The way you start your day, from the moment your alarm goes off, is really important. These early morning habits are what set you up for the day, and can make or break your energy, your mood, and so much more. This isn’t just a list of healthy habits to add to your morning routine, but ways to increase your wellness, health, and wellbeing from the moment you wake up.
1. Always Drink Water First
One of the healthiest changes you can make to your morning routine is by drinking water first thing. You don’t have to completely give up your caffeine if you don’t want to, but drinking a full glass of water before you drink anything else is really important for your body and your health.
The main reason is that you will wake up dehydrated. After sleeping for 6-8 hours or longer, you have not had any water, so you will probably be very thirsty. Many people make the mistake of having coffee or other beverages in the morning because they are thirsty and to get a jolt of caffeine. But the problem is that these can often make dehydration even worse.
The best thing you can do for your body in the morning is drink water first thing, then decide if you still want something else to drink. If you are trying to cut back on caffeine, consider tea or Matcha as it has lower caffeine than coffee or energy drinks
2. Get Some Fresh Air
Try to get outside in the morning! It is amazing how therapeutic and soothing it can be just to be outside in the cool, morning air within the first hour of waking up. It can also make you more alert and naturally energize you in ways you might not have considered. This is especially important if you work from home and don’t have a reason to go outside in the morning. You need to make this a priority!
Find a way to create a morning habit where you go outside. This can be taking your morning glass of water and a good book out to your patio or balcony, going for a quick stroll around the block, or doing yoga in your backyard. Anything to get outside during those early morning hours.
3. Habits for Increasing Your Positive Energy
Positive energy is all in your mindset and how you approach different things throughout your day. There are certain habits that can help tremendously with boosting positive energy during your early morning routine, including:
- Meditation
- Breathing exercises
- Being mindful
- Gratitude practice
- Journaling
- Getting out in nature
- Laughing
- Listening to music
Consider ways you can add some of these habits to your morning routine to boost your positive energy first thing in the morning.
4. Minimize Stress in the Morning
When you experience any form of stress early in the morning, it tends to follow you around for the rest of the day. It is often something very innocent, such as scrolling Twitter or checking your other notifications. Try to keep any possible stress triggers out of your morning routine, until you have given yourself time to wake up in a soothing and relaxing way.
At the very least, try to turn off notifications on your phone, so that when you wake up all you see or hear is your alarm. Keep them turned off until you have gone through your morning routine and are in a relaxed, stress-free state. You can then decide if and when you will turn them back on and let all the noise back in.
5. Relax in a Long Shower
On mornings when you have a little more time, use your shower as time to relax and get ready for the day. Hot water in the morning has an amazing way of waking you up, but it can also soothe sore and tired muscles, give you a place to be mindful, and help you wake up in the gentlest way possible.
You don’t have to do this every single morning, but on those mornings when you woke up early and have a bit of extra time. It is a great way to practice self-care. Something else that would be good for this morning shower is using shower steamers, which produce essential oils for aromatherapy while you are in the shower.
6. Release Thoughts With a Brain Dump
Finally, get some of those anxious and worrisome thoughts out of your head with a brain dump. This is a style of journaling where you write down anything that you have on your mind at that time. It is completely normal to think of several topics at once, so just keep writing until you feel like you have exhausted everything that was on your mind in the morning.