Do’s and Don’ts for a Healthy Morning Routine

I don't know about you, but I have been waking up sluggish lately. Normally, I blame this on drinking too much the night before, my diet, or the weather. Realistically, I need to take accountability of my actions and start making smarter decisions that lead toward a healthier morning.

Here are a few ways that you can also do this and somethings that you may want to avoid.

Plan Your Day

Getting your food to start your day is key to keeping your body moving. I am a firm believer that you don't have to eat "Breakfast food" in the morning only but you do have to eat something nutritious.

Studies have shown that eating bigger meals later in the day can raise your cholesterol levels and increase your body's chances of gaining weight. Experts agree that not eating soon after you wake up can make people more prone to consuming sweets later in the day.

It can be difficult since a normal routine for people can be to sleep as long as possible without being late for work, but you can make smoothies, have meals made in advance, and pick something up on the way.

Eating a healthy breakfast is one way to start your day on the right foot but not the only way. Meditation is a great way to improve our creativity and mental health. It can also help us think more clearly and efficiently.

"When you're struggling with keeping your brain active, try doing something that's both mentally and physically challenging," says Goodwin.

For most of us, we have millions of thoughts a the end of the day stressing us out. Meditation allows you to get rid of those stressful thoughts and helps you relieve stress. 

Some do this at the end of the day to help relax before bed while other start their day with meditation to reduce the number of stressful thoughts that could come that day.

One of the best ways to relieve stress is to exercise. I've seen people start their day at the gym to get their energy up, squeeze it in at lunch, and go after work. It all depends on what works best for, but it's important to make sure you get enough exercise every week.

Experiencing a sweat-producing session helps the brain release endorphins, which are chemicals that can help reduce pain and improve well-being. These chemicals are what help lower stress levels and increase your energy level.

Know your Body

Getting outside in the sun helps your body clock wake up. This may be difficult, depending on where you live or if it's the winter, but even if you just sit near a window for a few minutes a day, but it helps.

According to a field of research, the lack of light triggers the body to produce melatonin, which tells the body to sleep. This hormone can also trigger mood swings and cause low energy. 

Studies show that using artificial bright light to boost your body clock can help improve mood and reduce fatigue.

Being hydrated is a great way to make sure you keep your mood up. May of us don't realize that you lose a lot of water during sleep and that makes it important to hydrate in the morning.

Drinking water helps keep the body hydrated. It can be boiled, frozen, or straight up. It's recommended to have a glass of water in the morning to also start the metabolism and help you focus.

I believe the main cause of poor focus today is the distraction that social media gives us. How many times to you see people walking around looking down at their phone while on some social media platform?

Not only are social media platforms killing your focus, it can also affect your emails and news feeds. If you're constantly bombarded with negative news and updates, it can take a toll on your mental and physical health. 

It can also take a toll on your phone.

Follow motivational pages on Instagram and Twitter and you will automatically tune in to the positive messages that are posted on these platforms.

What you May want to Fix

The easiest way to waste your energy is by making too many decisions after getting up. This includes making decisions about what to eat for breakfast, when to leave, and how to get to work. 

Too many decisions in the morning can lead to a lack of willpower. This can also affect your mood and mental energy.

Being well-prepared before bed can help you wake up and feel great about yourself. It will also allow you to take care of your mind and body.

If you snooze, it means that you agree to limit your time for important things. It also means that you accept defeat as your first action in the morning.

Get up and get ready to start the day. You can do this by placing your phone in the living room or the bedroom so that you must get up to stop the alarm. There're some apps that will keep on ringing until you get up and do something like complete a puzzle.

Not getting enough sleep or over sleeping is a common complaint. If you start your day by criticizing anything, it can lead you towards a bad start to your day. Instead of focusing on the bad, try focusing on the good.

Your words and thoughts can also affect your state of mind. If you focus on the good things in life, then you will find more of them and that will lift your spirits. This helps you focus on the things that are important to you and boost your happiness.

Keep a gratitude journal to motivate yourself and raise your energy levels. It works so well because it lets you know that you're being grateful every single morning.

You can start by creating a list of 15 to 20 items that you're grateful for each morning. Then, go back the next day and see what you can add to your list. It's fine to not have something to add one day but as you keep doing this you will find you have something to add most days.

You might be grateful for sugar, I know I am, but you may want to keep track of how much sugar you have in your diet. 

Jordan Peterson, a personal trainer, and author, talks about how he helped clients drop their anxiety levels by introducing them to high-quality protein and fat-rich meals.

Simple sugars and carbohydrates are digested too quickly, which can lead to a spike in blood sugar. The truth is that most of the time, breakfast meals can be very detrimental to our well-being. 

They can lead to a reduction in productivity and worsen our health conditions.

The easiest way to control your morning routine is to prepare them in advance. You're more likely to eat a nutritious breakfast if you prepared it ahead of time.

Final Thoughts

I will admit, I haven't tried all these but I know those who have, and they do them every day. I may never be the person who starts a gratitude journal, but it's something that can help. 

Don't looking at something and say you will never do that. Being open-minded is one of the strongest personality traits you can have. 

I believe that if more people were open to new ideas there would be less fighting in the world. Start small, try some of these tips and you will be happy that you did.