6 Morning Routine Ideas
Believe it or not, the way you start your morning is a good indicator of how the rest of your day will go. Following a routine and creating simple, healthy, and productive habits can make a big difference—even if you aren’t a morning person. The following are our top six morning routine ideas to help you make every morning a great one. Let's dive in!
1. Make your bed.
Making your bed is a morning routine task that requires little effort and will take no more than 90 seconds to complete. Simply tucking in your sheets, pulling up the comforter, and fluffing and organizing your pillows will help you feel accomplished, lower your stress level, and encourage you to be more productive. Plus, there’s nothing quite like getting into an already-made bed when you come home, right?
2. Hydrate.
Instead of reaching for the typical cup of coffee or orange juice right away, opt for a tall glass of water. Drinking H2O before your other morning beverages will increase energy levels, aid in digestion, and clear toxins from the body. To make it easier and help you remember, fill up a water bottle or tall glass of water and set it on your nightstand the night before. That way, it'll be top of mind in the AM.
3. Avoid electronics.
When you go to snooze the alarm on your phone, your initial instinct may be to check your notifications and emails or scroll through social media. Moving forward, make it a goal not to pick up your phone for the first 30 minutes of your morning routine. Seeing a never-ending list of updates and notifications first thing in the morning can lead to more stress, unnecessary distraction, and feelings of being unproductive. Trust us, the notifications can wait--you'll thank yourself later.
Want to cut down your screen time even more? Check out these healthy phone habits to adopt right now.
4. Write a gratitude list.
Morning gratitude lists are pretty trendy; but for a good reason. They really have proven to be effective parts of morning routines—and they’re easy to do. When you wake up, grab a pad of paper and a pen, and jot down a few things you’re grateful for, like:
- Your family
- Your job
- An upcoming event
- Your health
- Your neighbors
- Your home
- The weather
- Your friends
- A recent experience
Doing this will give you some perspective and get positive thoughts flowing before tackling your daily activities. It doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming; listing “I woke up today” or “I have a bed to sleep in” is an awesome place to begin. As you get comfortable with crafting your list, feel free to get more detailed and specific and look back on your lists to see how you've grown.
5. Eat breakfast.
There’s a reason that experts say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Nourishing yourself with hearty foods ASAP will give you the energy you need to get through the coming hours. If you don't already, take a few extra minutes in your morning routine to eat something healthy, like:
- A bowl of fresh fruit
- A balanced protein bar
- A vegetable scramble
- Yogurt parfaits
- Oatmeal
- Avocado toast
Meals like these will benefit both your mind and body and get your day off on the right foot. Bonus points if you eat your food at the table instead of in the car or on the go!
Need ideas for breakfast? Here are five easy breakfast recipe ideas that the entire family will love!
6. Exercise.
Your good morning habits should include getting your sweat on in the early hours of the day. Not only will you beat the heat and the crowds at the gym, but kicking off your morning routine with some physical fitness will also boost your mood, increase energy levels, and even improve your quality of sleep. If heading to the gym just isn't in the cards, going on a quick walk or completing one of these simple exercises to do around the house will do just the trick!
More Morning Routine Ideas
From writing a gratitude list to working up a sweat, these morning routine ideas are guaranteed to make you feel great. If you're looking for other ways to bring some calm, connection, and inner peace to your morning, check out eight steps to making every morning refreshing!