Establishing healthy morning habits to start your day on the right foot can make or break your day. Morning routines can set your intentions and align your mindset for a productive and successful day.

It’s easy to just hit the snooze button and go back to sleep, but waking up later than you intended can also cause a domino effect on your day-to-day tasks, resulting in playing catch-up and not having enough time to finish your errands.

Sounds stressful, right?

Fear not! It’s never too late for improvements and to make changes. If you’re looking for ways to build a morning routine and start your day on a positive note, this list of morning habits can change your life!

10 Healthy Morning Habits To Achieve A Successful Day

Creating a well-structured morning routine brings a positive impact on our overall well-being. In fact, science-backed research shows that individuals who follow a specific morning routine are more likely to experience increased focus, productivity, and success throughout the day.

Set your stage for the day by following these healthy morning habits.

Wake Up Early

Waking up early gives you a head start on the day, and it also offers you extra time for self-care and other errands you want to tend to without any distraction. For me, it’s the ability to carve out that time block where I can enjoy my morning ritual (morning coffee, meditation, exercise, and breakfast) peacefully with minimal disruptions. Additionally, waking up early leads to other health benefits, including improved mental health and lower levels of stress.

A former nocturnal gal myself, rising early is definitely not the easiest habit to pick up and practice consistently, but I found that by gradually adjusting my sleep schedule by rolling back my sleep time in 15 minute intervals, I was able to hit my new wake up time much easier. 

Make Your Bed

Okay real talk here – for many years, I was never that person to make my bed every morning…until recently in the past couple years. I know it sounds trivial, but making your bed right after you wake up can be one of the simplest things you can do to start your day right. By doing this one simple task, you create a sense of accomplishment right away (and it takes less than a minute!), which can motivate you to continue with your day to day tasks for the day. 

Drink Warm Water For Hydration

Start your day by rehydrating your body after hours of good sleep. Drinking water helps flush out toxins and kickstart your metabolism. You can also include a slice of lemon for an extra boost of Vitamin C for immunity

Make sure that you’re regularly drinking water to stay hydrated throughout the day.

Meditation

I practice meditation in the morning before my exercise. I think of meditation as an opportunity for me to set my intentions and prime my mind and body for the day. As you start your day, spare some time to center your thoughts through mindfulness meditation. This can help you reduce anxiety and stress, helping you set the tone for the day with a positive mindset. 

Practicing mindfulness allows you to be fully present and let go of your racing thoughts. It can be as easy as doing slow, deep breaths for a few minutes, or taking a step outside and calming your mind as you breathe in some fresh air.

There are helpful meditation apps that you can use if you’re not sure how to start. I currently use Jay Shetty’s Genius app, but I have also previously used Calm and Breethe.

Limit Morning Screen Time

Don’t rush into things just yet! It might be tempting to dive right away into emails or check social media as soon as you wake up. I remembered the days I used to sleep with my Blackberry next to my pillow each night (yep remember Blackberrys??). Screen time can be a MAJOR distraction and disrupt your morning routine. Today, with the exception of only checking my sleep data upon waking up, I leave my phone untouched until I start my meditation app. I do not read any emails until I finish my morning routine. 

Try to stay unplugged for at least 30 mins after you wake up to stay focused and present for yourself first.

Eat A Nutritious Breakfast

Never underestimate the power of a nutritious breakfast. Eating a well-balanced meal helps you stay healthy and meet your daily nutritional requirements. Skipping breakfast can negatively impact your cognitive function and reduce productivity. Eating a healthy breakfast also provides you with more energy to last the day.

There are meals like overnight oat cups that are easy breakfast ideas that you can prepare the night before, so there’s no excuse for you to skip out. Breakfast is the most important meal after all!

Engage in Physical Activities

Do a quick workout routine to get your body moving. Physical activities, such as stretching or a quick walk, jumpstart your metabolism and boost your endorphins. 

If you’re someone who’s working from home, going out for a morning walk is the perfect excuse to go outside. You can even do quick errands like walking your dogs or getting a cup of coffee from your favorite coffee shop.

But if you don’t want to go outside, you can also do cardio, pilates, or yoga within the comforts of your home. Regular morning workouts also help you improve your focus, attention, and cognitive function.

Create A Gratitude List

Acknowledge the simple things that you’re grateful for by creating a gratitude list. You can start by writing down one thing you’re thankful for at this moment. Practicing gratitude allows you to foster a sense of contentment and can keep you motivated throughout the day.

Plan and Visualize Your Day

Allocate some time in the morning to plan and visualize your day. Use this to organize your tasks and to-do lists to set your goals and priorities. Using planners, bullet journals, or vision boards can also help your creative juices flow. 

Planning your day helps you stay focused to accomplish your tasks more efficiently. It also reduces the overwhelming feeling of having impending tasks when you jot them down pen to paper.

Self Care

One of the best ways to jumpstart your day is by taking a shower, even if you’re not going out. It will leave you feeling refreshed and ready. Additionally, sticking to a morning skincare regimen will help you work on your discipline muscle…trust me on this! 

One thing I still do every morning before I officially start work is I apply one of my favorite hand moisturizers that I keep at my desk, its scent makes me feel both calm and ready to tackle the day.

Benefits of Establishing Morning Routines

Starting your day with a purposeful morning routine can have a positive impact on your overall well-being. This includes benefits such as:

• Enhanced productivity
• Increased physical energy
• Effective stress management
• Better time management
• Increased creativity
• Strengthened self-discipline

Being Consistent With Your Morning Habits

Cultivating these healthy morning habits is not about being perfect, but remaining consistent. Start with just one habit you would like to start off with, keep track of your progress, and celebrate small milestones along the way.

But remember, this is not a “one size fits all” routine. It’s important to create one for yourself that suits your goals, lifestyle, and preferences.

Over time, you’ll find these positive habits become second nature for you, helping you to seize opportunities, tackle challenges, and achieve a fulfilling life.