If you listen to podcasts or read magazines, the chances are you’ve heard all about morning routines. Many influential people claim to have a morning routine that’s changed their life and includes exercise, journaling, and other healthy habits.
You don’t have to be an early riser to benefit from a morning routine. Including consistent healthy habits at the start of your day will lead to increased focus and productivity throughout the day, as well as improved long-term mental health.
Here’s how you can create a morning routine that improves your general health.
1. A Good Night’s Sleep
This step actually begins the night before, but it’s key to any successful morning routine. Rather than dragging an exhausted body out of bed every morning, make sure you get an excellent sleep leaving you refreshed and ready for the day.
Go to bed at a reasonable time, avoid drinking caffeine in the evening, and make sure your bed and mattress are high-quality, to give yourself the best chance of sleeping for at least seven hours.
If the time you wake up doesn’t matter too much because you work flexibly from home, for example, ditch the alarm clock and let your body follow its natural circadian rhythm and wake up at a time that works best for your body.
2. A Relaxing Activity
We all know the feeling. Your alarm starts blaring, and instead of getting out of bed, you grab your phone and scroll through social media. While this is a common morning habit, it’s not necessarily a healthy one.
Instead of reaching for your phone as soon as your alarm goes off, try doing an activity that’s beneficial for your mental health, such as reading or meditating.
If you struggle to get comfortable enough in bed to read, try adjustable bed bases. Adjustable beds allow you to change the angle of the headboard’s incline, so you can sit up easily for activities such as reading and meditating.
Flexispot offers a revolutionary adjustable bed that allows for reading and other activities with the headboard inclined.
Starting your day with a relaxing activity will ensure that your morning is enjoyable and that you can get up at a pace that’s steady for you. If you usually get up straight away as your alarm goes off, even pushing your alarm ten minutes earlier can give you adequate time for a short meditation, which will have huge benefits for your mental health.
3. Movement
We all know that moving our bodies yields huge benefits for our health, including increased muscle mass, weight loss, and less stress. Incorporating exercise into your morning routine can have incredible effects, such as improving your focus for the rest of the day and kickstarting your metabolism.
Morning movement can make a huge impact, even if it’s only for ten minutes. Once you’ve got out of bed, put time aside to do some form of movement, whether it’s going for a walk or run or simply doing a quick strength-training circuit in your front room.
Exercises such as squats, lunges, or tricep dips can be done from home with absolutely no equipment, and over time these strength-building exercises will have visible effects.
4. A Nutritious Breakfast
Once you’ve finished your morning form of movement, make sure to build back up your energy with a breakfast that’s filled with nutrients.
Avoid indulging in refined carbohydrates such as white bread or sugary breakfasts like certain cereals. Instead, pack your breakfast with fibre and protein to help you stay fuller for longer.
Try making a breakfast burrito with a wholemeal wrap filled with veggies such as tomato and avocado and a protein source like eggs or tofu. If you want to pack in extra vitamins, put your favourite fruits and veggies into a blender to create a smoothie, so you’re getting tons of nutritional bang for your buck, all in one meal.
5. Reflection
Now that we’ve engaged our bodies, it’s time to get our minds ready for the day ahead. This step involves reflection on the past and planning for the future.
Start your period of reflection by listing five things you’re grateful for that day. This will start the day off with a positive mindset by reminding you of all the things in your life you should be thankful for.
Once you’ve finished your gratitude list, make a to-do list for the day. Remove the pressure by creating two lists, one should be a must-do, and another list should be a great-to-do.
Only include a couple of items on the must-do to make it achievable, and then anything you manage to get done from the great-to-do list will leave you with a great feeling of achievement at the end of the day.
The Bottom Line
The perfect morning routine actually starts the night before with adequate sleep. Once you’ve woken up, investing even only half an hour in your morning routine can make a huge difference to your mood and productivity for the rest of the day.
