A stressful start to the day starts with your ALARM clock. Do you wake up to a loud blaring sound which brings you from deep sleep to wide awake almost immediately? You heart-rate is already elevated and you flight or fight reflex has been activated even before your eyes open.

Or maybe you wake up to the radio with the news? How wonderful is it to start the day hearing about how many people have been murdered, how many politicians are upset and how much new crime has been committed. It's really easy to start the day depressed with that initial input.

So what are the alternatives? In an ideal world, where we all got enough sleep, you would simply sleep until you wake up naturally. Since most of us do not have this luxury here are some practical alternatives.

What about waking up to classical music? I'm sure there is a station that you can tune into which wakes you up more gently then the alarm. You can also set your alarm 5 minutes before or after the news so that you can at least wake up to music rather then all the negativity.

Another alternative is some awesome products on the market called 'dawn simulators' which simulate the brightening of the sun over a period of time. The brands I know of can be found here in the USA and here in Australia. I have been using one of these for about 6 months and find them a very gentle way to wake up. Most models also have an alarm or radio option as well so that if you have to catch a fight you can use this option.

What about white noise? Again what we are looking for a relaxing way to wake up and avoid that initial burst of adrenalin and stress. Try something different for a week and see the difference in the way your day unfolds.