The Power of a Morning Routine: Boost Your Mental Health and Productivity
- T.
- Jan 21, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Feb 1, 2024
Finding a morning routine that works can take a little trial and error but could also help you feel more productive, improve your mood and help you develop good habits like getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising. However, you need to be careful not to overload your morning with so many tasks that you are turned off trying to complete even one of them.
The key is to be realistic. Set systems to keep you on track and make sure you enjoy the process, or you won't stick with it.
The Key Points
MY EXPERIENCE
I haven't always had a morning routine (or been a morning person for that matter). I was more of a 'wake up, groan about how tired I am, and hit snooze 5 times' kind of person. But after reading a few articles and watching a few YouTube videos rave about how great it is to have one I thought, why not give it a try. I could always revert back to hitting snooze 5 times if it doesn't work, right?
When I first set out to make myself a morning routine, I started out small to make sure I didn't overwhelm myself.
The only task I gave myself was to decide on an alarm that was happier sounding than your usual blaring angry tone (you know, the one that makes you want to throw your phone/alarm clock at the wall) and once I set it I put my phone in another room before I went to bed each night (so that I had to get up to turn it off). That's it!
This went on for a couple of weeks, and after finding the right combination of what time to go to bed versus what time I wanted to get up, it seemed to be helping me get out of bed earlier and to hit snooze less (although, yes I admit, I had a few days where I got up, turned off the alarm, and went straight back to bed) BUT I didn't let that deter me. Once I got to the point where I could get up at the time I wanted, I started adding additional tasks to my routine. I thought about all the small things I could do each morning that would make me feel more motivated and accomplished.
This has resulted in my below morning routine which I am quite happy with. It's manageable, and most importantly, I feel good starting my day doing these things.
MY CURRENT MORNING ROUTINE
🌞 Wake up at 5.30-6.00am
I give myself a bit of grace on the days I feel 'off', if I am bit sore from previous workouts or if I had a particularly draining day the day before. It's important to keep your routine manageable and flexible when you need it to be.
🍵 Wait as long as possible (ideally 90mins) before having my morning coffee
According to neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman, waiting 90 minutes before consuming caffeine (i.e. your morning coffee) can help boost your energy levels.
The logic is that a chemical that slowly starts wearing off when you wake up is blocked by caffeine and by waiting 90 minutes you allow this chemical to naturally dissipate, and it will signal to your body that you have started your day, and in turn this can help the caffeine work better when you do have it after that 90 minute wait.
💡 Turn the lights on first thing in the morning
💊 Take my Pro + Prebiotic and Vitamins
💧 Drink water
I add a pinch of pink salt or lemon to my water and drink it at room temperature. I do this to rehydrate after sleep, and to help improve my digestion; salt in water is said to assist with keeping you hydrated (an electrolyte of sorts) and lemon in water is said to stimulate the production of saliva and gastric juice.
🏃🏻♀️ Work out for 10-20 minutes
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are my preference as I'm not the kind of person who can concentrate (or last) more than 20mins in a workout, so these types of short burst workouts are best for me.
I search YouTube for a free video to watch/follow (I do this on my smart TV but you could do this on your mobile/tablet/laptop). I personally like videos by:
Daniela Suarez - YouTube The PMS and Bloating stretch/workouts in particular
🧘🏻♀️ Stretch: 10-15min yoga / pilates
Again, I search YouTube for a free video to watch/follow and Iy like videos by:
😋 Make my Breakfast Smoothie
If you are interested in my recipe subscribe below and I will send you the details!
🔆 See sunlight within an hour of waking up (for 10mins or so)
This is to set my internal clock (circadian rhythm) and tell my brain it is morning!
🧹 Chores
Stack or unpack the dishwasher, tidy the kitchen, fold clothes etc.
📖 Something for me
Watch a Youtube learning channel, draft a new blog post, listen to a playlist/podcast
A morning routine should be unique to each person, so if my above routine isn't quite your cup of tea, you could consider adding some of the below things to your routine:
Skin care routine
Go for a walk/run
List goals/tasks for the day
Read a book
Mindfulness/Meditation session
Do something fun like a Zumba class
Connect with a loved one
SET SYSTEMS TO FALL BACK ON
You are the one who puts value on what is important in your life, in what you do each day. For example, brushing your teeth is something that (most) people have, since they were young, placed value on doing daily. At some point in our lives someone told us that we must do this each day and so we do it, and the same goes for your daily routines. If you tell yourself, it is something that you value and must be done daily (and set systems to ensure you do it) things will flow a lot better.
Once you decide what you want to do in your morning routine you need to set systems to ensure you will follow the routine, and adjust them as necessary.
For example, to help me stick to my above morning routine I:
Put my phone in another room so I have to physically get out of bed to turn it off (and am more likely to stay up). I also found out recently that you can set alarms on your phone that trigger a morning playlist to start, so I have now begun creating a list of songs that make me happy and/or get me moving; you could also try collating some motivational speeches or affirmations to play for you in a playlist if this is something you find gives you a boost!
Prepare my healthy smoothies ahead of time so I have no excuses to not have one. In the morning, I just take the prepped smoothie container out of the freezer when I wake up and after my workout/stretch I add milk to the blender with my smoothie ingredients, blend away, and in a few minutes, it's ready to drink! 😋
Put my glasses/spectacles on top of my pre+pro biotic/vitamin tubs so that when I wake up and put them on, they are the first thing I see (quite literally), and I don't forget to take them!
Prepare my workout/work clothes the night before. I will be honest and say that this is one thing I do occasionally forget to do, but when I do, it is obvious how much better my morning (and day) flows.
FINAL THOUGHTS
To wrap up, setting and sticking to a morning routine can be a game-changer for your productivity, health and happiness. But don't let it become a source of stress or guilt. Remember, you control your own life, and you can tweak your routine as you see fit. The most important thing is to find what works for you and to enjoy the process. And if you ever feel like hitting the snooze button, just remember how good it felt when you did your morning routine, how everything flowed well and how it positively affected your day.
Now that you've learned some tips and tricks for creating a morning routine, I would love to hear from you. What does your morning routine look like? What are some of the benefits or challenges you've experienced? How do you stay motivated and consistent? Share your thoughts with me via email or Instagram. I'd love to hear from you and learn from your experience.
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Thank you so much for supporting me, have a wonderful day!
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