⏰ Axios Finish Line: Fix your morning!

3 tips and tricks | Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Open in app View in browser     Axios Finish Line By Mike Allen, Erica Pandey and Jim VandeHei ·Jan 10, 2023 Jan 10, 2023 Welcome back! Smart Brevity™ count: 391 words ... 1½ mins.     1 big thing: How to wake up with a spring in your step Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios   If you're routinely waking up feeling sluggish, you're not alone. Stunning stat: Fewer than 1 in 3 Americans are getting "restorative sleep," according to a recent study from researchers at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. That means the vast majority of us aren't getting the right kind of sleep. We might be getting enough hours, but we're not waking up with the boosted alertness, mood and energy that we want in the morning. Why it matters: Low quality or quantity of sleep has far-reaching effects, from short-term ability to focus to long-term risk for chronic disease. But there's a fix. Another study, published recently in Nature Communications and covered by CNBC, uncovered three steps we can take to try to eliminate that groggy feeling many of us get when we're waking up. Sleep in if you need to. Getting that extra 30 minutes of sleep on a morning when you need it was associated with increased alertness in the morning, per the study. Move your body. Physical activity the day before also had a strong link to feeling alert and awake the next morning — the more, the better, study authors told CNBC. Breakfast matters. Participants who ate breakfasts high in low-glycemic carbohydrates — think whole wheat bread and oats — felt more alert. But eating breakfasts that were sugary or high in high-glycemic carbohydrates — like a muffin or a cereal bar — had the opposite effect. Share this story.     A message from Axios A better way to communicate priorities     You can have the smartest people and the strongest strategy, but your organization will fail without clear communication. Yes, but: A simple strategy — called "Up, Down, Around" — is helping leaders elevate what's essential and keep stakeholders aligned. See how it works     🎁 Life advice across generations Last week, for his 32nd birthday, investor Sahil Bloom posted a Twitter thread full of advice he received from 90-year-olds when he asked them what they'd tell their 32-year-old selves. Here are some of our favorites: Now and then, break out the fancy china and drink the good wine for no reason at all. If there's something bothering you, ask yourself whether it will matter in one month. If not, let it go right now. Tell your partner you love them every night before falling asleep. Someday you'll find the other side of the bed empty and wish you could. 💡 Erica here. I'm turning 28 in March, and I'd love your advice. What would you tell your 28-year-old self? Email finishline@axios.com with your one piece of advice, name and hometown, and we'll spread the wisdom in a future newsletter.   Are you a fan of this email format? Your essential communications — to staff, clients and other stakeholders — can have the same style. Axios HQ, a powerful platform, will help you do it.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. To stop receiving this newsletter, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: