Reflect and Nourish

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Want to learn how to spend your morning in such a way that improves your productivity, focus, and mood throughout the day? In this blog post, I offer seven morning habits you can cultivate to help yourself do just that.

Try the habits that you think would benefit you and that will fit into your unique lifestyle.

If you’re looking to improve your morning routine or start a new one, I suggest picking just one of these habits to start with and then gradually working your way up to building new ones.

Without further ado, let’s get into the habits:

1. Set an intention for the day

If you have a certain task or theme you want to focus on for the day, setting an intention can be an excellent way to start your day.

According to Lena Schmidt in her article “Start Your Day with a Clear Intention,” setting an intention first thing in the morning helps set the tone for your day and may help you live better aligned with your values. 

To decide on an intention, Schmidt advised readers to get clear on their values and desires and to begin setting their intention before getting out of bed. 

Schmidt also suggested writing yourself reminder notes or having an accountability partner to help you stay on track with your intention as you move about your day. 

2. Make your bed

Making your bed when you wake up is another great way to start your day. Not only does it help you tidy up your room a little more, but accomplishing that one little task helps put you in a productive mood. 

According to VeryWellMind, anecdotal evidence points to many mental health benefits to making your bed, including but not limited to a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of calm, better organization, and stress reduction.

In addition, scientific research points to several benefits of keeping a neat environment, including better productivity and goal-setting skills and lower stress levels. 

Making your bed only takes about a minute — do it, and watch yourself build momentum to take on the rest of your daily tasks.

3. No phone for 30 minutes after waking up

Starting your day present with yourself – rather than distracted by your screen – may make a huge difference in how you feel. 

According to Jay Rai, an empowerment psychologist, checking your phone first thing in the morning can set up your brain for distraction, as it causes your brain to go straight from the delta state (deep sleep state) to the beta state (fully alert state).

This causes your brain to skip the theta and alpha states – relaxed states where your creative brain is more attuned.

Instead, he recommends putting your phone on airplane mode before bed or using a standard alarm clock and putting your phone away from your bed.

He also suggests planning a different activity to do in the morning instead of checking your phone, such as mindfully eating, exercising, spending time with family, or appreciating the world around you. 

4. Exercise

Exercising in the morning can help you energize yourself for the day ahead. 

According to Healthline, while one can work out at any time that works best for them, working out in the morning may come with a few perks, such as fewer distractions while working out, a better mood throughout the day, increased overall activity, and even improved sleep, among others.

If you choose to do a morning workout, pick a workout activity you like and stick with it  — you’ll likely feel accomplished and refreshed. 

Below, I linked a video to a 15-minute stretch and strengthen workout routine by MadFit.

5. Have a nourishing breakfast

According to.RUSH University, eating a nutritious breakfast helps one meet their fruit and vegetable needs, meet their fiber and calcium needs, jumpstart their metabolism, and consume less fat throughout the day.

Eating a nutritious breakfast can also contribute to increased energy, improved heart health, reduced risk of diabetes, and reduced brain fog, according to Cleveland Clinic.

And beyond the nutritional benefits, it simply feels good to wake up to a sweet or savory breakfast. 

Treating yourself to a nice meal each morning will help you set an optimistic tone for the day.

If you’re looking for some healthy breakfast ideas, Liezl Jayne Strydom offers 5 quick, healthy breakfast ideas in this video:

6. Meditate 

A morning meditation can help you clear your mind for the rest of the day.

According to Holly Burns, a New York Times contributor who writes about wellness and relationships, morning meditation has been shown to help with anxiety, depression, chronic pain relief, better sleep, and lower stress levels. 

Burns noted that practicing meditation doesn’t have to be a huge commitment; even just five minutes each morning can be effective.

If you’re new to meditation, Burns suggested picking a specific time and location to meditate, setting a timer, focusing on your senses, using a mantra, and correcting yourself with compassion each time you find yourself caught in your thoughts. 

Burns added that adding movement to your meditation, such as walking, can help if sitting down makes you feel anxious or restless.

Here is a five-minute meditation by Lavendaire that can help you start your day with positive energy:

7. Gratitude

Practicing gratitude in the morning can help you start your day on a positive note.

According to Harvard Health, positive psychology research has shown that gratitude is “strongly and consistently associated” with increased happiness. Gratitude can help people savor good experiences, feel more positive emotions, be resilient, improve their health, and strengthen relationships.

Harvard Health offers several suggestions for practicing gratitude, such as writing a thank you note, thanking someone mentally, keeping a gratitude journal, praying, meditating, or counting one’s blessings.

If you want some ideas on things to be grateful for, you can check out my blog post, 5 simple things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.

As the saying goes, if you focus on what you have, you’ll always have more.

I hope this post inspired you to start or continue spending your morning in an intentional way. Starting your morning on a relaxed yet focused note can make a huge difference in how you feel and act throughout the day. 

By choosing healthy morning habits, you can help yourself build a healthy life, one habit at a time.