9 Morning Routine Habits to Kickstart A More Productive Lifestyle

You just had a good night’s sleep but you still feel something’s off. 

Well, that’s because morning routines impact the rest of our day. 

A healthy one sets us up for success and even promotes wellness. 

This is especially true in these times, with the pandemic shifting our work and school setups. Unfortunately, we have grown used to waking up and attending classes and seminars in our beds.

These unhealthy habits majorly disrupt our lifestyle for the worst. And if we don’t nip it in the bud early on, we could be stuck in the same cycle. This, in return, could lead to poor energy levels, uncontrollable moods, lack of productivity, and anxiety.

So if you want to start a change in yourself, it’s best to start it in the morning. 

Here are some healthy morning habits you should develop for a better lifestyle:

1. Get enough sleep

Sleep is key to great performance. Having sufficient sleep helps in keeping you productive, and maintains healthy physical and mental health. 

Lack of sleep impairs your concentration and judgment, among other bad effects. So make sure to get a good night’s rest so you can perfectly focus on your workload. To do this, you can start by practicing healthy night habits to get yourself prepared for sleep.

As you prepare to sleep, you can take a relaxing bath or read a book. Make sure to avoid electronics such as TV or scrolling through your phone, and set your alarm clock to the right time.

One pro tip, drinking chamomile tea at night works, especially for those who have trouble falling asleep. Not only does it help with sleeping at night, but it also relaxes muscles and has anti-inflammatory properties - perfect after a tiring day at work.

2. Don't snooze

What’s your usual reaction when you hear your morning alarm? Do you immediately hit the snooze button to get a few more minutes of sleep?

Change this bad habit and turn it into something more beneficial. Instead of hitting snooze, try counting to five and then force yourself out of bed.

In addition, even the smell of coffee is enough to shake us out of our morning stupor. Head on over to the kitchen and get your coffee machine working while you’re preparing.

And because you skipped the snooze button, you’re left with plenty of time to prepare yourself mentally and physically before heading to work.

Intentionally set an alarm that gives you enough time to follow your routine. This prevents you from attending to your workload feeling groggy and unprepared.

3. Hydrate yourself

Overnight, we lose liquid through urinating and sweating - this is one of the main reasons why drinking water first thing in the morning is recommended by experts.

So, how exactly does it affect us? Dehydration impacts cognition and mental performance. This means that hydration throughout the day - and especially in the morning - is necessary for better mental performance.

4. Open the windows

In addition to waking up early, you should let some light in. Do this by throwing open the curtains, letting some morning light into your bedroom, or heading out for a quick run around the block.

This is because morning light helps you sleep better at night. Although this may not make much sense, multiple factors affect your nightly sleep such as serotonin, which is heightened by morning light exposure.

Light therapy, on the other hand, is a well-known practice used to help with medical conditions such as insomnia, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and seasonal affective disorder among others.

And while you’re at it, try stretching out or making your bed. This simple gesture gives you a sense of accomplishment and gives you a boost of serotonin.

5. Delay the morning coffee

Do you have the unhealthy habit of skipping breakfast because you’re running late? Do you jump straight for the coffee pot just so you feel energised?

No matter how late you may be, it’s not recommended to drink coffee on an empty stomach. Not only does it cause gut problems, but it also affects your entire immune system.

Cortisol is a hormone that regulates metabolism, blood pressure, and immune system response. Upon waking, your cortisol levels are high, and drinking coffee upon rising significantly increases it further.

So delay that morning coffee and whip up some healthy breakfast. Running only on coffee for the entire morning may seem to energise, but it offers only temporary energy. Once the caffeine wears off, you’re left feeling restless, dehydrated, and easily fatigued.

6. Do self-care 

Meditating, yoga, working out, taking a shower, and reading a book are only some ways to practice self-care. In the morning, take a hot shower to relax, or do something productive that would ready you mentally for work.

Some people prefer reading books or keeping up with the news. If you want to multitask, you can listen to podcasts while getting ready. These small practices help in boosting your feel-good hormones, which are dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin.

Moreover, another form of self-care that you should practice is stating positive affirmations. How many times a day do you talk kindly to yourself? Positive affirmations are like small pats on the back because they help you reflect and think kindly.

Face the mirror, and say positive things for a more confident mindset. Say affirmations like “I am grateful for today,” and “I will have a successful day” to combat the usual negative beliefs you have about yourself.

7. Schedule your day

What is the agenda for today? What do you plan to achieve? 

List down your schedule for the day and all the things you want to accomplish. This can include your workload and your personal agenda. When doing so, set up a time frame for every task and make sure they are realistic and attainable. 

Write down your schedule in a way that does not pressure you or intimidate you. Writing down your plan for the day is beneficial because it gives you a clear picture of how your day will go.

8. Skip scrolling through social media

People use social media as their daily news and although it is not necessarily a bad thing to catch up through social media, scrolling through your phone limits productivity.

Screen time, no matter how hard we try to discipline ourselves, will always turn minutes into hours. In no time, we’ll be using up a majority of our free time on Tiktok and non-beneficial scrolling.

Enjoy your mornings without spending too much of your time on your phone. Put it in airplane mode, turn off the wifi, or just leave it on the bedside table while you’re going through your morning routine.

9. Start with the difficult tasks

When scheduling your day, try and prioritise the difficult and more important tasks first. This gives you the momentum to continue once you’ve already gone past the difficult load.

This helps your workload become more manageable and easier to get through. This simple tactic keeps you from delaying your tasks and gives you more free time at the end of the day.

These are some healthy habits you may incorporate into your morning routine. Remember that these tactics are not entirely applicable to everyone, but you should find time to look into what fits your lifestyle well.

In general, these tactics are here to help kickstart a change in your lifestyle. However, what’s most important of all is that you look back and see how far you’ve gone and how much you’re willing to change.

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Have a healthy morning routine!

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Hi, I’m Crisel Blenda Fernandez!

I’m a digital strategist and a writer. I work with Optimum Consulting and its innovative products such as My Employee Life a tool that supports workplace success and Fllair, a career platform, among others. Follow or connect with me here on LinkedIn for more helpful tips and articles.