Do you find that your morning routine consists of hitting the snooze four times, walking out five minutes later, and eating a protein bar while checking your email on the phone? It can seem like our whole day is a rush to catch up and get things done, making it difficult to feel productive or on top of our game.

Your morning routine will set the tone of your day. Feeling organized, energized and prepared first thing in the morning can set you up for a smooth, productive day. On the other hand, leaving the house feeling rushed and unorganized can lead to unhealthy food choices, stress, and anxiety.

It’s, therefore, important to have a set of consistent activities that provide structure in those early hours. Before we dive into our 12-morning routine ideas, let’s first look at the benefits of implementing a morning routine.

Benefits Of Having A Morning Routine

Table of Contents

The Benefits of Establishing A Morning Routine

Stress Reduction

In today’s world, we have enough to stress about daily, but mornings don’t have to be one of them. Our brains can function more efficiently and effortlessly if we know what’s ahead and are prepared for the next steps. Clarity and stability lead to calmer minds and more resilience, responsiveness, and attention.

Avoiding stress will improve your physical and emotional health. It may reduce your chances of suffering from depression, anxiety, and other illnesses such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

Improved Mental Function

Planning out your morning routine and sticking to it each day is key in setting up the rest of your day.

First, routine and consistent habits can improve cognitive or mental function.

This may allow people to be more creative. Research shows regular work habits can help workers focus on more challenging tasks and save cognitive energy.

You can think of the typical morning routines before the pandemic. They included helping family members get to work, getting a warm drink along the way, and greeting coworkers. These habits can help you have a productive day at work.

Memory research has shown that older adults can function better in their homes if they have a set of routines and habits.

Confidence

You might not realise it, but following a daily morning routine and sticking to it builds self-confidence. Self-confidence is your belief in yourself and your abilities. Therefore, the habit of following a thought-out structure each morning and sticking to it – proves to one’s self that you are capable of achieving goals and completing tasks. Starting your day off feeling confident will have a huge follow-on effect; you will like feeling better about completing work-related tasks and interacting with colleagues and friends, which by default boosts your overall mood.

Mood and Productivity

According to Harvard’s Continuing Education Division, a morning routine can increase your motivation and productivity, as well as make it easier to accomplish the tasks that you have set.

This attitude should be maintained throughout the day to prevent you from wasting your time. As opposed to starting multiple tasks and leaving half unfinished, you will find it easier to concentrate and more likely to complete them all. You’ll feel accomplished at the end of your workday and be able to relax in the evening.

Morning Routine Ideas | Live Well With Belle

12 Morning Routine Ideas To Boost Mood and Productivity

Morning Routine Ideas #1

The Perfect Morning Routine Actually Begins In The Evening

What you do in your evening directly affects the flow of your morning. If you stay up too late or have a poor night’s sleep, you will sleep in or miss your alarm. If you have a few glasses of wine, you might feel groggy in the morning and not like exercising. An effective evening routine should consist of preparing for the next day, unwinding, and getting ready for bed.

What To Prepare For The Day Ahead

Prep your work lunch and snacks
Put out your workout clothes, ready to change into in the morning
Select your work clothes (make sure they are clean and ironed)
Fill out or plan a to-do list for the next day or set yourself reminders

How To Unwind And Ensure You Get A Good Night’s Rest

Know when to end your day!
Eat a nutrients rich dinner and limit or avoid any alcohol
Limit phone use
Maintain a consistent bedtime. This one is a must to keep your body clock on track, helping you wake up at your desired time each morning.

Morning Routine Ideas #2

Avoid The Snooze Button

We have all fallen into the trap of hitting the snooze button a few times each morning before we get out of bed, but did you know that the ‘extra’ sleep you think you are getting can affect the rest of your day? Studies show hitting the snooze button affects how long your body is in a state of inertia (the transitional phase between sleep and awake)

In other words, pressing snooze makes your body feel groggy and fatigued for longer; it can also affect metabolism and energy levels throughout the day.

Similarly, It’s time to swap out that annoying buzzer alarm sound for something with a softer melodic tone. Research from 2020 suggests that being woken up gently by a melody or rhythmic instrumental will help you relax and not wake you up abruptly.
This is supported by older research, which notes that music you like can reduce sleepiness after a nap. This means that choosing an alarm tone you like will benefit you most.
Take a moment to review your phone’s alarm ringtone selections and choose a nice melody. You will be glad you did.

Morning Routine Ideas #3

View Early Morning Sunlight

Sunlight exposure on our body and in our eyes first thing in the morning is more important than one might think. According to Andrew Huberman, host of the Huberman Lab Podcast, exposure to natural light in the early hours drastically benefits our mental and physical health. This is because it helps our body and mind wake up in the morning.

So how does light have this effect? Exposure to morning light triggers the release of cortisol (a healthy amount) and serotonin (a mood-boosting hormone) into your system; this acts as a wake-up signal promoting alertness and the ability to focus throughout the day.

As humans, our body runs on a circadian clock, so viewing early morning light at the same time each day also helps us feel tired and sleepier at night, aiding a good night’s rest.

For these reasons, make sure you add viewing morning light into your morning routine. It will do wonders for your internal body clock and how you function throughout the day. And don’t worry if you’re a person who rises before the sun; viewing a lightbox or light therapy kit will achieve the same results.

Morning Routine Ideas #4

Make Time For Exercise

One of the best changes I made to my morning routine was getting up an hour earlier and getting in a morning workout. Getting my body moving early in the day made me feel more awake and energised than my morning coffee; it also made me feel good and ready to take on the rest of the day.

Exercise is not only about weight loss; research shows exercise improves mental health by mitigating anxiety and depression and increasing self-esteem and focus.

Some people may question why I should sacrifice more sleep if I can do my workout in the afternoon or after work. However, opting for a morning workout increases the likelihood of the habit becoming more consistent.

People generally have fewer social commitments in the morning than in the afternoon or evening; it can also be challenging to find the motivation to complete a run or gym session after a long day’s work. If you add a workout to your morning routine, you can tick it off nice and early, providing more free time later in the day to unwind.

Before we move on, remember that adding exercise to your morning routine doesn’t mean you have to go for a 10km run or spend hours at the gym lifting heavy weights; pick an activity that you find fun and works for you, that way you increase the likelihood of sticking to it.

Here are some exercise ideas you could add to your morning routine:

Go for a 15-minute walk around your neighbourhood
Follow an online pilates class
Do a dance workout (there is plenty on youtube you can follow)
Walk or cycle to work
Take a gym class
10 Minute yoga
Walk to your local coffee shop and back

Morning Routine Ideas #5

Try To Be Still

While movement is essential in the morning, stillness is equally important. Michael Hyatt, ex-CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, best-selling author, entrepreneur, and professional coach, suggests that silence can help us start the day off on the right foot.

Meditation, breathing, prayer, and other activities are great examples of how this could be part of your morning routine. Being still can help you feel more grounded, focused, and ready for your tasks. This step is essential to feel more relaxed and productive in your day.

Stillness allows us to reset and stay fully present at the moment. Multitasking, looking at emails, scrolling through Instagram, or other distractions can increase anxiety and stress. Meditation and breathing exercises can help you to feel relaxed and calm.

Morning Routine Ideas #6

Spend Time Doing Your Skincare Routine

Spending time doing your morning Skincare routine can do wonders for your mood. Not only do you feel like you are taking care of yourself and your skin, but putting that little extra effort into your appearance can make you feel more confident as you head out the door.

Ticking off your morning skin routine each day can even be another tool to help wake you up, refreshing those tired eyes.

Morning Routine Ideas #7

Eat a Healthy Breakfast

A balanced, nutritious, and delicious breakfast is a great way to start your day. It will also give you energy and fuel for the day.

Although breakfast isn’t a must, it can boost your morning, especially if you choose whole grains, whole fruits, veggies, and protein like eggs and plain yogurt. Remember to keep hydrated. You can have a balanced breakfast with coffee, green and black tea, and plain water. Instead of drinking your morning drink in a rush, take a moment to enjoy it slowly.

Here are a few healthy breakfast ideas to get you started

Morning Routine Ideas #8

Simplify Your Decisions

Avoid “decision fatigue” by not wasting your time and brainpower on low-level decisions.
These can be minimised by preplanning choices ahead of time. For example, planning your meals or selecting all your work outfits for the next day or coming week.

This strategy was implemented by Mark Zuckerberg, who famously wore a T-shirt and a hoodie daily to work. Barack Obama used a similar approach for his breakfast and clothes.

Morning Routine Ideas #9

Create a To-Do List

Life is busy. There is always another errand to run, someone to see, a text to respond to, a dishwasher that needs unpacking, and a bill to pay. The list is endless.
Creating a to-do list allows you to unload all the thoughts and clutter from your brain onto a piece of paper or your notes app on your phone.

Doing this limits the chances of forgetting an essential task and, more importantly, help you avoid the feeling of stress and anxiety when you realise you have forgotten to do something really important, like paying for your car rego.
To-do lists help you prioritise your responsibilities and give you a more straightforward idea of which items are best suited for tomorrow’s to-do list. This will help you keep your workload manageable and reduce overwhelm. To-do lists should be a crucial part of your morning routine to help you stay productive and organised.’

Morning Routine Ideas #10

Practice Gratitude

Tony Robbins, a life coach and author, has a morning ritual that acknowledges what he is grateful for daily. Robbins stated that he spends three and a quarter minutes in pure gratitude.

Daily practice can help you improve your outlook and overpower negative emotions such as fear and anger. One study found that scientists asked people with neuromuscular conditions to keep a daily gratitude journal, and another group kept a diary detailing their daily hassles.

Participants in the hassle condition reported 25 per cent more happiness than those in the first group. In addition, the study found that the first group exercised 1.5 hours more per day and had fewer physical symptoms like headaches, shortness, or chest pain.

Morning Routine Ideas #11

Do Something You Like Or Enjoy

Your morning routine can be about more than just productivity and preparation. You can make your mornings more enjoyable by setting aside time for the things you genuinely love; you deserve to do something for yourself before you go off to work and spend hours doing things for someone else.

Even if you don’t like them initially, it can become an enjoyable practice to meditate, journal, or do yoga. It’s still worth dedicating some time to hobbies that you enjoy.

For example, you might:

Paint or draw
Catch up with your favourite YouTube channel
Read or listen to a book
Play your favourite music
Work on an art or craft project

Morning Routine Ideas #12

Connect With A Friend Or Loved One

You have the best intentions when staying in touch with family and friends. However, you’re usually so exhausted by the end of the day that you can’t bear to think about having a conversation with anyone.

Do you feel like this? This is nothing to feel guilty over. Everybody needs some time to be alone. If you don’t get enough, it can lead to frustration and burnout.

However, it is important to build relationships with family and friends. You can visit your loved ones, make a phone call, or video chat once in a while if you are having trouble making time for them daily.

You can make a difference in your relationships by reaching out in different ways or at other times of the day. And, of course, starting your day with a call or cup of coffee with a loved one can increase feelings of connection and improve your mood.