What you do the first couple of hours of the day can impact how you feel the rest of the day. While it isn’t easy to adopt new habits and change your routine, a few simple habits can make a difference. Having the best habits for calming morning routines will change how you feel, think, and perform throughout the day. You will wake up feeling refreshed and be better able to handle the stress of the day. Calming morning routines involve just a few small changes to the first hour or two of your day.
Let’s take a look at the best habits to start your morning that will rock your day.
1. Wake Up at the Same Time Every Day
Getting up at the same time each morning is the basis for a stable morning routine. By waking up at the same time daily your body’s internal clock, known as your circadian rhythm, remains in sync. Not only does consistency lead to better sleep quality, particularly if you also go to bed at the same time each evening, it also improves hormone regulation, providing more energy throughout the day [1]. The other benefit is it removes your excuse of not having enough time to follow through with the other habits recommended below.
Why It Matters
By waking up at irregular times your body has no idea when to release cortisol, melatonin or other essential hormones. As a result, this may lead to feeling sleepy in the morning and restless at night. If an erratic sleep schedule continues it will contribute to poor physical and mental recovery while sleeping, as well as brain fog during the day.
How to Make It Work
- Keep the same wake-up time—even on weekends. If you sleep too long it will negatively impact your body’s natural rhythm. You will also find yourself too rushed in the morning, causing additional stress.
- Get sunlight first thing in the morning. Exposing yourself to sunlight in the morning tells your brain that it’s time to wake up. This helps to reinforce your circadian rhythm.
- Stop hitting the snooze button. While it may seem so easy to press the snooze button for an extra few minutes of sleep, those extra minutes of sleep don’t actually help and can make you feel more tired.
- Change your bedtime gradually. It is far easier for you to change your sleep gradually if you need to wake up earlier. Try going to bed fifteen minutes earlier to wake up with an extra 15 minutes in the morning. Of course, ensure you get at least 7-8 hours sleep each night.
If you want to feel rested when you wake up, keeping with a regular wake up time will help you feel more energized for the rest of the day.
2. Start with Long Steady Breathing or Meditation
A few minutes of meditation (meditative breathing) in the morning will greatly impact how you feel for the rest of the day. Just a few minutes of meditation focused only on your breathing will lower stress, induce calmness, and will improve focus. Rather than rush through your morning (likely because you pressed the snooze button a few too many times), this habit can train your mind to stay clear, steady, and fresh for the day ahead. It will also improve your memory over time.
Why It Matters
When you wake up in the morning the stress hormone cortisol is released into your body to help you feel alert. The problem is if cortisol stays too high, you will feel anxious or on edge. With practicing meditation focused on your breathing, you can neutralize the effect of cortisol on your body keeping your nervous system more balanced. Even 5 minutes of long, slow, and steady breathing can reduce stress, lower your blood pressure and improve your mental clarity.
If you’re a guy over 50,, watching your stress level is important since chronic stress increases inflammation and weakens your immune system. It also makes it more difficult to stay sharp. Meditative breathing will cancel out the stress and keep you focused and relaxed.
How to Make It Work
- Try box breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Repeat for a few minutes.
- Use the 4-7-8 technique: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8. This helps to slow your heart beat and helps you feel calm.
- Sit quietly and focus only on your breath: If meditation feels difficult or unfamiliar, just focus on your breath as you slowly inhale and exhale using your diaphragm, in and out through your nose.
By simply focusing on steady breathing you can help start your day in control. This will set you up with sufficient focus, energy and a good mood for a great day.
3. Drink Water Right Away
One of the best morning habits you can have to help you feel awake, clear headed and energized is to drink water just after you wake up. Your body tends to get dehydrated after hours of sleep and a glass of water can help kick start digestion, support brain function, and improve circulation. It is an easy habit that makes a big difference in how you feel.
Why It Matters
During sleep your body loses water through breathing, sweating and digestion. For those who have had even mild dehydration you know you can feel tired, have a headache and may even respond more slowly. Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning can not only help avoid these symptoms but also benefit from the following:
- Rehydrate your cells for better energy and focus
- Helps with digestion by preparing your gut for food
- Flush out toxins that build up during sleep
- Regulate blood pressure for steady circulation
Keeping hydrated as you age is important. As you get older your body’s thirst signals lessen, making it easier to become dehydrated without noticing. Making it a habit of drinking water in the morning after waking will keep you in good health.
How to Make It Work
- Drink 12–16 ounces of water after getting up. This will help you replenish fluids quickly.
- Add a small amount of sea salt and lemon. The minerals help hydrate you and balance your electrolytes.
- Drink Water before coffee. Coffee is a diuretic, so drinking water before coffee will help prevent dehydration.
By staying well hydrated your body works better but by drinking water the first thing in the morning, You will benefit from better focus, greater energy and optimal health.
4. Move Your Body
Moving your body in the morning with a light exercise or short walk gets your muscles and joints working and improves circulation, helping to prevent stiffness. If all you plan to do after waking is sit for an hour eating your breakfast and then reading your phone, you aren’t setting yourself up for an energized day. You should try and get things going to shake yourself out of a state of tiredness and inactivity.
Why It Matters
After sleeping for 8 hours your body is in a stiff, rested condition. Increasing blood flow after waking warms up your joints and muscles and gives your brain a signal that its time to be alert. Even five minutes of morning movement, perhaps a short gentle stretching, can help:
- Increase circulation, sending oxygen to the brain
- Rid yourself of stiffness, especially around the shoulders, back, and lower legs
- Improve flexibility and reduce the risk of injury
- Improves your metabolism, by helping your body burn energy better
By not moving in the morning you can remain stiff with tight muscles and feeling sluggish throughout the day. Including movement as a part of calming morning routines you will feel better and more prepared for the rest of the day.
How to Make It Work
- Start with simple stretches to reduce tension and promote relaxation by focusing on your shoulders, back, and leg muscles.
- Do 5–10 bodyweight reps such as squats, push-ups, and planks for activating multiple muscle groups.
- Try dynamic movements such as arm circles, standing twists, or touching your toes to get your blood flowing.
- Go for a short 5-minute walk, ideally outside to get fresh air and natural light exposure. If you have a dog that wants to go for a walk, even better.
Adding movement such as stretching and light exercise to your morning will keep you energized, flexible and sharp, preparing you for a great day.
5. Get Natural Light
Perhaps the best habit, aside from getting up at the same time each day, is getting exposure to natural (sun) light soon after waking up. Like setting a wake up schedule, early sunlight helps keep your circadian rhythm in sync. With exposure to natural light your body is able to regulate your mood, hormone levels and energy levels. About 10 – 15 minutes of morning light is enough to help you feel more awake. It will also improve sleep quality [2].
Why It Matters
Your body’s internal clock controls when you feel awake and when you feel tired. Natural light exposure causes the release of cortisol which helps you wake up while suppressing melatonin, the hormone responsible for making you feel sleepy. If you don’t get enough sunlight in the morning you will remain in a groggy state and will disrupt your natural sleep-wake cycle.
If you are over 50 you need to do whatever you can to ensure your sleep rhythm is optimal since deep sleep becomes more difficult to achieve as you age. Morning sunlight helps regulate:
- Sleep patterns, making sure you have deeper, more restorative sleep
- Hormone production, including testosterone and serotonin
- Mood and focus, decreasing the risk of feeling sluggish or moody
- Vitamin D levels, which helps bone health, immunity, and overall energy
How to Make It Work
- Go outside within 30 minutes of waking up. Even if it’s cloudy, natural light still provides benefits to your brain.
- Open your curtains and let sunlight shine in. However, if you can’t go outside, sit by a window and look outside.
- Combine getting morning sunlight with other habits. Drink your water outside while you take a walk or do your morning exercises or stretches.
- Skip sunglasses for a few minutes. While you don’t want to stay out in direct sunlight too long, a few minutes of sun exposure (without looking at the sun) will keep you healthy and well rested.
Stepping outside first thing in the morning is a simple habit with huge benefits. It will wake up your brain and set your mood right for the rest of the day, providing better sleep the following night.
Final Thoughts for Calming Morning Routines
Most of the habits discussed here for calming morning routines are meant to trigger you circadian rhythm into switching from sleep to an awakened state. Inadequately doing so will leave you tired, stressed and stiff throughout the day. These best habits aren’t drastic: you can easily stack onto or replace current habits to make them easier to adopt. For ideas on how to do this check out Habits and Goals for a Successful Life and 12 Micro Habits to Improve Your Life.
If you want to improve your mornings and, as a result, your day, particularly if you are over 50, a structured morning routine will definitely help. Remember, small changes over time can make a huge difference in your long term health, which will help you regain your edge.
