Healthy Habits to Kickstart Your Day
8 minute read
If you are typically a night owl and struggle to wake up in the morning, then it’s time to break up with the snooze button and evolve into an energised and alert morning person! Here's how.
10 Healthy Habits to Smash Your Morning Routine
There are some simple steps you can incorporate into your daily routine to help you nurture your morning self and slowly adapt to becoming more sprightly and motivated from the moment you wake up.
Pick and choose your favourites from the list below, or challenge yourself to squeeze them all into one morning for the best possible start to your day. Here are 10 top tips to help you become a morning person.
1. Prepare for your morning the evening before
Good mornings start the night before! There are so many things you can do in the evening to organise your mornings, making them less stressful and more enjoyable - it just takes a little imagination and preparation.
Try preparing your breakfast, choosing your outfit and packing your bag the night before. Getting ahead of the game means you’ll have more time in the morning to do something enjoyable and you can even treat yourself to a longer sleep knowing there’s less to do.
2. Prioritise your sleep
It may not be what you want to hear but without getting enough hours of sleep you will never wake up feeling refreshed and energised.
Our bodies do a great job of letting us know we haven’t had enough sleep, so if every instinct in your body is telling you to stay in bed when that alarm sounds, then it’s probably a good sign that you haven’t slept long enough.
Having an evening bedtime routine which helps you to relax and get a good night’s sleep is one of the best ways to wake up feeling refreshed the next day. From digital minimalism to self-care and enjoying a warming cup of Coco Dream, it’s all about instilling healthy habits that help you to unwind and get better sleep.
👉 Check out our post Natural Ways to Improve Your Sleep to learn more.
3. Break up with the snooze button
If you’re not a morning person (yet!) then chances are the snooze button is your worst enemy. You may think that you’re salvaging an extra 10 or 15 minutes of precious sleep, but you’re actually interrupting deep and restorative REM sleep for short bouts of lighter sleep.
Sleep experts have found that this repetitive sleep-wake cycle does not allow the body enough time to prepare for waking and results in a surge of the stress hormone cortisol. This worsens brain fog and sleep inertia (the feeling of grogginess) first thing in the morning.
It’s best to avoid the snooze function altogether and get up with your first alarm. But if you’re a chronic snoozer you might want to try a ‘smart alarm’ which asks you to complete something like a simple calculation before you can unlock the snooze option. This helps to arouse your mind into a state of cognition, taking away the impulsiveness of just 5 more minutes! Search in your app store for a simple smart alarm.
4. Try to get up at the same time daily
Humans are hardwired to have a sleep routine, something which is controlled by our Circadian Rhythm. This is our internal body clock which runs in 24-hour cycles and regulates the things we should do everyday - the sleep-wake cycle being one of them.
This internal clock, or our Circadian Rhythm, relies on consistency, so getting up at the same time is one of the best ways to fine-tune your body to know when it should prepare for rest or wakefulness. This has so many benefits including waking up easier, falling asleep faster, promoting a deeper sleep and helping you to feel more alert throughout the day.
The key to maximising these benefits is to try and get up at the same time every day - regardless of if it’s a weekend or a day off. This can be tricky at first and you will probably need an alarm to get you into the swing of things, but it's one of the most useful tools to help you become a morning person.
5. Start your day with natural light
Just as our Circadian Rhythm is impacted by routine and consistency, it’s also influenced by exposure to light. One of the main functions of Circadian Rhythm is to communicate to the body whether it’s night or day, so it makes sense that light and darkness are important environmental cues.
Getting some natural daylight as soon as you wake up is a great way to signal to the body that sleep is over and the day has begun. Light does this by suppressing melatonin production - which is our sleep hormone.
If you don’t have natural light in your bedroom or this isn’t possible during the winter months, you can always invest in a wake-up light alarm clock which works by emitting light exposure for around 30 minutes before your wake up time, easing you into consciousness.
We also recommend investing in some good quality Blue Light blocking glasses if you are a late night worker. These help to work in the opposite way, blocking out light and enhancing melatonin production to support sleep.
6. Try a morning workout
Exercise is the ultimate feel-good activity, so it is an invaluable tool in the quest to becoming a morning person.
Physical activity is a natural remedy to morning drowsiness, helping to circulate oxygen and nutrients throughout the body - for an energy boost that will last throughout the day.
A morning workout is also good for your mental wellbeing - helping to reduce levels of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, whilst increasing serotonin - a neurotransmitter which helps us to feel happy and improves mood.
Be sure to have some protein around 30 minutes after your morning workout to replenish muscle fibres and enhance recovery.
7. Take a cold shower
Taking a cold shower in the morning gives a healthful shock to the system which some of us need to get going first thing. A cold shower creates a mild shock sensation which increases oxygen intake, heart rate and circulation. This helps to boost alertness and energy levels.
Studies have also shown that a cold shower after your morning workout can help to reduce muscle soreness post-exercise and even help to repair muscle damage. So, it’s a good idea to organise your morning routine so that your shower follows your exercise.
8. Start the day with a healthy breakfast
Enjoying a nutritious breakfast should always be part of your morning routine. Breakfast helps to kickstart metabolism, boost energy levels and also improves focus and concentration throughout the day.
If you’re not a breakfast person or find that it makes you feel more tired, try to limit your carbs in the morning as they can leave you sluggish and bloated. Instead, opt for a breakfast higher in protein and fat, such as avocado and eggs or fruit and yoghurt.
If you really can’t face breakfast first thing then be sure to take a protein shake or superfood smoothie with you to enjoy later in the morning - it’s much better than going without.
9. Make time in the mornings for something you enjoy
If you don’t leave yourself a spare minute, you are never going to embrace your morning routine. By preparing for your day the night before you can free up your time for something you actually enjoy first thing.
Here’s just a few ideas to bring some happiness and positivity to your morning:
- Follow a skincare routine
- Prepare a meal for the evening
- Walk the dog or get outdoors for a brisk walk
- Listen to a podcast on the drive to work
- Make time for a cuppa and a chat
- Practice mindfulness or meditation
Become an early riser, and try taking just 15 minutes to do something you enjoy. This can help to reduce stress levels and improve mental health throughout your day.
10. Stay hydrated
In the early morning most of us haven’t had something to drink for around 7-8 hours. So, it’s super important to replenish our fluids and rehydrate.
Staying hydrated helps to boost brain function, improve mental clarity and enhance focus and concentration. All of these help you to overcome sleep inertia and fight mental fatigue - so it’s best to hydrate yourself as soon as possible after waking.
If you love a cup of coffee in the morning, start your day with an energising Shroom Coffee which combines Organic Arabica coffee with functional mushrooms to keep you naturally energised. Replacing your usual cuppa with a Shroom Coffee will also provide just half of the caffeine, to help you avoid the mid-morning slump and caffeine jitters.
To stay hydrated throughout the morning and the rest of the day, invest in a BPA-free water bottle and be sure to top it up before you leave the house. If you’re not a huge fan of plain water try supercharging water with our Clean Greens or Berry Beauty blends, for a potent dose of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants as well as added flavour. Simply stir into cold water and enjoy!
Consistency and routine are key to instil healthy habits and retune your Circadian rhythm - to awaken your inner morning person. By making your morning as enjoyable and productive as possible you will soon be able to embrace your mornings for a great start to every day.
References:
Sleep Inertia - https://sleepcouncil.org.uk/advice-support/sleep-hub/sleep-matters/sleep-inertia/
Sleep Experts Reveal All About the Snooze Button - https://theconversation.com/morning-haze-why-its-time-to-stop-hitting-the-snooze-button-35611
What is Circadian Rhythm? - https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm
Cold vs. Heat after Exercise - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26502272/
Achieving Optimal Post-Exercise Muscle Recovery - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5852800/
