An effective morning routine is crucial to your productivity and mood for the whole day. Whatever you do, eat or think about in the morning will have effects on your physical and mental health. If you are wishing to live a better quality of life, then it’s important to establish healthy morning habits to have a good day, one at a time. There are many morning routines out there and here are some that you could do to start your workday with a good mindset.
It can only be called a routine if it is something that you consistently do. You can start your day with a positive mindset that will increase your productivity for every task you are scheduled to do. You would want to establish a morning routine wherein you exercise calmness and confidence that puts you in a relaxed state, free of negative thoughts. You are also able to start the day with high amounts of energy, decrease stress levels from previous days, be able to organize and manage your time better, feel more confident about yourself, and overall, have a good mental and physical well-being.
You could slowly build up your morning routine by starting a habit and doing it one day at a time. You could try some of our tips below for a healthy morning habit.
1. Have a morning stretch.
People often underestimate the wonders stretching can do. Most of the time, they even skip a warmup and a cool down after an exercise session. But stretching shouldn’t be taken for granted. When you stretch in the morning, you wake your body up, including your mind. It can help release the tension in your muscles, promote healthy blood flow and regain the flexibility of your muscles and joints from your night's sleep. You will be rewarded with energy and a feeling of relaxation before you start your day.
Everybody is different so you’d learn over time what stretching exercises work best for you. You’ll also be more flexible in the long run. Remember to take deep breaths while you stretch.
2. Leave some time for meditation.
People have different preferred times to meditate but we recommend meditating in the morning. It’s when your mind is most relaxed and hasn’t absorbed any information yet. So before checking emails or your messages, take the time to meditate. You need to look for a spot where it’s quiet and comfortable for you to have some time alone with your breathing. Focus on the sounds of nature, how you’re feeling at the moment, and be deeply attuned with your body. You introduce your body to a state of calm, contentment, and alertness when you meditate. Meditation can help reduce your stress, make you more creative, help sharpen your focus, have better memory, and nurture a stronger immune system.
3. Exercise.
Again, people have different time slots when they prefer to exercise but you should strongly consider exercising in the morning before you eat your first meal of the day. Why? Because your body is able to burn more fat in a fasted state, helps you control your appetite throughout the day, again lower cortisol or stress levels, heighten your energy, and allow you to sleep better at night. It could be just 30 minutes of walking or something more intense like sprinting. You could also do high-intensity interval training. And it’s also great to exercise outside and catch the morning sunlight.
4. Pick up your journal and write an entry.
Writing in the morning can help set the tone of your day. You may write about how you’re feeling at the moment, how your day was the day prior, and what your goals are for today. Your goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and timebound (in this case, fulfilled in 8 hours).
It’s nice to do this practice in the morning because your mind still feels fresh from your night's sleep. Look at your notebook from time to time during the day so you can remember what objectives you set and what must-do for today.
You can also try writing prompts to guide your journaling practice. It will help you get to know yourself more through this quiet exercise.
5. Do not skip on breakfast
Out of all the meals in a day, most people find it normal to skip breakfast. But if you want to live a healthy and long life, do not forget to eat a healthy breakfast. It will interrupt your body's fast from yesterday night and will provide you with needed nutrients, high energy, and sharpened focus. Your breakfast must be a combination of protein, good fats, and fiber. These nutrients may come from Greek yogurt, fruit, eggs, nuts, and avocados. It will energize your body for all the tasks you have to fulfill today. It will satisfy your appetite that we already hear your stomach growling. You would have better digestion and metabolism as well as a lower blood pressure.
6. Hydrate
Water is very important to drink in the morning, especially if you are dehydrated after sleeping for seven to eight hours. You could make water even healthier by squeezing lemon into it. This simple lemon juice will help you to rehydrate, not feel hungry, improve your digestion, and wake up with nutrients and vitamins.
7. Exercise your mind.
Not only do you work on your physical health, but you should also give equal attention to your mind. You could start the day by solving the newspaper’s crossword puzzle, Sudoku of the day, or if you want something trendier, maybe you can try guessing today’s word in Wordle. Another mental activity to try is playing the ukulele, piano, guitar, or any musical instrument. You would have better cognitive abilities and retainment of information. There are many exercises out there that could stimulate your mind. Do not forget to do this early in the morning.
8. Prepare your work set-up.
As you get closer to the bell, you could already prepare your setup. Maybe someone used your Kana Bamboo Standing Desk the day before so you need to adjust the height accordingly through its advanced control keypad. You could also throw out items you used the day before and don’t need anymore. Then tuck away your desk essentials in a desk organizer. Rub your desk if it needs cleaning.
