3 Transformative Habits to Practice First Thing in the Morning

Have your mornings become filled with distractions and stress? Not to worry, you’re not alone. Many of us unknowingly set an unhealthy precedence first thing in the morning, by:

❌ Waking up late

❌ Checking our phones as soon as we awake

❌ Flipping on the TV

These habits dilute the power of a good morning routine. So how do you turn your mornings from a total drag to an energy booster? That’s what we are going to explore here.

In this post, I’ll discuss the benefits of developing a healthy morning routine as well as go over 3 life-changing practices to help you make the best of your morning.

3 Life-Changing Ways To Develop A Healthy Morning Routine

Here are 3 life-changing ways to take your mornings from disastrous to nourishing.

1. Wake Up Early

I know, I know, I know; waking up early sucks.

But, if you truly want to cultivate a morning routine that is relaxing and nourishing rather than stressful and rushed, this is really the only way to achieve it. And trust me, it gets easier. 

The more you get into the habit of waking up earlier, the more you realize it’s not so bad. In fact, you may even find, over time you prefer waking up early. Sleeping in can start to feel like a waste of time and a missed opportunity to spend some quality time with yourself.

You’ll also begin to realize, waking up early not only takes the stress out of getting to work on time but also gives you an opportunity to engage in an activity you often don’t find time for. Whether it be learning a new song on guitar, finding space for a little meditation or yoga, going for a walk or jog around the block, or even cooking up a super nourishing breakfast, finding time for such activities makes you feel very thankful for your morning routine.

And really, this is what your mornings should be about. Not waking up with the immediate thought of rushing off to work but rather finding the time to do something you love while you are feeling rested, relaxed, and at your best.

2. Drink Lots Of Water And Eat A Healthy Breakfast

As tempting as it is to reach for a hot cup of coffee as soon as you wake up, I’d argue that water is a better choice. As great as coffee is for waking up and boosting alertness, studies have found that consuming caffeine before breakfast can increase the blood glucose response to breakfast by up to 50 percent while also decreasing the body’s insulin response. ¹

On the other hand, drinking water shortly after you roll out of bed can help you feel more alert, it rehydrates your body, and it can even kick-start your metabolism. In fact, water increases both red and white blood cell counts which promotes oxygen flow to the brain, boosting of alertness and energy. ²

Before you flick on the kettle or warm up the coffee machine, start with a big glass of water and a healthy portion of breakfast. Then, by all means, brew up a nice strong coffee and savor that first caffeine hit of the day.

3. Get Your Daily Dose Of Vitamin D

Open your curtains and allow the sunlight to wake you up. Or, even better, leave the curtains open and wake up naturally with the sun. And, once you’ve drunk a big glass of water, go outside for a walk or enjoy your breakfast on the front porch.

Sunshine is not only fantastic at waking us up but it is also an essential way to receive vitamin D. ³ And now, more than ever, it is super important we are receiving adequate amounts of this essential vitamin.

Unfortunately, around 42 percent of the US population is vitamin D deficient, which really is a rather worrying statistic. ⁴ Vitamin D not only helps with the development of strong bones, reduces pain, fatigue, and depression, but also some research is showing that vitamin D deficiency could increase the chance of COVID-19 contraction.

In fact, it has been found that people who are vitamin D deficient are more than 1.77 times likelier to test positive for COVID-19. ⁵ So it goes without saying, getting a healthy dose of morning sunshine is not only great to help us wake and feel alert but it may even help keep us feeling happier and healthier.

Final Thoughts

Mornings aren’t for everyone, but, creating beneficial habits first thing in the morning is integral to establishing a healthy and productive morning routine.

And not only is a healthy morning routine great at reducing stress, accomplishing more, and finding more time for yourself but it also helps to improve your health and bring more happiness into your life.

If you need help establishing healthy habits first thing in the morning, why not download the Simplish app and write yourself a virtual list of all the activities and projects you’d like to achieve first thing out of bed.

That way, you won’t have to think about it as you start your coffee-free morning, it’ll all be conveniently listed right there ready for you to refer to.

• Sources

  1. “Drink Coffee after Breakfast, Not before, for Better Metabolic Control,” n.d. https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/drink-coffee-after-breakfast-not-before-for-better-metabolic-control/.

  2. Kim, Hyunkyung, Kim Soo-Hwan, and Jin-Sook Ryu. “Changes in the Blood Components Caused by Water Intake.” Daehan Imsang Geomsa Haghoeji 49, no. 3 (September 30, 2017): 227–32. https://doi.org/10.15324/kjcls.2017.49.3.227.

  3. Website, Nhs. “Vitamin D.” nhs.uk, November 19, 2021. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/#:~:text=Vitamin%20D%20helps%20regulate%20the,condition%20called%20osteomalacia%20in%20adults.

  4. Hanley, David A., and K. Shawn Davison. “Vitamin D Insufficiency in North America.” Journal of Nutrition 135, no. 2 (February 1, 2005): 332–37. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/135.2.332.

  5. Meltzer, David O., Thomas Best, Hui Zhang, Tamara Vokes, Vineet M. Arora, and Julian Solway. “Association of Vitamin D Status and Other Clinical Characteristics with COVID-19 Test Results.” JAMA Network Open 3, no. 9 (September 3, 2020): e2019722. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.19722.