Grogginess, grogginess, please go away. Grogginess, grogginess, please don't come back another day. After 5 days away from work, I had one heck of a time getting back into the swing of things this morning. Though my grogginess probably wouldn't have been helped with the addition of grog, I felt like I could've used some to help me navigate the treacherous waters of work. Luckily, I came across this article called "7 ways to restart your day", which will hopefully help me feel better about waking up early and slogging away every weekday. Among the tips: As soon as the alarm rings ... Spend your first 15 seconds awake planning something nice to do for yourself today. Get up The longer you lie there, the more you ruminate, the darker your outlook is likely to become, says Christine Padesky, Ph.D., coauthor of "Mind Over Mood." So get vertical and make a cup of coffee, take a shower, feed the cat ... Drink ... Two glasses of water upon awakening, the time when our bodies are dehydrated, says Susan M. Kleiner, Ph.D., author of "The Good Mood Diet." Dehydration causes fatigue, which affects your mood. Move it Just a few minutes of movement -- a fast walk, for example -- raises energy and reduces tension, says mood expert Robert Thayer, Ph.D., professor of psychology at California State University, Long Beach, and author of "Calm Energy." Investigate When you're dogged by anxiety or the dread you woke up with, try to pinpoint what's causing it. If you can figure out why you're upset, that's halfway to feeling better. Be kind and thankful Do something nice for a stranger or friend and see if you don't feel better about yourself. Also, jot down three things that you're grateful for. It seems so simple, but counting your blessings just has a way of making you remember the sun is shining. Laugh at yourself Look at your own life and try to appreciate the absurdity of what doesn't go exactly according to plan. Acknowledging how little control we actually have over what happens is sometimes a most freeing gift to yourself. Hope this helps (you and me!) Also, this blog has some good points about work and vacation. Additionally, timeday.org is a good place to check out and advocate for. Timeday.org is the website for Take Back Your Time, a major U.S./Canadian initiative to challenge the epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine that now threatens our health, our families and relationships, our communities and our environment. Sounds good to me!