As the weather is warming up, people are starting to change up their daily routines. Most of us have a morning and a night routine that we follow every day, whether we are conscious of it or not.
Mornings set the tone for the rest of your day, so you’ll want to form health promoting habits that you can try to accomplish each morning. After a good (or not so good) night’s rest, your morning activities can help prepare you for the day ahead.
Here are five morning habits that have been proven to help promote both your mental and physical health:
1. Hydrate
Re-hydrating your body is super important first thing in the morning. For the past 8 hours (or however long you have been sleeping) your body has been dehydrated. This water does many things; it kickstarts your metabolism, fuels your brain, and flushes out toxins, to name a few.
You can hydrate in the morning by drinking plain water, tea, or another hydrating concoction. Starting the morning with a mixture of water plus a few teaspoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice is great because it is very anti-inflammatory and will give your immune system a boost.
2. Breathe
Taking a few minutes or longer to center yourself in the morning can prove very beneficial for your mental health throughout the rest of the day. The simple truth is that mornings can be rushed and stressful. Giving yourself a bit more time to yourself to just sit and check in with how you are feeling will help you enter into the day with more awareness.
This will look different for everyone. Some people can afford to take a half hour meditation, but others can only afford a few quiet moments over breakfast. Even just sitting with a cup of tea or coffee in the morning and setting an intention for the day will help you be the best version of yourself.
3. Move
For the sake of time and sleep, working out in the morning can be unrealistic for some people. For others, waking up early to get in a blood pumping workout in is an excellent form of self care. If you don’t have time to workout and shower in the mornings, there are plenty of other ways to incorporate movement into your morning routine.
Yoga is a great way to prepare you mentally and physically for the day ahead. A short walk also does a good job of getting your blood flowing. Even just stretching when you wake up is a great way to loosen up your body and increase blood flow to your muscles.
4. Get Outside
Getting some fresh air in the morning is invigorating – it wakes you up, and can even reset your circadian rhythm. Not to mention that starting your day outside has been proven to help calm you, boost your mood, and even stimulate creativity!
5. Fuel
As a company that focuses on food and nutrition, of course we have to include the importance of starting your day with a healthy breakfast. Food fuels our bodies so that we are able to go about our day-to-day activities with sustained energy. This is why it is important to eat a breakfast that is a combination of healthy fats, protein, and carbs. This will help keep you fuller for longer, as well as stabilize your blood sugar.
If you are not much of a breakfast person, don’t force yourself to eat a huge breakfast. Listening to your body’s cues is just as important. Instead, try eating something small or just be sure to pack a healthy breakfast with you for when you do get hungry.
The same goes for every other aspect of your morning routine – you have to find what works well for you. Every individual person will have a different schedule, likes and capabilities. So try out different forms of hydrating, breathing, moving, getting outside, and fuelling your body every morning to find your own unique summer morning routine.
What are non-negotiables in your healthy morning routine? Let us know in the comments below!
