Getting through the day can be tough when you find yourself stuck at a desk, reading books, hearing lectures for hours at a time, or whatever you do from day to day. Many people develope bad habits that can be very hard to break once begun, just to get through each day. There's a reason Starbucks is a multi-billion dollar corporation: It can be tough to make it through an entire 8-hour day without a little pick-me-up. Some people can't even begin their day without stimulants, and set up their entire morning around getting drugs into their body and getting out of the house as quickly as possible, neglecting basic needs our body requires to be healthy and happy.

But is it really the best solution? Is an altered mindstate the best environment for productivity? Most importantly, do your habits make you happy? I found that mine did not, and this hub is an attempt to show some alternatives to caffeine and other stimulant drugs (legal or not) to help you start your day right, and keep it going smooth until you finish.

Waking up is the worst part of my day; All kinds of things run through my head in those critical, just-concious moments. The horrible dream I had is making me emotional, I really don't feel like I can do it today, what excuses could I use to call into work? It's really hard for me, but I consider myself a morning person despite all that. I've learned to champion my bad attitude in the morning, because that's all it is really. Once I'm awake, out of bed and moving around, it's not so bad.

I have a few different morning routines depending on what I need to do that day. Some are better than others, and each serves a different kind of day. The one I use for days when I have to work is a very active routine. It requires a few hours, so make sure you get up at least an hour, preferrably two, before you need to leave the house. This is very important.

First off, I make sure my alarm is a sound that I really despise! This isn't hard because I hate waking up so much that whatever sound it is becomes loathed within a few days. Next, I try to set it far away from where I'm sleeping. So when it goes off I have to get up to turn it off. Because I can't stand the sound so much, I really have to get up; I can't just lay there and listen to it for an hour.

Once I'm up, I start stretching immediately. I usually yawn a lot during this time, don't worry this is normal =) Stretching is so great! It really gets your body ready for the day, and helps recover your muscles from hours of not moving during sleep. It's really great for people that have a job requiring heavy lifting or other physical activity. The video to the right is a really good example of one woman's stretching routine. It's good to have a routine like that, where you do the same stretches in the same order every time. It will help you remember to stretch every part, and some stretches will inevitably lead into the next. You'll feel it, it just feels right to go from one position to the next. You can take her example, or try on your own and find your personal groove! I've been stretching for years, every day, and I still don't have as much flexibility as she does, so don't worry if you can't touch your toes (or do the splits!) right away. I will say though, the more you stretch, the easier it gets.

After I get done stretching I exercise. Personally, I just do pushups, crunches, flutterkicks etc. All stuff I can do on the floor without any equipment. I use a yoga mat though, because I have hardwood floors; they get dusty and hurt my back. I only want to work out my abs and arms, so my workout routine is specific to those areas. You can do whatever you like, the more the better. If you're more adventurous than I am, you could even go for a morning run. Handweights are great too. The idea is to get your heart rate going. Once you get some adrenaline pumping you're pretty much set for the day. No drug can compare to the natural high of adrenaline.

Doing chores is another great way to spend time in the morning, especially if you're not physically able to work out or run. You can make your bed, organize your room, clean the floor, or anything else you want to get done. It's important to do them at a rate fast enough to get your heart pumping. It's also nice to come home to find a lot of the things you would normally have to do already done. It's comforting to walk into a clean house after a long day. One chore I always do in the morning is prepare a lunch for myself.

Sometimes, when I'm feeling really pooped in the morning (especially if I've been up very late) I start doing pushups as soon as I wake up, then I stretch once I'm sure I won't lay back down, and do the rest of my workout afterwards.

After I work out I stretch again, and this time I do a long stretch. I make sure I spend a little more time in each position. The before-stretch is intended to loosen you up so you don't hurt yourself working out. The after-stretch is intended to really stretch all your muscles so you don't stiffen from working out, which is exactly what you don't want if you have trouble feeling awake throughout the day. The after stretch is the most important. If you choose to skip one, skip the before-stretch, though I highly recommend doing both.

By now, you should be pretty jazzed. You feel good because you're doing something good for your body, your heart rate is up, and adrenaline and blood are flowing throughout your body. This is good energy, the kind that won't let you down in a few hours hopefully. You should also be pretty hungry. If you're going to kick caffeine, you'll need to replace that fake energy with real energy, and that can only come from food.

I know a lot of people that say they just can't eat in the morning. This is ridiculous. Your body is a machine, and it takes energy for it to operate. If you're going to function normally, you have to eat. Luckily you just worked out, so you should be pretty hungry by now. I try to eat a balanced breakfast, with plenty of protein and carbohydrates, and also all the other groups. The morning is the best time to have something from every food group.

Vitamins are good too, but try to remember that all the extra vitamins you consume, you're just going to pee out if you have too much. People who eat like a million vitamins in the morning just have very yellow pee for a few hours. Your body can't handle all of them. It doesn't even need all of them. Vitamins that I always say you can't get too much of are Zinc and Vitamin C. I like to drink an Emergen-C in the morning, and another one later for lunch.

Also remember, you may have different diet needs than I do. I weigh an appropriate ammount for my height specifications, so I try to eat a big meal in the morning. You might want to burn fat, which means you would want to try to eat less, especially carbohydrates. The Atkin's Diet is based on this theory. Fat is just stored energy, so if you have excess body fat you basically have excess stored energy. You don't need to eat much because you'll be able to use up your excess. This is why bears eat a lot before they hibernate, then eat little to nothing for months, to put it very simply. They sleep the whole time too, so don't starve yourself. You will be active, and you do need to replenish your energy.

Now, at this point your body should be set for the day. Lets work on the brain for a bit. Once I get out of the house it's a whole different world. I need to interact with people, think about places I need to get to, etc. Not that any of that is hard, but it's good to be on top of your game. I like to check my eMail, myspace, forums etc before I leave the house. Not just check them, but even respond to my messages, leave comments for my friends, reply to forum topics that I'm interested in.This helps me not have to do these things at work, and it also gives my brain some stuff to digest so I'm actually thinking before I get out of the house. It's really easy to remain in zombie mode until you get to work, then spend the first hour there trying to get used to dealing with other people, or thinking about checking your personal sites. It also gives you some conversation material for the day.

Remember that you don't have to change your entire routine. This is just how I do it. You can make small changes to your morning routine that will achieve great results for you later in the day. If you watch tv in the morning, try doing it with some hand weights or while you stretch. Little differences count too.

This section is the longest because it's the most important part of your day. The rest is mostly maintaining the energy and good attitude you've achieved from a healthy morning routine, until you get home from whatever you do.

What is your daily commute like? Do you drive to work? Bus? Subway/BART? Bike? Or even some combination of these? You may be able to make healthy changes to your commute, and even save some money while you do it!

I've done many different commutes. I used to live in Arkansas, so I would have to drive to work/school every day. There was no way around it with no public transit, and no space for bikers on the small highway leading from my house to the town I worked in. Living in the Bay Area now, it's very easy for me to have a healthy commute. If you live in L.A., or somewhere that is designed mostly for driving, however, it might not be so easy for you. You'll have to find creative ways to spice up your commute.

The best advice I have to give for the commute is a bike, or walking/running if it's close enough. If you live within a few miles of where you work, the subway station or wherever you catch whatever you take to work, you could easily bike there and save yourself the gas, parking tickets, and stress of driving. You'd also be able to get a few more calories burned before you get to work, and it helps keep your heart rate going too. Another good idea, if you bus, is to get off a few stops before your destination and walk the rest. I like to bike as hard and fast as I can to work, so when I get there I'm super pumped!

I knew a guy at a cafe that I worked at who would bike 3 miles to the train station near the cafe, get on the train and rest for an hour, then bike another 3 miles to work from his destination train stop, then do the whole thing on the way back, totalling 12 miles a day. He was about 55 years old, and looked healthier than most people I know my age.

The commute is a tricky one, because a lot of people just don't have any options. If you can find a way to work in any kind of activity, do it. I'm biased towards bikes because that's what I do every day, and I love it so much. If you can't bike to work though, find something else that works for you. Listening to inspirational music in the car, or on the bus, is a great way to stay pumped on the way to work. I bought a data phone so I could check my eMail on the bus when I used to take the bus. I know some people that drive to work, but when they get there they do a lap around the parking lot, or 30 pushups next to the car after they get out. Anything to keep you motivated and your blood flowing. It's all about attitude and energy, and the more you do the better you'll feel.

Ok, so you're at work, you're motivated, you've got good energy. Things are going good. But a few hours into the workday, it's just the same old routine. When I make changes, I like to change up my whole day. I used to drink caffeinne all day long, so I needed to replace it with all-day activity. This requires a set of exercises and stretches, or something, that you can do at work. You could even start a lunchtime walking group with fellow coworkers. I had the luxury of an hour-long, lunch break. I would eat quickly, then take a bike ride around Lake Merritt.

If you don't have that kind of time, don't worry; there are plenty of other options for you. First off, stretching is essential, all day long. If you work in an office, or go to school, you know it can be tough on your body to sit in the same position for extended periods. Stretching is the only way to beat this. If you need a little refresher have a healthy snack, then do some stretches and light exercises. It's good for you, and it'll make you feel good. Once your body gets into the habit of being very active, you'll crave the activity. My favorite part of the day is my mid-day bikeride, I look forward to it all morning.

Also, remember when I said to pack a lunch in the morning? This is a great way to save time on your lunch break. Eating out can be very time-consuming, not to mention expensive! Plus, it's hard to find fresh, quality food in most places. If you want to get it fast, you get fast food. If you want to wait for the good stuff, you spend your whole break waiting to get served and eating. Making your own lunch is the only way to really know exactly what you're eating, and how fresh it is. And you don't have to tip the waiter ;-)

Another helpful tip about eating out, though unrelated to the Hub topic, is this: Health Code requires that all dishware and surfaces be disinfected and sterilized. Most places do this with chlorine bleach, but it can kill you if you ingest a high dose of it. Boiling water disinfects and sterilizes just as well, without any health concerns, but the cost and space restrictions of machines can deter many small businesses from taking this healthy alternative. I would say most places use bleach to disinfect their dishes and most areas inside the store. I don't like to play games with my body. I brown bag all the food I plan to eat during the day, even snacks. This helps control my calorie intake too.

The best part of my day is getting home. I finally get to go back to my personal space and do the things I enjoy doing. Having done so much activity during the day, with exercise and work and whatever errands I have to do after work, I'm usually pretty beat. You're probably thinking, with all the exercises and activity I recommend, that I'm going to say drop down and give me 50 as soon as you hit the door right? Well, sorry to dissapoint, but I'm done with the physical stuff by the time I get home. Too much of a good thing can be bad, right? But that doesn't mean you're done with your healthy day; you still have to prepare for tommorow.

The best thing you can do for yourself is make sure you're sleeping well. This means making sure you sleep in an environment condusive to Deep Sleep. Here are some tips I use to allow myself to achieve deep sleep every night. Make sure your bed is comfy, there aren't noises distracting you, and sleep in a position that doesn't leave you stiff or aching in the morning. All these things can wake you up during the night, causing the ammount of time you spend trying to achieve deep sleep to increase, thus causing the ammount of time you spend sleeping deeply to decrease.

The bed part is kind of obvious, if you need tips on a good matress check my links. Sleep Train is the bomb for people in CA. Noises are a serious issue for some, not at all for others. I like to listen to calming music when I go to sleep in noisy or unfamiliar places. Another great way to sleep through the noise is by replacing the noise with White Noise. Wikipedia defines white noise as something way different than I do, so let me just give you my version of it. White noise is any sound that is constant, non-changing, and not bothersome to you. The sound of the ocean is considered white noise, to me. You can buy products for yourself, designed for babies, that will make white noise for you to sleep to. See my Amazon links --->

Sleeping in a healthy, comfortable position is also very important. When you sleep on certain sides of your body it can be very bad for your organs, as they rest on top of each other and can become partially or completely nonfunctional for hours at a time, causing them to be unable to perform critical tasks left for the time you are sleeping. Not to mention your muscles can get twisted to one side or another, causing you to wake up stiff and sore. I recommend sleeping on your back, with your arms in a 'coffin' position, crossed over your chest, and with a pillow that is not too thick. If you need to sleep on one side or the other, get a body pillow to put between your knees and ankles, and get a pillow that contours to, and supports, your neck.

Also, remember to give yourself plenty of time to sleep. If it takes you a while to fall asleep, factor that into the amount of time you need to sleep. If it takes you an hour to get to sleep, and you give yourself 6 hours, you're probably only getting 4 quality hours of deep sleep. The first hour is spent getting through the sleep stages to Deep Sleep (see links).

Everyones sleep requirements are different, so find what works best for you. Just make sure it's deep sleep. If you're restless, and find yourself waking up frequently during the night, you need to find a way to keep that from happening. Many times it can be caused from having too much caffeine before bed, so your new habits should solve that problem anyway. Another good tip is to stop working a few hours before you go to bed. Watch tv, read a book, or do something relaxing for a while. You'll probably fall asleep while you're doing it!

Let me start this conclusion by saying that I am not a medical professional. I don't have any basis for any of my statements except my personal experience. If you are not healthy enough to do physical activity, or your doctor has already prescribed a specific diet for you, don't do these things. I know this should be really obvious, but I just gotta throw that out there. If you really want to follow my advice, and you're not sure if you should or not, consult a doctor or get a personal trainer - the latter I recommend anyway.

Now, I know there's a lot to digest here, so let me break it down real simple for you:

Waking Up:

• Give Yourself Plenty of Time to Wake UP!
• Stretch
• Exercise
• Eat a Healthy Breakfast, Complient with Your Diet Needs and Objectives
• Do Chores
• Stimulate Your Brain

Commuting:

• Bike or Walk If You Can
• Find a Way to Make Some Part of Your Commute More Physically Active
• Keep Your Good Attitude
• Stimulate Your Brain, if Possible

At Work:

• Remember to Stretch if You Sit for Long Periods
• Take the Stairs
• Utilize Your Breaks for Healthy Activities
• Stay Positive

At Home:

• Stop Working a Few Hours Before You Need to Sleep
• Get Plenty of Sleep
• Eliminate Distractions
• Sleep Comfortably
• Make Sure You're Sleeping Deeeeeeeply
• If You're Having Trouble Getting to Sleep, Try Reading Before Bed

I hope this Hub helps you develop a healthy lifestyle, and kick your bad habits!