It’s time to set the tone for a great day!
When your alarm goes off in the morning, you wake up to another blessed day. You have the choice to sleep until the very last minute or get up and go through a structured morning routine.
When you make the most of your morning, you’ll carry those benefits with you through the rest of your day.
12 Reasons To Implement Healthy Morning Routines
A morning ritual isn’t something you should do just because. You can get a lot out of implementing a morning routine. Of course, each person’s priorities and schedules are different, so you may get something different out of your morning routine than someone else. The choice is yours! When you know the potential benefits, you can customize your early hour rituals accordingly. Here are 12 reasons to implement healthy morning routines.
1| Simply To Have A Better Day
One of the best and most important reasons is that how you spend your morning can predict how the rest of your day will go, especially in terms of mood and stress.
2| Energy
Do you tend to suffer from fatigue throughout the day? A morning routine complete with nutrients and/or exercise can increase your energy without caffeine or other artificial energy boosters. You won’t feel the need for a sugar high or caffeine boost in the middle of the day.
3| Stress Relief
People with anxiety often find that a regimented morning routine helps relief stress throughout the rest of the day. The routine in itself can offer a sense of relief. You can also incorporate calming aspects to your morning routine, such as meditation and lavender incense. In general, a morning routine that centers of calm and serenity can help you start the day stress free.
4| Productivity
People who follow a ritual when they wake up will find that they tend to be more productive during working hours. People will be more productive when they don’t feel tired or experience brain fog. With more accomplished during the working hours, there’s less guilt when it’s time to leave work for the day. That means there’s more time for self-care!
5| Confidence
Completing a healthy morning routine can make you feel accomplished when you leave for the day. You can feel more confident because you are not rushed or stressed but instead investing time in activities that make you feel accomplished and supportive of yourself.
6| Control
We need to let go of things we can’t control and focus on the things we can control, such as our morning routine. When you start your day doing things you can control, it makes life seem less random and chaotic. You will have a greater sense of what you can and cannot control when you encounter problems, allowing you to handle life more efficiently.
7| Health
An appropriate morning routine helps reduce stress, which is known to harm health in many significant ways. Many people incorporate exercise and healthy foods as part of their morning routine, leading to better physical health over time. Your body is your vessel. Without a healthy body, you may struggle with living an optimal life and your mind will struggle throughout the day.
Physical health is directly related to mental health. “Physical health problems significantly increase our risk of developing mental health problems, and vice versa. Nearly one in three people with a long-term physical health condition also has a mental health problem, most often depression or anxiety.” (ref.)
8| Preparation
It can be terrifying to go into the day unprepared. A proper morning routine is preparation. That preparation is a totally individual decision based on your needs and desires. While some are preparing for productivity, others are preparing for a peaceful day, the choice is yours.
9| Good Habits
When you follow the same routine every day, your brain starts to become familiar with the new routine. Your morning routine that took effort in the beginning will soon become easier until it becomes second nature.
It’s just important to not fall back into bad habits. Developing your good habits will require time and dedication. Don’t let yourself get distracted if you still struggle with your morning routine after a couple of weeks. Don’t give up!
10| Mental Stimulation
Do you consider structure and rituals mind-numbing? Many people associate routines with monotony, but the truth can be quite the opposite, especially if you make a point to include some mental stimulation as part of your morning routine.
Your morning activities can actually get your brain in peak condition for what it will need to face at work. You can also incorporate mental stimulation into your morning routine in a variety of ways.
11| Relationship Building
It’s important to make your morning routine well-rounded. A balanced ritual may include social interaction with family members who live in your home. You have a lot of options.
You can talk with your immediate family at the breakfast table or call your parents on the way to work. Making time for social interaction will always put a smile on your face and make you feel loved. It will also remind you of your long-term goals and why you work so hard.
12| Happiness
The main reason everyone should follow a morning routine is that it is known to make people happier. All of the benefits mentioned above lead to a happy person at the end of the day (barring outside forces you can’t control). That makes a morning routine especially helpful for people who suffer from depression.
25 Healthy Morning Ritual Ideas
1| Get Up Early Enough
Running late is one of the worst things you can do in the morning. This sets up panic, stress, anxiety and will not easily leave you as your day progresses. It is crucial that you wake up early enough to be able to do all the rituals you planned for in the morning and still be able to get to where you have to be on time.
Keep in mind that in time your body will adjust to your regular waking time, so while it may be difficult to get up earlier at first, this will ease, and you will enjoy much less hectic and crazy mornings going further.
2| Establish An Evening Routine
A healthy morning starts with a well-established nighttime routine. These actions help you to save time in the morning and make for a much more calm and peaceful morning.
This includes:
- Prep as much as possible the night before and do anything possible to save time in the morning and ensure a peaceful morning.
- Prepare clothes, jewelry, shoes and all else needed for work.
- Prepare clothes, backpacks and all else the kids need.
- Make sure all pet’s bowls that you have to feed are clean and ready for food.
- Fill pet’s bowls with water.
- Have a family calendar visible at all times.
- Have a designated place for your keys so always know where they are.
- Take a shower to save time in the morning.
- Meal planning can be done in advance, and everything should be within easy reach. It’s always a good idea to have fresh fruit options within reach.
3| Wake Up To A Gentle Alarm
Most alarms are jarring and unpleasant. NOT a great way to start the day. Try changing your alarm to something more pleasant so that your first introduction to the day isn’t something that might put you in a grumpy mood. If you are a heavy sleeper, you can set an additional
4| Make The Bed
Whether you are a neat freak or not, it’s important to keep your home in order. Start with the most basic of chores – making your bed. This small action will make you feel better about yourself and help reduce negative mental effects of a cluttered room when you get home.
5| Connect With Yourself
There is nothing more important in life than knowing your true self and being your true self. Regular self-awareness and introspection are two of the most important activities you can take part in. To that end, take a few minutes each day to check in with yourself and commit to supporting and knowing your true self.
Ask yourself some key questions…
- How am I feeling?
- How is life going?
- Am I ok?
- Are my needs being met?
Let yourself know that you are there for you, and that you support yourself at all times.
6| Track Your Sleep
A good start to the day benefits greatly from a good night’s sleep. You should make a point to go to bed at a reasonable hour, especially on work nights. Track your sleeping hours with a smartwatch to get exact details about how much you slept. Many models can tell you how many hours you slept through the night.
The CDC recommends at least 7 hours of sleep for adults. If you struggle to get 7 hours of sleep, try avoiding too much food and drink before bed and shut off all electronics at bedtime. If this still doesn’t work, talk to your doctor about a possible diagnosis of insomnia.
7| Exercise
Many people start their day with exercise. Any type of movement qualifies as exercise so you don’t have to feel pressured to perform a full workout which may require a significant time commitment that might not fit into your schedule. Of course, you may be able to wake up early to accommodate a longer exercise routine, but it is totally fine to do a short 10 – 15 workout instead.
Benefits Of Morning Exercise
- Reduces stress in the day ahead.
- Reduces anxiety.
- Supports a self-care routine which is good for mind, body, and spirit.
- Makes you feel good about yourself because you are doing something healthy for yourself.
- Supports health of mind, body, and spirit.
Yoga
For something gentler that combines the body and mind, you can also try yoga. There are yoga poses made for people of all experience levels, from beginner to expert.
Countless studies have proven the benefits of yoga for mind, body, and spirit.
- Decreases blood pressure through improved blood circulation and oxygenation.
- Improved blood circulation.
- Cardiovascular endurance.
- Lowers cholesterol.
- Can help prevent chronic disease.
- Gastrointestinal function improvement.
- A stronger immune system.
- Reduces blood pressure.
- Increases metabolism.
- Improves posture.
- Builds strength.
- Boosts energy.
- Improved body awareness.
- Stronger core.
- The use of controlled movements in yoga helps promote self-control in all aspects of life.
- Improves concentration and motivation.
- Reduces stress.
- Reduces anxiety.
- facilitates the release of internal negative energy.
- Calmness and inner peace.
Recommended Morning Yoga Poses
- Easy Pose With Twist (Parivrtta Sukhasana)
- Seated Twist (Bharadvajasana)
- Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
- Dancer Pose (Natarajasana)
- Cat and Cow pose (Marjaryasana and Bitilasana)
- Child’s pose (Balasana)
- Hero pose (Virasana)
- Low Lunge pose (Anjaneyasana)
- Chair pose (Utkatasana)
- Twisted Chair pose (Parivrtta Utkatana)
- Dancer pose (Natarajasana)
- Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I)
8| Ignore Common Stressors
Today’s world is stressful, a great portion of which comes from social media, emails, deadlines, to do lists, filled calendars and more. Unfortunately, those who reach for these stressors first thing in the morning are starting the day with stress which will follow them throughout their day.
Jessica Jackson, a clinical strategy manager of mental health equity at Modern Health, says that “Checking your emails, calendar or to-do list soon after you wake up immediately starts the day off on a stressful note, and tells your brain to go into panic mode.” (Source: CNBC Make It)
9| Meditation
Meditation is the practice of centering the mind. There are many forms of meditation.
- Mindfulness meditation requires you to focus on your breathing and your surroundings, helping you absorb each moment of the day and stay focused on that moment.
- Alternatively, you can simply release the thoughts in your mind through simple chants, relieving you of brain fog.
- Guided mediation is where you follow a recorded meditation where a voice guides you through the whole way. There are many different topics of guided mediation, including inner pace, productivity, self-love and many more.
5 – 20 minutes of meditation each morning can get your mind ready for the day. Meditation is especially helpful if you experience a lot of stress in your day or suffer from anxiety.
10| Positive Affirmations
“…psychologists and researchers who have examined self-affirmation say numerous studies have found that affirming yourself can produce wide-ranging benefits, including stress-buffering effects. The trick, they say, is how you affirm yourself — particularly what you focus on.” (ref.)
Positive affirmations are phrases you repeat to yourself to reframe your mind, change your belief system, and create a more positive and confident you. Some people repeat positive affirmations in the mirror, while others repeat them in their head. The choice is yours!
Examples Of Positive Affirmations
- I care for myself deeply and do things that support me.
- I can handle any challenges that come my way.
- I practice self-compassion.
- Everyday I take the time to make myself a priority.
You can also choose the affirmations you recite. Choose affirmations that directly relate to your current goals. Some affirmations focus on self-love, while others will focus on being productive, confidence, healing, and motivation.
“One of the key psychological theories behind positive affirmations is self-affirmation theory (Steele, 1988). So, yes, there are empirical studies based on the idea that we can maintain our sense of self-integrity by telling ourselves (or affirming) what we believe in positive ways.” (ref.)
Affirmations can really help to set the right tone for your day and set your mind towards a more positive and proactive mindset.
11| Listen To Positive Music
Music can speak to the soul. Listen to music that makes you happy in the morning to continue that positive attitude for the rest of the day.
People can find joy in different genres of music. Create a playlist that’s unique to you and inspires you. Make sure to include a lot of songs to create some variety, especially if you plan to listen to the playlist every day.
12| Listen To A Motivational Podcast
Whether you want to inspire motivation, boost productivity, or brighten your mood there is a podcast for that. Listening to podcasts puts a positive voice in your ear and can help you set the right tone for your day.
13| Hydration
Sleep dehydrates the body so when you wake up in the morning, reach for a glass of water instead of a cup of coffee. Your morning glass of water should be the first of many through your day.
Adult males require 3.2 quarts of water each day, and adult females require 2.3 quarts of water each day to keep the body hydrated. Water serves as an essential material for optimal cell function, internal temperature control, lubrication, and waste disposal.
You can enhance the benefits of your morning water by adding lemon to it. Lemons are a particularly good source of vitamin C and antioxidants. Vitamin C offers a wide range of benefits for your skin. Antioxidants are beneficial for your entire body.
14| Eat A Healthy Breakfast
Roughly 25% of people don’t eat breakfast in the morning. Some people will skip breakfast due to time constraints, while others will skip breakfast to minimize calorie intake. However, you will receive energy from the calories you eat at breakfast, and you’ll likely burn them throughout your day. You may feel less hungry later, too, reducing the likelihood of unhealthy snacking at work.
A healthy breakfast should consist of multiple food groups with limited sugar and fat. Good choices include steel cut oats, eggs, lean protein, and avocado for a healthy fat. You want a substantial meal, but you don’t want to eat so much that you end up making yourself feel lethargic.
15| Make A Gratitude List
There are not enough good things that can be said about the practice of gratitude. Gratitude helps to ground you even through the toughest of times. Starting your day with gratitude is one of the best things you can do for your mental and emotional wellbeing.
Gratitude also promotes calm and inner peace that you can take with you throughout your day. When you have gratitude, you can face anything that life may throw your way.
16| Set Intentions
What do you want to achieve today? How would you like your day to progress? How would you like to be, act or feel today?
Setting intentions is a powerful thing to do because you are making a conscious decision about what you intend and when you do so, your mind will follow and therefore so will your behavior.
Setting intentions is really a conscious effort that programs your subconscious mind towards whatever it is you intend. Taking a few moments each morning to set your intentions can be a powerful exercise and can help set the tone for the rest of your day.
17| Journal
Give yourself 10 minutes each morning to write in a journal. Write whatever you want in a free writing form journal where you may decide to write down things you are grateful for, doodles, song lyrics, dreams, your feelings or thoughts or anything else you wish.
A good idea is to write down some thoughts and the coming day and what you want to get out of it, accomplish or see happen.
You can also download a journal that has prompts where you answer specific questions.
When you take time to journal, you are giving yourself a couple of moments each day to write down your thoughts. Journaling can help reduce stress and anxiety and helps you express yourself.
“According to that research, journaling may help ease our distress when we’re struggling. In a 2006 study, nearly 100 young adults were asked to spend 15 minutes journaling or drawing about a stressful event, or writing about their plans for the day, twice during one week. The people who journaled saw the biggest reduction in symptoms like depression, anxiety, and hostility, particularly if they were very distressed to begin with. This was true even though 80 percent had seldom journaled about their feelings and only 61 percent were comfortable doing so.” (ref.)
18| Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the use of 100% pure grade essential oils for scent therapy. Scent is extremely powerful. Certain scents can make you feel relaxed. Other scents can make you feel energized. And still other scents just simply elevate your mood.
Aromatherapy is a popular practice and there is a huge variety of essential oils each with their therapeutic scents that bring unique results.
Essential Oils That Can Boost Energy And Focus:
- Spearmint
- Rosemary
- Peppermint
- Sweet Orange
- Lemon
- Frankincense Helps To Balance The Nervous System
- Pine
There Are Also Those Known To Boost Mood, Lift Your Spirits, And Invigorate The Senses:
- Lemongrass
- Thyme
- Wild Orange
- Bergamot
- Cinnamon
- Ginger Root
- Grapefruit
- Juniper Berry
- Lime
- Eucalyptus
- French Basil
19| Immerse In Nature
Most of us spend the majority of our lives inside at work and at home. The air inside is more contaminated than outside air since pollutants don’t have as much space to dissipate inside.
You can make yourself feel good by making a point to get outside for a couple of minutes each morning. You can sit outside and just breathe. Or you can meditate. Or you can simply just sit in nature and enjoy its wonder. Nature is healing, and starting your day in nature every day is the perfect way to set the tone for a peaceful and calm day.
“Studies have shown that time in nature — as long as people feel safe — is an antidote for stress: It can lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels, reduce nervous system arousal, enhance immune system function, increase self-esteem, reduce anxiety, and improve mood.” (ref.)
20| Get Some Sunshine
Sunshine is a wonderful gift from mother nature. While too much sun with sunblock is a risk for skin cancer, a few minutes with sunscreen has great benefits and is a perfect ritual for your mornings. Those happy rays boost serotonin levels, making us feel warm and fuzzy. Sunshine also provides us with essential Vitamin D, offering an instant energy boost to kickstart our day.
Have your morning breakfast outdoors or take a short walk to gain the benefits of the sun’s rays.
GoodRX says…
- Sunlight may help to lower high blood pressure.
- Sunlight helps regulate the immune system.
- Vitamin D generated by sunlight helps to strengthen bones.
- Sunlight helps improve your mood.
(Source: ref.)
21| Word Of The Day
You can significantly improve your vocabulary by learning a new word each morning. Simply choose a word you don’t know from the dictionary, or use an app.
This activity only takes a few moments and is something that can improve brain health, focus, concentration, and memory.
22| Skincare Routine
Your skin is the largest organ of your body. And it’s arguably the most noticeable organ. Taking care of your skin boosts your confidence throughout the day. Also, taking good care of your skin is an important part of self-care.
And no matter what type of self-care you are performing at any given moment, self-care makes you feel better, and it is good for stress management and your wellbeing. Performing self-care routines in the morning helps improve the day ahead.
23| Current Events
Understanding what’s happening in society can help you connect with other people. Watch the news or listen to the news on the radio to learn what’s happening in your neck of the woods. You’ll be able to use news stories to make small talk with people you encounter. If nothing else, the stories may give you something to think about. You’ll also learn important details about weather and traffic that can help you avoid negative situations on the way to work.
24| Chat With Loved Ones
Your morning routine should focus primarily on yourself. However, you should also make time for the people you love, too. For some people, their spouse and children are a part of every morning routine. However, time spent together can be more chaotic than bonding. Make a point to send loving and positive sentiments to your family among the chaos.
If you don’t have a bustling immediate family, you can make a point to chat with your extended family for a moment.
25| Relax With Your Favorite Activity
One of the best ways to start your day in a peaceful manner that promotes calm, and serenity is by enjoying your favorite activity. Whether you like to read, watch a sitcom, or take a hot bath, doing so will create a peaceful environment and bring you joy that can set the right tone for you to take with you throughout your day.
Final Thoughts
The ideas presented here provide you with a wide variety of options to create your perfect morning routine.
With the right morning routine, morning can become your favorite part of the day. Of course, you want to make your morning rituals manageable. Set realistic goals with realistic timeframes, along with a little wiggle time. You don’t want to fit in more than you can do in that time. The idea is to set good habits that support your wellbeing and set the tone for a great day ahead.
Take care and be well!
