6 Morning Strategies to Begin A Healthy and Productive Day
Productivity and health go hand-in-hand, if you are not feeling good then you are likely less productive. In an ideal world we would begin our day feeling great, ready to take on the world and conquer any task; but this is not always the case. Whether due to a busy schedule, stress & anxiety, or simply waking up on the wrong side of the bed, taking control of our morning routine to get back to feeling great is essential when wanting to have a happy, healthy, and productive day.
Many things happen to our bodies with normal wear and tear of our daily routines, and recovering from these are extremely important. Physical, emotional, and mental stressors commonly put an unwanted burden on our body and most of us feel the effects in the morning. A well-planned morning routine can help minimize these effects and return us to our energetic and productive selves.
Here are some strategies which can be implemented into your morning routine to help increase health, productivity, and positivity throughout the day. If you decide to try all of these strategies, it may require setting your alarm clock for a total of 15-30 minutes earlier, but the positives that come from doing these will likely far outweigh the negatives.
Hydrate:
Our bodies lose a significant portion of water throughout the night simply from breathing. This becomes a problem when we do not adequately hydrate and immediately jump into our day with a cup of coffee (a diuretic). Decreased hydration levels can leave us tired, hungry, and less motivated with decreased productivity as a result.
The best way to properly rehydrate after a good night's sleep is by drinking 12-16 ounces of water immediately after waking up. The addition of some himalayan or celtic sea salt and a sliced lemon can take this morning hydration routine even further. The salt allows adds more minerals to help facilitate water through the body while the lemon is essentially and alkalizing agent once in the body.
Optimize Your Coffee:
A loaded coffee filled with spoonfuls of sugar and cream may sound good while drinking it, but the high sugar content may actually worsen the afternoon crash by spiking insulin levels.
A better alternative to this would be drinking your coffee black or adding a couple of alternative flavor enhancers. Cinnamon is an excellent addition to coffee in the morning as it improves the taste and actually has a beneficial effect on regulating blood sugar (1), which may prolong energy levels and minimize the afternoon crash.
Still not appetizing? Add some stevia and unsweetened cocoa powder.
Stevia is a natural sweetener with 0 calories which may also have a similar effect to cinnamon by lowering blood sugar after meals and reducing the insulin spike (2).
Cocoa powder is a delicious addition which provides many health benefits from it's abundant antioxidant profile. In addition, it is a great complement to coffee if you get jitters or anxiety as it may also reduce anxiety and improve mental performance.
Take Time to Be Mindful:
For most people the morning is not as peaceful as they wish. It can be full of stress, anxiety, noises, and rushing. This type of chaos can have downstream effects by spiking stress hormone levels and causing additional stress, brain fog, and lack of energy throughout the day. This morning rush is not avoidable for many people, but the effects of it may be minimized before it even starts.
Mindfulness is a practice that simply involves taking some time to be present in the moment. It can include meditation, deep breathing, going for a walk, or even just sitting in silence. It does not take much time to see a benefit from this technique and it can be performed in as few as 5 minutes.
One of the best ways to practice mindfulness is to combine it with movement. "Mindful Movement" is a simple strategy that only involves going for a walk while focusing on your breathing and being aware of your surroundings. Studies have shown mindful movement to decrease stress and anxiety (3), which will help optimize your day by increasing positivity and productivity.
Movement:
As mentioned previously, movement and mindfulness go hand-in-hand. Combining the two in the morning is an excellent way to improve productivity. Exercise is known for it's positive effects on mood and brain power which can last throughout the majority of the day.
Exercising in the morning before breakfast is also a great way to jumpstart the metabolism, especially for those looking to burn fat. One study found that fat burning throughout the day was greater only when exercise was performed in the morning before breakfast (4).
Even if you don't perform a rigorous exercise routine in the morning, it may still be beneficial to get up and move. Going for a walk, a quick bike ride, and even some light stretching will undoubtedly provide some benefits for improving your day.
Breakfast, But Not Right Away:
We have all had the rushed breakfast on-the-go just because we have been told "It's the most important meal of the day, so don't skip it". Many of us do this on a daily basis and only take the time to have a quality first meal on weekends and special occasions. The truth is that there is not much research backing up the notion to never skip breakfast, and even if it is the most important meal of the day it should consist of quality food and not a quick high-sugar snack like a breakfast bar or drink.
Taking the time to wait until eating a high-quality breakfast or even skipping breakfast for a larger lunch may be a better option for most people. Utilizing the time between dinner and breakfast for fasting allows the body to repair and reset without focusing on digesting a large meal. It also may help curb cravings over time by reducing the reliance on a constant supply of carbohydrates.
The idea of only eating between certain hours is known as time-restricted feeding (sometimes referred to as intermittent fasting). Commonly, this would involve only consuming calories in an 8-12 hour window, leaving the rest of the time as a fasting period. In addition to the benefits mentioned above, this eating schedule can also help normalize the circadian rhythm and has been shown to possibly increase longevity.
To read more about intermittent fasting, check out my article here.
Organize Your Thoughts:
One of the most beneficial things that I have recently added to my morning routine is thought organization. Due to the hectic lifestyles that most of us live, we can lose sight of our goals, thoughts, and important things we need to remember to optimize our day.
Thought organization is as simple as taking a couple of minutes every day to sit down with a cup of coffee and write down a small to-do list, goals for each task, and positive thoughts that you would like to remember to focus on throughout the day. It is a short process that can make a big difference for productivity while easing daily anxiety.
A more detailed approach to thought organization can be found in my eBook: The Complete Bio Reboot.
LOSE THE ElECTRONICS
Our phones, tablets, laptops, and televisions can be a major distraction in our lives. Even if we are not actively using them, many times the thought of checking them and fear of missing out can subconsciously increase stress.
Getting into the habit of not checking your phone, turning on the television, or checking the news on your tablet can make a big impact for optimizing your morning routine. Turning off these devices can help you focus on the other strategies while easing the early morning anxiety. Schedule a time to check-up on electronics AFTER you finish your morning routine while you are in a good mindset to begin the day.
The Big Picture:
Overall, mornings may be the most important determinant in how our days are going to turn out. A good morning routine that focuses on body and mind health is essential for living a productive day. It is no surprise that many of the most successful people in the world have a daily morning routine that provides them with the right tools to have optimize their next 24 hours.