Create morning-time purpose and positivity—even when you’re not a morning person
I’m not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. I’m guilty of snoozing my alarm multiple times in one morning. I’m slow moving, groggy, and truthfully pretty grumpy.
About a year ago, I’d had enough with mornings that left me already drained before the day even began. I had spent all my life running a few minutes behind every morning, trying to cram in enough time to shower, get ready, and eat a decent breakfast. I was ready for a better start to the day, so my research began.
I tested out all the healthy morning routine tips and tricks so you don’t have to!
Over the course of the year, I tested out a variety of tips and tricks from blogs, books, and podcasts for a happier, healthier, less grumpy morning. I settled on a few daily practices that help me start the morning feeling refreshed, energized, and ready for the day.
The key word here is “practice,” as I haven’t adopted this new routine perfectly—some days I wake up late and skip a few steps or I try something different for a morning or two. Therefore, I emphasize practice, as I do my best to get better at these activities every day. I’m excited to share these practices with you, as one (or all!) of them may be something you’d like to get better at with me as we journey towards a happier, healthier morning routine.
Wake up earlier.
As I said, I am not a morning person. The snooze button was and still is my best friend, so waking up earlier has been a gradual process for me. I realized that to practice any of the other tips below and not feel frantic and rushed, I needed to get up earlier.
I’m currently waking up about an hour before I used to, as I’ve learned I’m surprisingly productive and creative in the before-work hours. However, I made this change only 15 minutes at a time. Your body likely won’t even notice if you set your alarm for 15 minutes earlier, especially if you go to bed 15 minutes earlier, as well. And don’t forget to build in time for snoozing your alarm if you’re anything like me!
Meditate (in whatever way suits you) for 5 minutes.
Meditating for only 5 minutes immediately after I wake up has added more calmness to my morning than I ever could have imagined. I practice a more traditional form of meditation by listening to a guided recording from Headspace while focusing on my breathing, but I recognize this isn’t for everyone. To reap the benefits of the morning meditation practice, you can find stillness in whatever way works for you. You can imagine yourself sitting on the beach, as I described in “Happier, healthier & more purposeful in under 3 minutes,” or even find mental stillness through stretching, a few yoga poses, or whatever form of movement feels energizing. My biggest tip would be to do whatever feels best and if you’re planning to meditate with your eyes closed, make sure to turn on a light so you don’t fall back asleep!
And if you’re thinking you can’t spend 5 minutes of your busy mornings meditating, trust me, I’ve been there. If that’s the case, I’d encourage you to take a look at how you spend your first 5-10 minutes of every morning. If you’re like most people, you probably pick up your phone and start scrolling. If so, I’d like to challenge you to put the phone down and use that time to instead create a better mindset for the day.
Express your gratitude.
Practicing gratitude daily is something I recently added to my morning routine after reading Daring Greatly (check out my highlights from the book). In the book, Dr. Brené Brown explains how those living what she calls a “wholehearted” life make an effort to practice gratitude regularly. She puts the emphasis on “practice,” as her research shows it’s not enough to simply be grateful. Those that reap the benefits of gratitude, which include living a more joyful and connected life, take time to think about and express their gratitude on a regular basis, even when they aren’t feeling grateful.
Dr. Brown explains a gratitude practice can take many forms, whether it be a gratitude journal, daily gratitude meditations, or taking time out of a stressful or unpleasant situation to say aloud, “I am grateful for…”.
My gratitude practice has taken the form of a “gratitude envelope” on my nightstand. Every morning before getting out of bed, I write down on slips of paper (which I have already cut up—not a morning person, remember?) three things I’m grateful for. They range from big, like my health or my loving family and friends, to small, like a comfy bed or a delicious smoothie coming up shortly. I put the slips in the envelope, and later, if I’m feeling upset, stressed, or ungrateful, I can pull the slips out and read through all the things I’m grateful for.
Really wake up with a contrast shower.
If you’re looking to add some real pep to your step in the morning, look no further than your daily shower. I was a firm believer in the almost-too-hot-to-handle morning shower until about six months ago, when I took on my candida levels and, desperate for anything to give me more energy, changed my ways.
I now take daily contrast showers, which involve alternating between hot and cold water, to improve circulation. Someone over at Fast Company made the scientific case for cold showers so we don’t have to, but the basic premise is cold water improves blood flow and stimulates the areas of your brain that regulate your mood, leaving you more energized and in a better mood. Cold water may also help your immune system, as 2016 study showed participants who took a “hot-to-cold” shower for 30 days showed a 29% reduction in sick absence from work.
Ready to take the polar plunge? Luckily, contrast showers are so simple even sleepy morning-me can handle them. Shower in warm water for 3-5 minutes and then switch to cold water for 1 minute. Repeat 3-5 times and ensure you finish off with cold water. For the contrast shower to be the most effective, make sure you’re spending more time in warm water than in cold water. And don’t worry, the cold water is only shocking for the first cycle!
As another added perk of this practice, contrast showers serve as a tiny daily privilege check, reminding me how lucky I am to live in a country and a household with clean, warm water at my fingertips. If you’re feeling inspired to make clean water a reality for someone else, I’d encourage you to check out Charity: water, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the water crisis.
Free write.
Free writing, which may take you back to middle school writing class, is the practice of writing in a stream of consciousness style for a set amount of time. Author and New York Times contributing writer Adam Grant details how free writing, also called expressive writing, has been linked to improved happiness, health, and productivity. Adam explains expressive writing about negative experiences and stress has been shown to lead to decreases in depression, anxiety, anger, and distress, and free writing about future goals and dreams can make us happier and healthier. When we write about our stressors, fears, goals, and dreams, we’re better able to process them, allowing us to better cope with those feelings of stress and fear and to better intention-set when it comes to our goals and dreams.
To start reaping the benefits of a free writing practice, open up a blank page on your computer or in your notebook, set a timer, and get started—it’s really that simple. I’ve found the amount of time I spend writing doesn’t matter much, as I’ve spent anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes writing on various mornings. The key to effective free writing is avoiding distractions (I’d suggest turning your phone on silent!) and keeping your pen, or fingers on the keyboard, moving, even if all you can think to write is, “I don’t know what to write!”
Remember, the key word is practice
As you test out and adopt the tips and tricks I’ve highlighted above, don’t forget these activities are called practices for a reason. Pressuring yourself to perform each of these activities perfectly every single day, and shaming yourself when you can’t, is likely the most surefire way to negate any benefits you may see from adopting these practices. Join me in testing out these practices with an open mind and a sense of humor, allowing yourself to adapt and fail where needed, to create a happier, healthier morning routine that works for you.
Time for me to get busy paracticing. Thanks for these ideas!