have to wake up snarling and biting everyone's head off. There are easy ways to jumpstart your day even if you are not a morning person. Our experts tell you how to get going so you don't feel like Forrest Gump when the sun rises. Sleeping well? Your bad morning could be caused by serious underlying sleep issues. So, first, you need to rule these out. Sleep expert Dr Prashant Chhajed says, you could be suffering from sleep apnea, which is characterised by abnormal pauses in breathing while sleeping. You could also be suffering from Restless Leg Syndrome. If your limbs don't get rested at night, you're not likely to get up on your feet. Emotional health Life Coach Captain Vinod Nair suggests that larger emotional reasons could be at the root of the problem. So do some soul-searching and figure out what lies beneath. People who are dominated by feelings wake up relatively less happy. Thoughts can control moods, and people dominated by thoughts will get a grip even if they wake up with a bad dream. Whatever the reasons for your slow mornings, there is a cheat sheet to make them bearable. Quick fix rouse the thymus Tarzan, it seems, had a secret weapon. He beat his chest when preparing for battle. It turns out that the Thymus gland is situated under the thyroid and at the centre of your chest. This gland is responsible for regulating the body's energy flow. It produces T cells that provide resistance against various infections. It is the first organ that is affected by stress and your emotional state. It's possible to stimulate this gland physically when you are feeling low. Thump at the centre of your chest five or six times or for 30 seconds in the morning. It will energise you to take things head on. Press the K-27 energy buttons The K-27 are two acupressure points that make you more alert. Stimulating these points for 30 seconds makes your breathing effective and produces neurochemicals that kill pain. These points are located in the hollow below the collarbone. Place two finger tips on either side of the u-shaped notch in the middle of your collar bone and at the top of the breast bone. This is where you knot a tie. Move your fingers down about an inch and you will find a slight depression. These are the points to work before a meeting with your boss. Stimulate your spleen The spleen points are located about two inches below each of your nipples between the seventh and the eight rib. The organ is responsible for cleaning toxins and old red blood cells from the body. It also holds a reserve of blood in case of hemorrhagic shock. Activating the spleen points improves blood chemistry, reduces stress and perks up food metabolism. You can use more then one finger to tap your spleen points, which will increase the chances of hitting the points right. While pressing them, breathe in deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Press for about 20-30 seconds. Routine, routine, routine After waking up, if rushing around trying to eat breakfast while fixing up a meeting on the phone and managing household chores is your routine, it's time to be systematic. If you want to feel in control, streamline tasks that do not hassle you. Set a routine of the things you have to do every morning and make this routine a habit. Also, don't check and reply to emails early in the morning to avoid starting your day on a frustrating note. Instead wake up an hour early and do something that makes you feel good. It could be listening to your favourite music, going out in fresh air to exercise, writing, or cooking your favourite breakfast.