Morning routines: 5 easy ways to start your day on a healthy note

How do you start your day? Are you a snooze-button wizard, a serial scroller, or a 5 am gym junkie? 

What you do when you wake up matters. Following a set morning routine filled with some great habits can help set the stage for preventative medicine, versus corrective medicine.

As the saying goes, “if you win the morning, you win the day.” That’s why a lot of wellness experts tout the benefits of a solid (offline) morning routine. Investing more time and good habits when you wake up can transform how the rest of your day unfolds.

Getting some good morning habits down has been shown to make it easier to prioritise your mental and physical health throughout the rest of the day. A healthy morning routine can change your mindset and leave you feeling energised, relaxed and ready to get the best of your day.

We know what you’re thinking. Morning routine? I’m not even a morning person. But the good thing is there are a few easy things you can do to set yourself up for success the moment you open your eyes.

So, let’s talk about some of the things you can add to your morning routine.

1. Wake Up Early 

You wake up at a decent time, but then end up hitting the snooze button so many times, you end up having to rush around trying to get ready for work at record speed. Sound familiar? As tempting as it is to give yourself a few extra minutes in duvet land, the time pressure means you end up starting your day tense, stressed and anxious.

Instead of rushing around to get to work on time, set your alarm to wake up a little earlier. Starting your day earlier gives you more time to practice the habits that set your day up for success and wellness.

Let’s look at two of our favourite go-getters. Apple CEO Tim Cook wakes up at 4 am to read, and Michelle Obama gets up at 4:40 am for a workout. While you don’t necessarily have to go as hard as them, set aside a little time to do the things that contribute to your overall wellbeing. Having the time to make your breakfast, take a walk and a long shower can make all the difference in giving you a chance to get your day started on the right foot.

 

2. Check-in with yourself, not your phone

Research by Deloitte says that 43% of people check their phones within the first 30 minutes of waking up while a further 62% do so within the first 15.  

One minute you’re turning your alarm off, and the next minute you’re stuck in an infinite Instagram scrolling session. And if you’re strong-willed enough to make it out of that, it’s straight into checking work emails and texts and before you know it - you’re back in the matrix.

What you experience in the first few minutes after you wake up has an indelible impact on your psyche and mood and sets the tone for the rest of your day. While our phones can be our lifelines, they also carry with them a lot of stressors - news notifications, bank balances, work deadlines. We plug back into the outer world so fast, we don’t give ourselves the time to properly reconnect with ourselves.

With this in mind, it’s no surprise that wellness experts say the best morning routines should be phone-free. Sleeping puts you in a relaxed state and being able to maintain that level of calm for as long as you can is important. It’s good for our bodies and our reactive emotional systems to try and reduce the amount of stress we’re exposed to in a day. It’s important to check in with yourself before you let outside influences check in with you. 

3. Hydrate

We don’t have to tell you how important it is to make sure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day. Getting your H2O in the morning helps prevent the negative effects of dehydration that disrupt your day, like headaches and tiredness. If you struggle with getting your 2 - 3 litres a day, then keep a glass on your bedside table.

If you’re getting your recommended hours of nightly sleep, that means you’re probably going a good 6-8 hours without consuming any water. That’s a pretty long time. Having a big glass as soon as you wake up is a great way to rehydrate.

Most people start their day with a coffee, and while it might be a good source of antioxidants, it’s also dehydrating. If you religiously make yourself a cup of coffee in the morning, try offsetting it with a glass of water. Better yet, slip some lemon into your water. It’s known to promote hydration, improve your skin quality and aid in digestion as well as help you get that all-important vitamin C.

4. Get Moving

Whether it’s a run, walk, a trip to the gym, yoga or even just a stretch, exercising early in the morning will help you start the day with more energy, focus and optimism.

Getting active in the morning sets the tone for a healthier day. When you exercise early it makes you more likely to eat a good breakfast, and stay healthy for the rest of the day. It’s usually easier to work out in the morning because you can get it out of the way before the rest of the day’s responsibilities get the best of you. 

As well as setting you up for a healthier day, it also helps you get a better night’s rest. Exercising in the morning can help regulate your sleep-wake cycle, 

A 2014 study in Vascular Health and Risk Management found that adults got better sleep on the days they exercised at 7 am.

5. Eat a Good Breakfast

When things get busy, the first thing that falls to the wayside is our eating habits. As tempting as it can be to skip breakfast to get through your to-do list, it really is the most important meal of the day. Having a healthy breakfast packed with healthy carbs, fats and proteins rather than sugary cereals or breakfast bars give you the energy you need to get through the day - and tick off that to-do list the best you can.

Starting the day off right doesn’t end with a good breakfast. Supporting a healthy diet with some wellness gummies can help boost your wellness even further. Taking gummies in the morning is a great way to make sure you’re getting your day off to the best start and giving your body what it needs to function the best it can. Try slipping some apple cider vinegar gummies into your morning routine to boost your gut health.

The Kiwi Goodness Company’s gummies provide you with all of the goodness of natural ingredients without all of the fuss. Choose from Mānuka Honey & Apple Cider Vinegar, Mānuka Honey, Turmeric, Lemon & Ginger and Mānuka Honey, Blackcurrant, Vit C, Zinc