Stop hindering your day before it even begins, and pick up a few new habits to improve your day

• Why Did I Choose to Write About This?
• Number 1: Drink Water
• Number 2: Have a Productive Workout
• Number 3: Eat a Good Breakfast
• Number 4: Take a Cold Shower
• Number 5: Meditation
• Summary

Why Did I Choose to Write About This?

If you are anything like me, you know that getting out of bed can be quite a grueling adventure. You are lying in your bed staring at the ceiling, knowing that you have to get up some time. Perhaps you say a little motivational speech to yourself, reminding yourself that you have many exciting things to do today (possibly believing it), and if you are in bed, you can not partake in them. You slowly rise out of bed, still groggy and in a daze, and set your feet on the ground, immediately regretting your decision. What do you do after this? Well, many people simply splash cold water on their face, slowly get dressed, then leave their house, still tired. This is the exact reason why I am writing this.

I have experienced this exact feeling many times in my life, and I eventually grew sick and tired of it. I wanted to feel better in the morning, as I noticed that how I begin my day is typically how I end it. What I mean by this, is that if I start my day as being grumpy and tired, I oftentimes end my day that way. To reverse this, I conducted research as to what worked for other people, as well as simply thought about simple things I like to do. Through this, I was able to create a healthy and productive morning routine that would raise my energy levels, as well as drastically improve my mood. I do not claim to be an expert, nor can I guarantee that everything I list will work for you, nor can I include every single thing which may help. However, I can tell you what has worked for me, and if just one thing on this list can help you, then I have done my job. Let’s get started with creating your routine!

Number 1: Drink Water

The first step to your healthy and productive morning routine is… to drink water. It sounds simple right? Well, apparently it is not according to Cision. According to their “quench survey,” nearly 80% of working Americans claim they do not drink enough water. That number is quite staggering. If you are not properly hydrated, then you are often times far less physically and mentally alert. This is a one-way ticket to being groggy and tired for the entire day. Beginning each day with a glass of water, could provide you with some basic energy and nourishment. This may seem like such a simple tip, but from the data we observed earlier, not too many people heed this basic information. Honestly, just take the whole “improve your morning routine” thing out of the equation. According to an article by Dr. Ashish Sachdeva from Pinnacle Care, drinking water in the morning can “flush out the stomach and therefore (balance) the lymphatic system. A stable lymphatic system will help build a strong immune system.” So if not for improving your morning, simply drink more water to improve your health in general. You can not go wrong if you do this.

Number 2: Have a Productive Workout

Now, let me be very clear. I am not saying you should go full “beast-mode,” and have a 3 hour workout every morning. You will most likely seriously hurt yourself if you try. Instead, just do something small, no longer than 5 to 10 minutes (keep in mind, this is not directed towards athletes. If you are a competative athlete, and you train every morning, then obviously it would be different for you). I am not saying this should be or has to be your only exercise for the day. In fact, I will go as far as to say it should not be your only exercise of the day. However, if it is the morning, and you just woke up, and your body feels stiff, 5 to 10 minutes is all you need to get the blood pumping, and wake you up. If you want another reason to do this, according to Healthline article Exercise and the Brain: The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise, you will also have a better mood each day when you work out each morning, as it makes your brain release more endorphins. All in all, a healthy and productive morning routine will only get better with getting a bit of exercise each day.

Number 3: Eat a Good (and hopefully healthy) Breakfast

Again, let me be very clear. I am not saying this has to be an incredibly “healthy” breakfast (even though this is specifically aimed to help you have a “healthy and productive morning routine”). Don’t get me wrong, as it technically should be, but that is not always possible, depending on what someone’s financial situation may be, or just what someone has in their house at that particular moment. So yes, it should be healthy, but in the end what matters the most is if it is enough. You need to have a sufficient amount of calories each day, as that is what gives you the energy you need. If donuts are what happens to be in the house at the time, then donuts you shall have… just not too many. Now, if you do have the means to obtain the proper food, then keep these suggestions in mind: Bananas, low-sugar cereal, toast, eggs, etc. These foods, while not all are perfect, have enough nutritional value to serve as a healthy breakfast. Why am I mentioning this? It should be obvious right? Well, according to the article Why don’t more people eat breakfast? A biological perspective, by Samuel L. Buckner, et. al, almost 25% of Americans miss breakfast each day. Think of the calories and nutrients you are missing out on! Not to mention, this would also mean you probably will not eat anything until about noon that day. Overall, start your day off properly with a nutritional breakfast.

Number 4: Take a Cold Shower

Now this one may sound odd, but trust me, it makes more sense then you think. For one thing, it can wake you up in the morning, and help give you an efficient amount of energy. Why do you think people splash cold water on their faces in the morning? In addition, taking a cold water can also improve your body’s circulation, as well as make your skin look much better. Also, according to healthline, your metabolism will become much faster, by releasing certain hormones which help us digest more effectively. I get it, taking a cold shower is not exactly comfortable, and I am not even saying you should do it every day. However, even if it’s just a couple days a week, you will see some minor improvements in your days to come, and these minor improvements will all be stemmed from your improved healthy and productive morning routine.

Number 5: Meditation

When it comes to developing a healthy and productive morning routine, this may be the one people are the most against. You may be saying “Oh, meditation is just a bunch of pseudosceince. It does not actually work,” or “Meditation will only put me to sleep again!” Allow me to put your worries to ease. Meditation can most certainly help you in life, even if you only do it for a few minutes. Just take a few minutes each morning to think about various things in your life. You can think about some things that make you happy, reflect upon yesterday, think about how today can be better, etc. Just a few minutes to sit in silence, just to think clearly can do a world of good for you. In addition, thinking this way can help bring a sense of clarity into your day, which can help alleviate stress-levels. If you do not just want to take my word for it, the Mayo Clinic states that meditation has many benefits, such as “building skills to manage your stress,” “increasing self-awareness,” and “focusing on the present.”

Summary

Do you have to do any of these things? No. Will they help you? Yes. Overall, these are just a few things you can do which will help you have a healthy and productive morning routine, and start your day off on the right track. You can do all of them, or just some of them, as it all depends on what you are comfortable with, and what you have time for. Nevertheless, if you know someone who could benefit from this information, please share this with them. Their lives may be much better because of it.

Frequently Asked Questions about How to Create a Healthy and Productive Morning Routine: