Morning Routine for Health – Simple Guide of 9 Habits to Improve Mental Health!
The key to a healthy positive mindset is in your morning routine. Once I implemented a checklist of tasks to complete every morning, my life began to transform fast.
Once you see the huge benefit to your mental health, you will begin to add more tasks to the list throughout the day, it becomes a habit of self-development.
Getting up that extra hour or two earlier can really help you develop a strong mindset and bring peace to your everyday life. One of the things that has the biggest impact on our days and on our life is how we spend our first hours awake.
As you might guess, waking up in a rush to quickly grab some coffee, some clothes and head off the door already exhausted and sweaty is not ideal for our body and mind. And it doesn’t even end there.
This poor morning experience will easily influence our mood for the rest of the day – and even our work performance.
That’s why it’s so crucial to have some morning habits and routines that are put together strategically to improve our productivity for the rest of the day. And day after day this will change your life for good, of course.
Today, I’m going to share in this post the 9 most-effective habits you should start adopting to have a happier morning experience and head off the door feeling calm and ready to take on the world!
By implementing these 9 habits it has changed my life dramatically!
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Don’t go to bed late the night before
Before we get started, there’s one mistake you cannot afford to make. This morning mistake will screw up your entire day.
Go to bed early the night before!
Sleep is not only for the weak. It’s the best way to stay strong all day.
Are all-nighters worth bragging about? Maybe they’re fine once in a while when they can’t be avoided but otherwise – staying up late constantly isn’t a sign of working hard; it’s working too much, working inefficiently and mismanaging your time.
I use to be one of those people who stayed up to the early hours of the morning, then wake up like and zombie and head off to work feeling like I had just been dug up!
Not anymore though!
Without enough sleep, you’ll start the day with a mind that’s not 100% energised – no matter how many times you give yourself a good slap on the face.
The worst part? Imagine your brain failing in the departments of common sense and alertness.
Around 16 million Brits experience side effects of sleep deprivation every night!
And studies suggest they can range from less obvious stuff – like a lack of focus or attention – to crying over small things, or a lower reaction time while driving or pouring coffee!
Speaking of coffee – don’t rely on it to overcome sleep deprivation. I enjoy my morning coffee as much as the next person. But I also know caffeine has its limitations.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-8 hours of sleep (or 9 if possible) for the average adult.
I have about 6, which suits me fine.
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Want to learn about slowing down your life to live happier in the present moment? Then see my below post:
Get Up Early
The alarm goes off, no flirting with the snooze button though, she will break your heart!
I get up early, like really early! Every day (apart from Sundays) 4:00 – 4:30 AM Early. And I’ll be brutally honest with you, I hate getting up every single morning, but I do it anyway.
That being said, getting up early in the morning is a common habit of highly successful people. There’s something to be said about that feeling of peace in the early morning hours when all the world’s asleep.
It’s this morning tranquillity that’ll give you time to wrap your head around things and prepare your docket for the day. You’ll be surprised how motivating a head-start can be.
Drink some water to rehydrate
When you first wake up, you’ve been without water for several hours. I have a bad habit of reaching for my coffee before anything else, but I recently started drinking a glass of water beforehand. I’ve found that it gets rid of those nagging headaches I sometimes wake up with.
If you can get a glass of water into your system before anything else, your body will thank you. Adding a little lemon to your water also has some health benefits. But, if that’s not your thing, at least get a glass of water in before coffee or tea.
Getting hydrated will also help with the next step in creating your best morning routine.
Move your body
One of the best things to do in the morning is without a doubt moving your body. Think about it: your body has been lethargic and lying down for 6-8 hours, your muscles are probably still sleeping and need to stretch.
Now, I don’t expect you to do a full 45-minutes workout when you’re still feeling sleepy and unmotivated, but if you force yourself to move your body (even with some low-intensity exercises) for as little as 10 minutes, it will be a game changer, I promise.
It’s been proven that working out in the morning – even with some light exercise – can boost your metabolism up to 22% for the rest of the day and reduce tremendously sugar cravings.
Moving in the morning will get your heart pumping, your metabolism to speed up, while also making you feel more alert and active for the rest of the day.
Meditation
I thought this was complete nonsense a few years ago, now I love it.
The one thing that calmed my mind beyond belief, if done properly, is meditation.
This helps you become at peace with your thoughts, and also mindful meditation helps you stay in the present moment.
Try to meditate before breakfast, this is the best time to do it in the morning.
Meditation will seem like a chore at first, but the more you practice, it will become more of an enjoyable experience that you will look forward to.
There are tonnes of videos on YouTube to help you get started.
Top tip:
The below channels on YouTube are great for guided meditations;
If you want to learn about meditation, the follow channel is excellent:
If you’re interested in learning more in-depth about meditation, then the below books are excellent:
Eat a healthy breakfast
Since you are not rushing, you are now able to sit down and eat a healthy nutritious breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast as part of your morning routine before work will help you to be more productive.
Moreover, the breakfast will provide the energy needed to fuel your brain. Additionally, eating breakfast will keep you full for longer, eliminating the need for you to consume high and empty calories which will harm your body.
Furthermore, while sitting down to eat your breakfast you can read a few pages of a positive mental attitude book or any other self-development book.
Read/watch videos on self-development
If you’re always telling yourself how much you’d like to read more but simply “can’t find the time” then this is a perfect thing to do first up in the morning.
If you think about it, reading for 15 minutes daily is hardly anything – it’s not intimidating at all – but if you keep up with it, you’ll finish reading an average size book every month.
That’s why this is definitely one of the best habits to include in your morning routine!
I never use to read, now I cannot stop.
There are so many good books and people out there to follow for self-development.
Read a chapter of a book and watch one video a day. This soon gets you motivated and before you know it, you will be researching the subject in-depth.
One good book or one video can change your outlook on life and be the inspiration you have been looking for.
One thing I have learned the past year, is that the more I learn, the more I realise how much actually don’t know.
Top tip:
The below channels from YouTube have had an amazing influence on me for self-development:
I also recommend the below books to read:
Review your to-do list and prioritise
Ideally, you should have created your to-do list the previous night but if you have not done it, you can do so in your morning routine before work. Having a to-do list enables you to use your time and energy wisely by completing only the tasks that are important to you. It eliminates time-wasting, thereby allowing you to be more productive.
It also provides a form of structure making you more organized. Checking off your to-do list in your daily planner as each task is completed gives you a sense of accomplishment as each task is done. Be sure to arrange your list by priority.
That is, begin with the more important tasks, that way you can allocate more time in completing those tasks.
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Make your bed
You may wonder what making your bed has to do with a successful morning routine before work. Well, taking the time to make your bed gives you a feeling of accomplishment as it is the first task you will complete for the day. In addition, it helps you to become organise and reduces your stress level. When you make your bed, you are de-cluttering and creating a tidy space. A tidy space is calming and thus reduces stress.
Morning Routine for Health – Final thought
I hope that you are able to make sense of these tips and use them to help create a very successful morning routine in order to live a happier life.
Implementing a healthy morning routine is meant to enhance your well-being. Routine is an awesome form of self-care, but not if you feel enslaved to it. Make your morning schedule serve you, not the other way around.
Do you have a favourite healthy habit for your mornings? Let’s hear it!
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Hi Adam,
My favorite healthy habit in my mornings is a routine, but a bit flexible now that school is being held virtual. I get up and brush my teeth, have a bowl of cereal and a full glass of water. I will take out the trash and go for a short walk around the neighborhood. I will stretch along the way and get my morning breath of fresh air. I then wake the children and make them breakfast. These reasons are my favorite because it is the best way for me to stay connected with the family. If I were to wake up late and miss seeing them before school, my day would be incomplete.
Hello,
Thank you for comment. Those are great things to do, nothing is better than being connected with your family.
Your way is definitely a great way to start the day!
All the best,
Adam
Hi Adam,
I couldn’t agree with you enough how important it is to have these simple morning routine and it brings the tranquillity to your mental health! I have tried doing it many times as I am also into the self development myself and aware that nearly all of the highly successful people have a morning and it starts with waking up early. Any tips on how to remain consistent with waking up early when people you live with are not into believing how important it is to wake up early and set their day on the right foot? I works wonders for me when I do it. I go back to square one when I stop doing it.
I watched nearly all of Bob Proctor’s YouTube videos when I started working on my self development journey few years ago. I have also watched Aaron Doughty. There is another lady on YouTube called Terri Savelle Foy. She had motivated me alot over the years. So she’s definitely worth a watch. Also Matt D’Avella is great too.
Many Thanks for the reminder.
Hello,
Thank you for comment! I listen to Bob Proctor and Aaron Doughty regularly, but have never listened to Matt D’Avella, I will definitely check him out. Aaron Abke is my personal favourite, you should check him out.
As for living with people who don’t respect your morning routine, it’s a difficult one. Maybe ask them to sit down with you and explain how important it is for you to start the day on positive note with your morning routine. If the problem is because of noise, play some peaceful music or mediation music through earphones while doing your morning routine, I do this anyway in the mornings, it really helps.
All the best,
Adam
Hi Adam,
Thanks for the really great tips.
I think the top habit is to make your bed. If you can get into the habit of making your bed in the morning IMMEDIATELY you get up and get out of it, you are well on your way to having a disciplined day. This is perhaps the most difficult thing for many people to do, including yours truly! I find that on the days I begin by doing this, the day tends to be more structured.
Like you, I can get by with 6-7 hours of sleep quite comfortably. I think that the recommendation of up to 9 hours of sleep by the National Sleep Foundation is really pushing it!
Now all I have to crush are my bad habits of not hydrating before drinking my cup of coffee and skipping a healthy breakfast because I am in a rush!
Hello,
Thank you your input! I was really surprised at how much something so simple like making your bed can have such a positive impact on your morning! Some days my routine slips, but I always ensure I get up the day after and go again.
All the best!
Adam
I usually lie in in the mornings and focus on creating a positive mindset and often don’t get up until 8.00am.
My day is then taken over by the things I need to do for the business and other people. Often I do not get to do the things I need to and want to do for myself until much later in the day, and often I don’t get as much done as I want to.
I can really see the logic in getting up a couple of hours earlier and using this time totally for myself.
I’m going to do it and I’m actually looking forward to getting more done each day.
Thanks for the inspiration to do what I know is good for me (but I won’t be getting up at 4:30…. Maybe 6:00 is a good place for me to begin)
Cheers
Thank for your comment!
I love getting up early, although I do begin to become really tired around midday! I need to make time for an afternoon nap! 🙂
All the best,
Adam
Hi Adam,
Luckily I do not need to get up so early. I am usually awake by 7. The first thing I do is drink a glass of water, and if I have limes I will squeeze a full or half a lime into my glass. After that, I make my tea and I take a walk to a high point of my property from where I have a beautiful view on the mountains.
I used to meditate and it did wonders for me, but then I stopped. I would love to meditate in the mornings again, but usually after I wake up workers arrive to work on a construction across from my lot, and every time they come, my dogs bark (the men can be noisy and they bring their dogs …) so, that will not help with the meditation. I really need to find a time of the day when I can do it without interruptions.
Thanks for all these tips! I am happy to see that I am already doing some of them, except for making the bed … I can’t bring myself to do it. I have done it sometimes, but I didn’t feel that it made any difference … or maybe it’s just me.
Hi Christine,
Thank you for comment and tips, I will have to give these a try!
I use to find meditating a chore, but love it now. You should definitely make time for it if you can.
The bed thing, might just be my OCD, but it makes me feel better haha
All the best,
Adam