Developing a healthy morning routine can help set the tone for the rest of your day. Whether it’s making time for exercise, meditating, or tracking your progress, by cultivating a few simple habits first thing in the morning you can maximize productivity and reduce stress for the day. Here are some tips to get started on a great morning routine
Why a Healthy Morning Routine is So Important
When you start your day with a healthy morning routine, you’re setting yourself up for success. You’ll feel more energized and focused, which can lead to increased happiness throughout the day. If you have a clear intention for the day and a solid morning routine, you can achieve anything.
It’s with each day that we are given the ability to start over, live the life of our dreams, and start the day off on the right foot.
When your morning routine is not healthy, it can create absolute chaos throughout the day. Morning stress can lead to all-day stress which can lead to anxiety and a poor day. If you don’t believe us, then check out this study. In this study, researchers found that a morning routine might increase happiness, reduce procrastination, improve your daily performance, and boost self-esteem.
Think of it this way – investing in a 15 or 45-minute routine in the morning can change your day for the best. Even if it’s a 5-minute routine where you do something small for yourself, you won’t regret it!
Let’s talk about some tips for creating a healthy morning routine!
Allow Adequate Time for Breakfast
Eating a healthy breakfast is one of the best ways to get your day off to a great start. Allow yourself plenty of time so that you have time to cook a nutritious meal or, if you’re in a rush, make sure you have some wholesome breakfast options prepared so that you won’t be tempted by unhealthy, processed food on your way out the door.
A good breakfast sets the stage for the rest of your day and helps promote stable energy levels while providing key nutrients like protein and fiber necessary for optimal body function.
If you aren’t a big breakfast person, you can try out a healthy green smoothie in the morning.
We’d like to acknowledge that some individuals choose to fast in the morning. Everybody is different so if fasting is right for your body, we are with you. This is a personalized decision.
At the end of the day, we are promoting a healthy breakfast if that works for you.
Prioritize Self-Care and Relaxation Practices in the Morning
One of the most important things to prioritize in your morning routine is self-care and relaxation practices such as meditation, journaling, or simply making time for yourself before starting your day. Taking a few minutes each morning can help reduce stress and make you feel more relaxed throughout the day.
Incorporating these practices into your morning routine helps to create a positive mindset for the day ahead.
We love a morning gratitude practice. When you begin the day by searching for good things in your life, you’re priming your brain to look for positive things throughout the day!
If you’re looking for something that you can look at all day, a gratitude board is a great idea!
Another quick way to practice some self care is by using affirmations. Self-love affirmations are perfect for your morning routine!
Make Your Bed Every Day
Making your bed first thing in the morning is one of the simplest but most powerful habits you can adopt to establish a healthy morning routine. The practice of making your bed sets your positive intention for the day and sets yourself up for success – giving you a sense of achievement and accomplishment even before your day has started!
So while it might feel like an insignificant task, making your bed each morning can make a big difference when it comes to starting off your day on the right foot.
Set an Alarm & Don’t Hit Snooze
We’ve all been there, it’s 6am and that alarm is ringing, you know you should get up and start your day but the temptation to hit snooze is just too much. So while allowing yourself time to relax in the morning is important, don’t get too comfortable.
When your alarm goes off set yourself a target of getting out of bed within 5-10 minutes and stick to it – no matter how hard it might be!
With practice, this will become a regular part of your morning routine and will keep you on track for the rest of the day.
One important reason to avoid hitting snooze is that by getting out of bed when your alarm rings, you’re following through with a personal commitment. If you wanted to wake up at 6am and you do it, by the time you get out of bed, you’ve already completed one commitment for the day.
Get Your Body Moving
A vital element of any healthy morning routine is getting your body moving. This can be as simple as gentle stretches or a full workout, it all depends on what works for you.
Exercise releases endorphins that can help elevate your mood and give you a boost of energy to get through the day. So step away from the bed and throw yourself into something physical – you won’t regret it!
If you’re looking for something that is low-impact, try a morning walk and spend some time outside.
Set an Intention or Small Goal For The Day
You’ll never know the power of setting an intention for the day. When you set an intention or small goals, you’ll have a plan and vision for the day. Imagine how great you’ll feel when you set a goal and achieve it. Life isn’t just setting goals and hitting them – it’s so much more than that.
By setting intentions or goals, you can pave the way to your dream life and accomplish things. Also, you’ll be able to prioritize yourself and your goals accordingly. This will help with organization, time management, and setting boundaries.
If you don’t run your day, your day will run you.
Prioritize Hydration
It’s likely that when you wake up in the morning, the first thing you do is search for coffee. While coffee is a powerful tool, starting your day off with water or tea can help to hydrate you immediately.
A properly hydrated body will set you up for a day of success and happiness. Dehydration can lead to multiple issues throughout the day like fatigue and poor body functioning.
If you really want to hit this one out of the park, drink a full glass of water when you wake up and poor water in a portable water bottle for the day.
Do Something that Makes You Happy
If you can start your day with a smile and a laugh, this is ideal. Maybe spending a few minutes in the sun in the morning is your key to happiness. For others, it might be listening to your favorite song while you get ready for work.
There are so many things you can do to bring a smile to your face in the morning. Send that special someone a good morning text, listen to a funny podcast, or think about some of your favorite memories.
Instead of thinking about everything that you need to complete, try to slow down and think about something that makes you happy. This also goes hand in hand with gratitude which is focusing on the good in your life.
Get Ready for The Day – Dress to Impress
Now, this can be interpreted in many different ways. If you’re a pilates instructor, you’re not going to wear a pant suit to work. Instead, you’ll slay in your work out gear. The TLDR on this one is – get out of those sweats and put on something you love!
Getting ready for the day is an underrated healthy idea. When you look your best, you’ll feel your best. But, this should also be stress-free. You’ll want to feel good in your outfit and it shouldn’t be forced.
If you already love to wear your favorite outfits, this can apply to trying a new hairstyle or wearing new jewelry. We also know that beauty is not skin deep. Therefore, your outfit will not define you but it may make you feel good. This tip is about showing up for yourself.
Avoid the News and Social Media
Your brain is a sponge and it starts taking in data and information from the moment you wake up. If you wake up and read something about a stressful current event, this can impact your entire day.
Additionally, if you scroll through social media, it’s likely your cortisol will spike and you may feel anxious.
For some, this may seem impossible, but once you get used to avoiding your phone in the morning, it’s like second nature.
If you’re not sure where to start, use the Do Not Disturb function. If you want to try something more advanced, sleep with your phone in another room and use a physical alarm.
When you prioritize self-care before your phone, you may feel a positive mindset shift.
Final Thoughts
We are so grateful that you’ve read through our list of healthy morning routine tips. We’d also like to clarify that it’s unlikely you’ll be able to do all of these each day unless you have a significant amount of time in the morning. At the end of the day, it’s about building a healthy morning routine that works for you.
Even if it’s taking 1-2 of these tips and implementing them, we hope that you find them to be very rewarding! Let us know in the section below how you feel about these tips and if you have any we should add!