A leading arithmetician has come up with up with a formula to help get you out the right side of the bed in the morning.
It takes into account the factors that contribute to a good start in the morning, including the number of hours spent asleep, time you get up, time you spend eating breakfast, and how long you give yourself get ready.
The formula, based on new research findings, was developed as part of study identifying the factors that contribute to a good start in the morning, overseen by Countdown star Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE.
It comes after a study of 2,000 adults found 6.44am is the optimum wake-up time to get the ideal morning start.
In addition, the study revealed Brits aim to spend an average of 21 minutes exercising, 10 minutes showering, and 18 minutes eating breakfast.
Doing activities which stimulate the brain – like word puzzles or reading the news – also increases the chances of starting the day in a positive frame of mind, as well as meditation and avoiding digital devices first thing.
Positive starts
These findings from the study, commissioned to launch Special K Crunchy Oat Granola, were used to develop the formula.
More weighting was applied to breakfast after this emerged as the single most important thing to do in the morning to start the day positively.
Dr Imafidon said: “It’s interesting to see how different factors in our morning routine can set us up for the rest of the day
“Having this formula is a great tool to help start the day right.
“Not everyone has the same routine but a combination of the different elements should be key to ‘getting out of bed on the right side’ – especially after so many of us admit to regularly getting up in a bad mood.”
The study also found the average adult wakes up in a bad mood twice a week – with 29 per cent regularly getting out the ‘wrong’ side of bed.
While half of adults regularly endure a bad night’s sleep, and 36 per cent admit they are ‘stuck in a rut’ with their morning routine.
But this can have a significant impact on the rest of their day, as 39 per cent don’t know how to turn things around if they start off on the wrong foot.
On days like these, 25 per cent said the tired and grumpy feeling doesn’t start to dissipate until 11am at the earliest, according to the research by OnePoll.
But a good breakfast could make all the difference for some, as 28 per cent of those polled claimed not having a decent meal first thing is one of main reasons for a bad start.
Emily Dutton, from Special K, said: “We will all have a different routine in the morning to get off to a good start.
“And it’s so interesting to see Dr Imafidon apply this in the formula ‘to wake up on the right side of the bed’.
“It’s also great that so many Brits value a good breakfast and make time for this each day!”
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon’s formula for getting out the ‘right’ side of the bed
Using the following variables:
s is minutes spent showering
e is minutes spent exercising
b is minutes spent eating breakfast
h is hours spent sleeping
w is difference (in hours) between when you get out of bed and 7.12am
c is minutes spent on any other unique ‘getting ready’ activities, divided by 2 (e.g. word puzzles, reading the news, meditating)
g = 37 (based on the ideal number of minutes to get ready on average, identified by the study)