Waking up for work is tough in the winter – but smart tech can help you avoid that snooze button

Waking up for work is tough in the winter – but smart tech can help you avoid that snooze button.

During the winter months, it’s much colder and darker in the mornings, which can make getting out of bed and starting the day a real struggle. While this might not be a concern for people who work in the office – what with having a commute to worry about or a bus to catch – it can be surprisingly difficult to get up when you’re working from home, especially during the winter.

When working from home, starting your day off right is so important. Take it from me, while lying in bed until 8:30 might sound like a great idea, it takes time for your brain to wake up before work, so having enough time to wake up properly and get your body moving is vital if you want a productive day ahead.

A key way to make your mornings run smoother is to invest in smart home technology. Smart home devices easily fit into your daily routines and when paired with EE Wi-Fi and broadband, they can help you start off your day on the right foot.

Bethan Girdler-Maslen

As Home Editor at T3, Beth has become an expert in all things smart home, appliances and wellness. As she's terrible at getting up in the mornings, Beth has introduced smart tech and wellness products into her morning routine to start her days off feeling energised and prepared.

Start the day right with light

Rather than waking up to a loud alarm, I start my day with a wake up light as it makes me feel more alert and ready to wake up. Wake up lights mimic the rising of the sun and gradually brighten within your room to wake you more naturally and calmly.

As the mornings are darker in the winter, a wake up light also gives me that first bit of light to the day which makes me feel more energised. Once I’m out of bed, I head over to my office to quickly clear away my desk and write my to-do list so I’m ready to start the work day in a couple hours time. While I do this, I have my SAD lamp set up on my desk so I can get more sunlight into my morning.

Alongside my wake up light and SAD lamp, I like using a smart speaker to give me all the information I need first thing in the morning. When my wake up light goes off at 7am, my speaker does too, and will play music to encourage me to get out of bed. As my speaker is connected to the EE Wifi 7 router, this is all done seamlessly at the time that I’ve set it without any lag or disruptions.

Exercising from home made easy

The next step to a positive morning routine is exercise. In the mornings, I love to get as much sunlight in as possible before I start work, so I typically do a quick yoga video before I head out on my morning walk or run.

I like to stream yoga videos on my phone. I’m working on becoming more flexible but I’d prefer to do this at home rather than in a gym class, so having a strong Wi-Fi connection is crucial so I don’t have to wait for any buffering while I’m holding a difficult pose.

Coffee ready when you walk through the door

Before I head outside for my morning walk or run, I set my smart kettle to boil so I’ve got hot water ready for me when I get home. In the app, I request my kettle to start boiling at my preferred temperature five minutes before I get home. That way once I get in from the cold, my kettle is boiled and I can immediately make my tea or coffee.

When I’m feeling particularly lazy, I even set my kettle to start boiling when I’m in my bed. If I’m having a slow morning, this gives me the motivation I need to start my day. As the EE Wifi 7 router has super-fast speeds and a strong connection, I don’t have to worry about my app not connecting to my kettle, regardless of what floor of the house I’m on.

While waking up in the cold winter mornings can be tricky, smart tech and EE’s Wifi 7 router has improved my routine and made getting out of bed much easier.

Discover the new EE Wifi 7 router and other broadband options at EE.