Whether you’re a “morning person” or a “night owl,” there’s nothing like starting the day right. A healthy—and steady—morning routine helps you practice self-care, set daily goals, and prepare mentally and physically for what lies ahead. The early hours of the day can be a time for exercise, nutrition, and, ultimately, yourself.
The first step in establishing a healthy morning routine is setting aside enough time and making sure you aren’t rushing. Your routine can include various activities and behaviors that work well for you. The goal is to feel healthier and more prepared for the day.
Make sure you’re getting enough uninterrupted rest. Sufficient sleep—7-8 hours a night for most adults—promotes immunity, improves mental health, helps manage weight, and boosts work or school performance.
Establishing a morning routine might mean getting up earlier, but it also means ensuring you’re getting rest. Steps to improve sleep include:
- Go to bed and get up at consistent times every day
- Create a comfortable, quiet sleep space
- Don’t use screens or watch TV for at least 30 minutes before bed
- Avoid late-night snacks, large meals, or alcohol before bed
- Steer clear of caffeine in late afternoons
- Maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly
As tempting as that extra 5-7 minutes of rest may seem, it’s better to just get up. One study found that people who hit snooze were more likely to experience morning drowsiness and insufficient sleep. The same study noted that snoozing may not necessarily affect cognitive function and mood. Still, staying consistent with your wake-up times will likely offer benefits.
Another important step in establishing a morning routine is budgeting enough time. The prospect of getting up earlier might not sound appealing. However, as long as you get enough sleep, rising earlier can be quite valuable.
You don’t have to get up at 5 a.m. as recommended by lifestyle bloggers and influencers, but you should leave enough time to take care of your needs, get yourself mentally prepared, and get to work or school without rushing.
You can use the morning to perform necessary hygiene. This could include brushing your teeth for at least two minutes at a time, washing your face, taking a shower, moisturizing your skin, shaving, and brushing your hair.
A routine like this can help wake you up while preventing disease spread, protecting teeth, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Eating breakfast may improve your overall nutrient intake, lower obesity and heart disease risk, and improve mental alertness.
A healthy breakfast is well-balanced and rich in protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Aim for options that don’t feature added salts or sugars. Possible healthy breakfast options include:
- Homemade whole grain muffins with fruit (e.g., berries) and nuts
- Smoothies made with fresh fruit, vegetables, and protein powder
- Oatmeal with seeds
- Scrambled eggs or tofu with vegetables and avocado
- Whole grain bread or sweet potato with nut butter
- Yogurt and fresh fruit (e.g., bananas, apples, berries)
Staying hydrated helps prevent dehydration, which can cause symptoms like mental confusion, mood shifts, overheating, and constipation, Dehydration also increases the risk of kidney stones.
Start each morning with a glass or two of water before your morning coffee or tea.
Set aside morning time for a cup of coffee or tea. On a psychological level, that cup can offer a moment of peace and reflection before the pressures of the day.
If you’re a regular coffee or caffeinated tea drinker, the caffeine in these beverages can be even more important. Skipping the morning cup can actually trigger headaches.
It’s well known that physical activity is critical for overall health. The benefits include helping to manage weight, improve sleep, cope with stress, and reduce disease and cancer risk. Exercise can be especially helpful in the morning since it can help boost energy levels and improve concentration.
The 30-30-30 morning routine involves 30 minutes of moderate-intensity working out and 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up. Scientific studies haven’t evaluated this routine to determine if it makes a difference. However, morning exercise offers many potential benefits.
Practicing meditation, breathwork, or mindfulness exercises can be a great addition to a healthy morning routine. It might include focusing on breathing, being present, and clearing your mind.
Studies show that breathing exercises and meditation have positive effects on mental health conditions like anxiety, high stress, and depression, as well as high blood pressure, chronic (long-term) pain, low-quality sleep, and weight control, among other conditions.
Even as little as 10-20 minutes every morning can help you start your day on a positive note.
It’s not uncommon to wake up feeling grumpy. Taking a moment to shift these negative thought patterns can be a valuable way to start the day. One idea is writing down or verbalizing positive affirmations: positive statements that boost self-regard and self-esteem.
Researchers have found this practice to ease stress, improve the sense of well-being, and improve professional or academic performance.
Try starting your day with positive affirmations, such as “I am fearless and in control of my life” or “I am capable, good at what I do, and people like me.”
If you often wake up stressed and anxious, budget time in the morning to make a to-do list. Psychologists have found that writing down goals and tasks eases stress by freeing the mind from the burden of worrying about what needs to be done.
Jotting down a list first thing in the morning gives you a tangible sense of your goals. It can also ease anxiety. It’s a clear step forward, increasing the likelihood that you complete necessary tasks.
If you have a creative outlet, spending a little time with your craft or calling can be a valuable way to start your mornings. It can promote a healthier work-life balance, manage stress, and achieve an immediate sense of fulfillment.
Whether it’s taking time to make music, draw or paint, knit, garden, write, or journal, try to carve out space—even if just a few minutes—to engage your brain creatively.
Playing a brain-stimulating game, like a crossword puzzle, is another way to cope with daily stress and prepare yourself for the day. It can offer relaxation and engage your mind and reasoning capacity.
Researchers found that word or number-based games positively affect cognitive function, attention, and memory in healthy adults.
Mornings can be an excellent time to focus on connecting with others. Strong social bonds help to manage mental health issues like depression and anxiety while promoting overall health.
Take some time to focus on loved ones or family at home. You can also take a moment to call a loved one, family member, or friend.
It can be challenging to keep up with work or school and tasks that must be done at home. For some, it can help to carve out some time for quick chores in the morning. Doing light cleaning, laundry, or meal prep can help occupy your mind and prepare you for your day.
Pleasure reading can stimulate your mind, boost cognition, ease stress, and prepare you for the day. There are long-term benefits to taking time to read. In one study tracking data from participants over 12 years, regular book readers experienced a 20% lower risk of death compared to non-readers.
Establishing a morning reading habit can be a valuable step for promoting mental and physical health.
Another way to ease into your day is to listen to music. This can help engage your mind and confers a broader range of benefits. Researchers found listening to music helps ease tension and stress, reduce pain, and improve cognition, mood, and memory.
For some people, upbeat music can serve as motivation. Others may want to start with something more soothing to regulate their nervous system.
You may not be able to incorporate every tip into your morning routine, but having some sort of routine offers many potential benefits. For example:
- Nutrition: Prioritizing a healthy breakfast ensures that you’re nourishing your body for overall health, weight management, and disease prevention.
- Stress management: Habits like list-making, prioritizing quality sleep, reading, talking to loved ones, and meditation are all effective ways to manage stress and anxiety.
- Overall health: Morning nutrition and consistent exercise boost energy levels, strengthen muscles and bones, and improve immunity.
- Cognition: Sleeping well, playing brain games, and reading in the morning can all help boost your ability to remember, reason, and make decisions.
- Improved mood: A morning routine that prioritizes meditation, social connection, exercise, and activities like music listening or crafts can improve mood.
- Self-esteem: Morning affirmations, reading, and accomplishing errands in the mornings can all contribute to a healthier, more positive sense of self.
A consistent and healthy morning routine goes a long way in making you healthier, happier, and more productive. This may involve techniques like prioritizing sufficient sleep, ensuring a healthy breakfast, exercising, and meditation.
For some people, brain games, reading, or music can be additional ways of waking up the mind and preparing for the day ahead.
