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When you start your day right, the rest of the day is just so much easier than it might otherwise be. That’s why it’s so important that you get a healthy routine in place. Doing so will help you feel happier, healthier, and more productive as the morning turns into the afternoon and the afternoon becomes evening.
How do you start the day right? There is no right or wrong way to do it, and how you start to begin your day will depend on your own needs, preferences, and what you hope to achieve each day. That being said, here are some of the healthiest habits to help you start the day right, that you may want to consider…
Ditch the smartphone alarm
If you’re one of the many people who uses your smartphone as your main morning alarm, you might want to think about changing this and investing in a dedicated alarm for your bedside table instead. Why? Because when you use your smartphone as your alarm, you are more likely to start your day by checking your messages or endlessly scrolling your socials.
This may not seem like a big deal, but actually, starting your day with tech is not the best way to begin. It will immediately start to overstimulate you, potentially stress you out, and get you started with a reactive mindset rather than a proactive one, which will not exactly help your productivity levels! Try to spend the first hour after waking without tech and your day will be so much more positive, peaceful and productive as a result!
Drink a glass of water
One of the first things you should do when you wake up each morning is to drink a glass of warm water, ideally with a slice of lemon. This will help to get you rehydrated after a good night’s sleep, while also giving you a vitamin C boost that will help you to feel healthier and more alert. If we don’t drink enough water, we become sluggish, fatigued, plagued by headaches, and unable to work as productively as we might, so by starting the day with a glass of water, we can really set ourselves up for the day and start as we mean to go on.
Eat granola for breakfast
There are so many delicious breakfast foods to choose from, but arguably, none are so good for you as granola. This simple breakfast dish, which consists of oats, fruits, and nuts is not only delicious but as you can see if you take a look at these health benefits of eating granola, also great for the body and mind. Providing you with a decent amount of protein, carbs, and fruit, it will deliver you with all of the nutrients you need to lead a productive day, while also helping to keep your blood sugar levels stable so you can work more effectively throughout the day.
Write in a gratitude journal
If you want to start each day off with the right attitude, then get yourself a gratitude journal and take five minutes to write in it each morning.
When you take the time to write down five or so things that you are grateful for, whether it’s the greatest weather or a loved one, it will teach your brain to automatically start focusing on the positives in life each and every day, which means you will typically feel happier each day than you might otherwise, even if you are late to work or the kids are acting out – it won’t solve all of your problems or prevent you from ever feeling down, but it will make it easier for you to deal with those little problems because your mindset will start to shift further and further to the positive with each day you practice gratitude.
Meditate
Another healthy morning habit that can help you to feel more positive when you practice it regularly is meditation. If you practice some form of mindfulness meditation early in the morning before you get on with your day, you will be able to better control your emotions, lower your stress levels and find more peace in your day-to-day life.
As if that wasn’t enough, regular meditators have also been shown to be more productive than individuals who do not meditate, and this is not surprising because mindfulness helps you to stay present with the tasks you are working on so that you do not get distracted.
Meditation is really easy to learn, and you can fit it in in as little as 10 minutes per day, so be sure to add it to your morning routine if you want to improve pretty much every aspect of your day significantly.
Make the bed
If you’re one of those people who seldom bothers making the bed when you get up in the morning, you might want to rethink. Why? Because getting into the habit of making your bed each morning can bring significant benefits to your day. How? By setting the right tone for the day. When you make your bed, it means that, as soon as you get up, you have already accomplished something. Sure, it might be something simple, but that feeling of accomplishment will stay with you, help you take charge of your life, and push you on to accomplish even more. Basically, it helps to get the ball rolling on a productive day, which is never a bad thing.
Stretch
As soon as you get out of bed, take some time to stretch your body or do a little yoga. This will help to get rid of any little aches and pains that have built up as you slept, but it will also feel good and help you to energize your body ready for the day ahead, and because stretching is such a pleasurable way of moving your body it means you are less likely to skip it.
After stretching, ideally, you should try to do something a little more physical like a few press-ups or a short run, to really get the body moving, and get your exercise in early so you don’t skip it, but if all you can manage is to stretch, it will serve you well and stop you from feeling so sluggish as the day goes on.
Follow a simple self-care routine
Most of us feel more able to tackle the world when we look and feel as good as possible, so even if you work from home, and even if you aren’t planning to see anyone, make sure that you spend some time each day caring for your appearance. As well as brushing your teeth and hair and showering, take the time to pick out some nice clothes that make you feel confident, and if you like to wear it, apply a little makeup. The better you look, the better you will feel, and knowing that whatever happens, you will be ready to face it the more relaxed you will be able to go about your day.
Write a to-do list
If you want to get through your day as efficiently as possible. Something that can really help is to set aside a few minutes each morning to write a to-do list. List the 3-6 most important tasks for the day in order of importance and make sure that you do the most important thing first, working your way down to the least essential. Not only will this keep you on track for the day but it will give you a wonderful sense of accomplishment as you cross each task off your list.
Get some fresh air
spending a few minutes (or more) outdoors in the morning will really help to blow the cobwebs away and get you ready to face the day. Fresh air and time spent in nature has been shown to lower stress levels boost energy and mood, and even lower blood pressure, amongst other things, so there really are few better ways to start the day off than with a nice walk or a cup of coffee in the garden depending on your preferences!
Read
Starting your day out with a chapter of a great book or an interesting article in the paper is a good way to ease your brain into action and ensure that you have some time just for yourself and your own mental enrichment. Even five minutes spent reading will help to get you into productive mode if it’s work-related or help you to relax and ease into the day if it’s for pleasure.
If you incorporate even one or two of these healthy habits into your morning routine, it will go a long way to helping you start the day right – the more you add, the more productive, happy, and healthy you are likely to feel in body and mind, so take some time to think about which of these habits are likely to help you live the life you want to, and gradually start adding them to the first hours of your day!
