Picture this. Your alarm wakes you and you feel alert. Instead of hitting snooze, you rise out of bed and do a few simple stretches to energize your body.
Feeling invigorated, you saunter to the kitchen to eat a healthy breakfast while reading the morning paper. After putting your dishes in the sink, you repeat a few affirmations while brushing your teeth.
Once you’ve made the bed and dressed, it’s time to head to work. You feel relaxed, empowered, and ready to have a productive day.
This isn’t a dream, so there’s no reason to pinch yourself. This is the power of building a thoughtful morning routine, and it’s within your reach. With a few simple changes, you can feel capable and in control of your workday while still getting enough shut-eye.
6 reasons for creating a morning routine
You’ve probably heard about the importance of a nighttime routine and how going to bed at a regular hour contributes to your health and well-being. Beyond feeling like you’ve become an A+ student in the School of Life, creating a morning routine has similar benefits, like:
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Improving your physical health: You’ve probably heard the expression, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Studies show that there’s truth to that. Creating routines makes it easier to incorporate healthy habits into your lifestyle to improve your physical wellness.
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Boosting your willpower: A large body of research shows that willpower is a limited resource. Making healthy choices about what to eat and how to spend your time can deplete your reserves. By building a routine that helps you avoid decision fatigue, you can preserve your supply of willpower for critical choices.
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Putting you in control: Researchers have found that a repetitive schedule allows people to manage uncertainty more effectively. Rituals and routines infuse feelings of control into your day, creating a sense of calm that reduces stress and anxiety when faced with the unexpected.
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Helping you safeguard your priorities: Building a morning routine allows you to reduce distractions and focus on your priorities. You can make an effort to avoid procrastination and use that extra time at the end of the day for your interests, like a workout or professional development activities.
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Promoting proactivity instead of reactivity: Using your morning ritual to create a to-do list lets you be strategic with your time. You can anticipate potential challenges and plan an effective response so you’re not caught off guard, keeping the rest of the day on track.
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Increasing your overall well-being: Having a routine helps you get more done. And feeling more productive can improve your well-being and confidence. It can even make you happier.
12 morning routine strategies
There’s no perfect morning routine — just the best one for you. Don’t be afraid to experiment by adding new items or removing ones that don’t meet your needs. And if you’re trying this for the first time, change one small thing, like establishing a firm wake-up time. Once you’re regularly waking at the same time, you can add something new.
Here are a few morning routine ideas to consider.
1. Go to bed and wake up at the same hour
Starting your morning routine off right requires proper sleep hygiene. Ensure you get the recommended 7–9 hours of sleep every night. Keeping regular sleep hours helps reset your circadian rhythm, improving your sleep quality and making it easier to wake on time.
2. Make friends with your alarm clock
Consider giving your snooze button a rest. The sleep you’ll gain from “10 minutes more” isn’t restful. To feel most rested, you need to wake up after completing a REM cycle — which your body naturally does if nothing interrupts your sleep.
But when you try to sleep a little more after your alarm goes off, there’s not enough time to go through a complete REM cycle before getting up for good. And telling your body it’s time to sleep more, then waking up 10 minutes later, can leave you feeling more groggy than if you crawled out of bed after your first alarm.
3. Tidy up
Making your bed every morning starts your day off on the right — productive — foot. Instead of beginning your day by procrastinating this small task and then potentially procrastinating others, you’ve accomplished something immediately. This sets the tone for your whole day.
4. Soak up some sun
Sun exposure first thing in the morning stops the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, helping you feel more alert and regulating your circadian rhythm. Wake yourself up by opening your blinds, taking a quick morning walk, or enjoying breakfast on your patio.
5. Hide the phone
It might seem like an innocuous way to start the day, but checking your phone right after waking can expose you to many potential stressors, like work emails, credit card notifications, and troubling social posts.
Opt for a gentler entry into the morning instead. Delay plugging into the digital world for 30 minutes or more to enjoy a peaceful start.
6. Fuel up for the day
Sit down to a healthy breakfast, especially if you plan on working out in the morning. A nutritious meal of whole grains, lean proteins, and some fruits or veggies is good for your heart and can help you feel more alert.
7. Hydrate
Start your day with a glass of water to wake your brain and body up. Research links hydration to improved decision-making skills and reduced fatigue. Drinking water also kick-starts your digestion, helping you absorb nutrients from your breakfast efficiently, among other benefits.
8. Get physical
Whether you opt for the latest HIIT workout or a few simple stretches, moving your body in the morning can reduce stress, improve your focus, and give you more energy. And as a bonus, regular exercise can help you get a good night‘s sleep.
9. Repeat positive affirmations
Start your day on a positive note by telling yourself something nice. Daily affirmations can reduce stress, boost feelings of competence, and reinforce intentions to change for the better.
Try one of the following:
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“I’m a strong and capable person.”
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“I’m prepared to face any challenge that comes my way.”
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“I’m exactly where I need to be today.”
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“My abilities are perfectly imperfect.”
10. Put your best face forward
Start your day with self-care by completing a thoughtful skincare routine. This might help you feel better prepared for the day and also reminds you that your health and wellness matter. And it might even involve something relaxing, like a Gua Sha facial massage or a mask.
11. Set the day’s intention
Whether deciding on your goals for the day or setting a task schedule so you don’t forget anything, taking time out to plan ahead will help you focus your energy in the right direction so you’re as productive and efficient as possible.
12. Prepare the night before
Avoid the early morning scramble by organizing your day in advance and giving yourself time to enjoy your morning routine. Here are some things you could do the night before:
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Prepare your breakfast and lunch
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Put out the clothing you’ll wear
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Put your briefcase by the door
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Select a playlist or podcast for the next day’s commute
The 4 factors of a good morning routine
What makes a good morning routine varies from person to person. But to be truly effective, you should establish a holistic regimen of morning habits that address the needs of your Whole Person.
Here are four factors that comprise this whole self.
1. Mental
Consider the mindset you want to establish for the day and the steps you can take to reach it. If you tend to wake up stressed thinking about work challenges, try deep breaths and a virtual yoga class after waking to feel calm and centered. And if your brain is sluggish in the morning, a cold shower could clear your head.
2. Physical
Start your day by assessing your physical health and what it needs. You want to figure out how to make your body feel as comfortable and pain-free throughout your day as possible. This might mean stretching, lying in bed completing a body scan, or always having breakfast.
3. Heart
A productive morning also means you’ve centered your emotions and connected with your loved ones. This might include:
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Deciding what will make you feel good: Schedule time into your morning for a bit of joy, like meditation, reading, or talking to a friend.
4. Spirit
Connecting with something outside yourself, like your community or nature, can make you feel more fulfilled. You might:
Make it yours
Trying to live up to the latest trending morning routine might be tempting. And it could be a good place to start. But it’s only a start. How you begin your day should be as individual as you are.
Consider your likes and dislikes, lifestyle, and personal needs to create your ritual. And if your practice adds stress instead of relieving it, change something. In the end, you’ll wind up with healthy morning habits that are joyous, positive, and mindful — and that’s all that matters.
