The importance of a healthy morning routine

Whether you count yourself as a morning person or you love to lie in, it’s important to have some sort of structure to those first couple of hours of your day. Wondering why or how you could improve on your current habits? Here’s our complete guide to achieving a healthy morning routine.

Why is a healthy morning routine important?¹

There are numerous benefits to not just simply rolling out of bed, wolfing down a bowl of cereal and running out the door. Feeling rushed in the mornings and not having enough time to do things which support your wellbeing can have negative effects on numerous things, including your productivity, confidence, stress levels and overall emotional health. Instead, you should aim to give yourself plenty of time in the mornings to wake your body up gently, eat a nourishing meal and prepare yourself for the day ahead.

What things should be included in your healthy morning routine?²

Your morning routine will be completely unique to you; however, you may want to consider incorporating the following things into it:

• Eating a tasty and nutritious breakfast. Ideally, it should be high in fibre and packed with protein to help keep you sated until lunchtime.
• Some form of physical exercise. Whether it’s going to the gym or doing a quick workout at home, getting some exercise in first thing can do wonders for your mood and your physical health.
• Time without your phone. Read a book, practice meditation, listen to your favourite music or sit outside in the fresh air with your morning cuppa – anything which keeps you still and lowers your heart rate is good.
• Writing a to-do list for the day. This could be a mental list or a physical one, but its aim is to organise your thoughts and make you feel calmer about the day ahead. Have a journal? Why not write in that instead!
• Having a relaxing shower. If you like to shower before you begin your day, make it a calming experience by simply taking your time. Use a nice smelling soap and allow the warm water to relax your muscles.

Four tips to help you get into a good morning routine^3,4

1. Stop hitting the snooze button!

If you’re determined to have time in the morning to relax, eat, exercise and just generally prepare yourself for the day ahead, you’ll want to quit pressing the snooze button on your alarm. If you’re a serial snoozer, try reducing the number of times you press it every day for a week until you’re used to getting up as soon as it first rings.

2. Move your body straight away

It can be tempting to lie in bed for a while and check your emails or social media accounts. Instead, don’t look at your phone for at least 15 minutes and try to get up as soon as your alarm goes off. Walking around and stretching will get your blood circulating and stimulate your muscles.

3. Plan your routine the night before

It can be good to set a goal for your morning routine in advance so you can make the whole process easier. Before you go to sleep, write a mental list of things you want to achieve when you wake up, whether that’s to exercise, wear a specific outfit or eat a certain food for your breakfast.

4. Lower your expectations

If you have dreams of fitting in a yoga session, a leisurely breakfast, a stroll around your neighbourhood AND a relaxing bath into that one or two hours before work, you’ll need to lower your expectations. It’s best to only have two or three things to do in the mornings to avoid rushing and consequently not feeling the benefit. One of the top things you can do during your healthy morning routine is eat a nutritious breakfast! Check out our complete range of breakfast cereals, from fruit-packed muesli and nutty granola to high-fibre oats, plus packets of seeds perfect for adding to delicious breakfast smoothies. Last updated: 27 April 2020 Sources 1 https://www.verywellmind.com/morning-routine-4174576 2 https://www.verywellmind.com/healthy-lifestyle-6-great-ways-to-start-your-day-3144698 3 https://www.verywellmind.com/morning-routine-4174576 4 https://positiveroutines.com/healthy-morning-routine/