Are Morning Routines Worth the Hype?
If you follow health and wellness trends, it’s likely that you’ve heard about morning routines often and you may be wondering if there’s any merit to a morning routine or if it’s all hype. I am here to tell you that unequivocally, YES. That is the answer. I often think back to my days in Philly, where I’d hit snooze for at least an hour, drag myself out of bed at the last minute, rush to get ready, rush to walk to the office by 8am and get so frustrated by all the things that inevitably went wrong (cat fur on my coat, dropping my bag, spilling coffee on my shirt, or my favorite way to get set over the edge…my sleeve getting stuck on the door handle…iykyk…immediate rage lol). By the time I did get to the office, I was frazzled and annoyed and not my best self. I have no doubt the barista at Starbucks felt my negative energy, the women in my shared office space felt it, and my cortisol levels were OFF THE CHARTS. Elevated cortisol on a consistent basis is completely detrimental to my health goals, leading to imbalanced hormones and weight gain, mood swings and fatigue. This is not how you want to begin your day, every day, on repeat. Thankfully, those days are long gone and my mornings are long, peaceful and purposeful. My morning routine is the sole reason my energy is positive each day and it has changed everything in the way I show up. It’s not a coincidence that some of the most successful people get up at 4 or 5am and begin their day. I’m certainly not saying you have to set your alarm for 4am or become a “morning person” if you’re a night owl (but are you REALLY?), but the intention in how you begin your day is transformative, whether it’s with the sunrise or at 10am. I also know some of you are rolling your eyes because you’re not a meditator or don’t believe in affirmations and that’s fine too, because you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Find what works best for you, switch things up often, watch Vanderpump Rules if you want to (we’re in the midst of scandoval and I can’t look away), but give yourself time to begin your day in a way that makes you feel good and I promise you, it will change your life for the better.
There are many reasons that my mornings are so sacred, but one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is around cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that regulates stress and its most elevated about 30 minutes after you wake up. In primitive days, this was useful so that you could scan your surroundings and be on high alert for danger coming your way (a wooly mammoth, perhaps?). These days, the only danger to you that early is probably the unread text messages and emails that you may want to hold off on reading for bit. If you tend to experience anxiety, one of the best things you can do it give yourself the space to wake up and allow your cortisol level to come down before adding coffee and electronic stimulation and blue light to your mind. I highly recommend brushing your teeth (and using a tongue scraper) immediately and before drinking a big glass of water (with lemon, of course). You want to get rid of all the bacteria that was brewing as your body detoxed itself while you were sleeping, rather than swallowing it with your water. I also like to put on a playlist with healing frequency morning music to subconsiously calm my mind - this is the one I’ve been listening to on Spotify. This helps so much because I am the type of person who wakes up and immediately starts thinking of all the things I “need” to do that day and my brain is buzzing. If you are a coffee drinker, enjoy the ritual of making your coffee, and give yourself about 45 minutes to an hour after waking to drink it so that you’re not adding a stimulant on top of elevated cortisol. This can dramatically improve any anxiety you typically feel as you begin your day and throughout your day. Beyond these two things that I feel are MOST important, make your morning routine something that you look forward to, a time to yourself to be with your thoughts and space to process anything that’s coming up. Check out my coffee hacks on Pinterest! Below is a list of some of the things you may want to try incorporating into your morning. I like to switch it up and choose a few things that I’m feeling that day, and by no means do I try to do ALL the things every day. Some days I do wake up later, or Weiland wakes up early and my routine is non-existent, and that’s fine, it’s LIFE, but the consistency of my days is what makes up my life, not the random diversions, you know?
Journaling - I have been using The 5 Minute Journal for years and I stick with it because it’s simple, prompted and easy to stay consistent. It’s wild to look back on it and see all the things that have come to fruition.
Meditation or Breathwork - the power of breath is undeniable. I rely on these tools so much so that I’ve taught Weiland to take 3 deep breaths when he is restless before bed and he passes out within minutes. It’s the cutest thing ever and a tool I hope he relies on for life. Some of my favorites are the 4-7-8 method and Wim Hoff’s Guided Breathing. I also love the Chani app for quick daily meditations and To Be Magnetic for more specific meditations.
Move Your Body - walk, run, foam roll, hike, Pilates, whatever you enjoy doing, just get moving. The physical and mental shift I get from even a 15 minute Melissa Wood Health flow is significant.
Plan Out Your Day - an organized space is an organized mind. There’s nothing more distracting than thinking about what you have to do and when/how to get it done. Be productive instead of busy and you’ll find you actually have so much more time. There are also lots of great #productivityhacks on TikTok. I’ve been LIVING by the Pomodoro Technique!
Brain Training - I started focusing on working my brain in different ways after listening to Rob Dyrdek on The Him and Her Podcast, with Lauryn and Michael Bosstick. Because of him, I use the Luminosity app and I love it. Brain health has become something I focus on more than ever, after watching my grandmother suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s and reading Genius Foods by Max Lugavere.
Get Sunlight - within minutes of waking up, sans sunglasses. Let that light shine in naturally.
Read Something Inspirational - I love setting my mind right by reading The Daily Stoic.
Stay off your phone for at least 30 minutes. I usually pick up mine with my coffee after I’ve done the things above and enjoy them together.
Make your bed. This is so simple but so impactful. The way you present, whether it’s your space or your clothes, it all sets the tone for your day. An organized space is an organized mind.
Set an intention as you begin your day. Listen to affirmations (I love Jessica Stone’s), write an affirmation in your journal (The 5 Minute Journal has a space for this), or save one in your notes app for the day. I’ve also used affirmations as wallpaper on my phone since I see it often.
These are all the tools I like to pull from on any given day, depending on what I need or how much time I have. If you’re a newly minted morning person, try incorporating one or two activities from the list and keep it up for a week. Stick with what you like and drop what doesn’t do it for you. You can even keep a running list on a post-it note on your mirror (not in your phone or you’ll be tempted to check emails and social media!), and choose a few things each day to set the tone of your day and make it the most amazing day that it can be.
