4 Key health benefits of having a morning routine

One important aspect of self-care is to creating a morning routine. Why, you ask?

Well, when you start your day on the right note, you feel confident enough to tackle challenges and any stressful situations that may pop up in the best possible way. Your problem-solving skills improve and you will find that you don't become stressed very quickly.

The morning routine habit will help ensure you are better prepared to tackle your day calmly and without becoming frazzled. You may not believe that all the things you do in the morning matter that much, however, the truth is your morning routine has a big impact on the rest of your day. Health experts say that having a morning routine allows you to set the right pace for the day, giving you the opportunity to prioritize your day and reflect on the things you need or want to do. If you have never followed a daily routine, it’s not too late to start!

4 Key benefits of having a morning routine

Maximizing your energy levels

Many people hate mornings because their energy levels are low early in the day. As a person with a chronic illness, I know my energy level runs outs by midday, especially if I'm not careful how I manage how to use it. A great thing about a morning routine is that it can increase your energy, especially when you have a set schedule. When you keep yourself on track and stick to your routine you maximize your energy so you have more energy, which lasts you throughout your day. When you wake up, don't let yourself idle for too long and stick to your planned out schedule and routine you have set for the day.

Becoming a better problem solver and increasing your productivity

Learning to prioritize, make plans, and stick to them is sure to carry over into other areas of life outside of your morning routine. But, what about when the plans go haywire?

You may have an ideal plan in your mind for your morning routine but remember, that doesn't mean there won't be days when you oversleep, need to wake up earlier, or when all hell breaks loose and the kids are late for school or you are late for work or something else arises — but it's up to you to problem-solve and troubleshoot when these things happen.

Just remember, when something goes wrong it doesn't have to be the end all to your day. You can always turn it around. By having a routine it will help organize your morning so even if something were to go wrong it won't be that bad. Committing to a regular morning routine will inevitably help you become a better problem-solver, because sometimes life happens, you know? And you have to be prepared for it.

Improve mental and physical health

When you establish a morning routine, it helps you physically and mentally. The routine allows you to control your day rather than the opposite happening.

When you avoid stress, you improve both your emotional and physical health. Stress often occurs when you feel like you lack enough time to complete all your responsibilities or you worry about what needs doing next. When you have a routine, you always know exactly what you should be doing and what you have planned next. Your day will go much smoother. Plus, you’ll know that you have enough time to finish everything without rushing. Better health is a result of just a little extra planning.

Develop healthy habits

Setting a morning routine and following it over time you will be able to move through the motions of a routine with healthy activities in autopilot mode. Over time, you will find yourself adding some more good habits that become a great start to the day. Practice healthy habits, such as exercising or stretching instead of reaching for your phone the minute you wake up. Adding a nutritious, well-balanced healthy breakfast can give you energy and prevent you from snacking and eating too much during the rest of the day. When you start the day taking care of your needs, it creates a space and time that’s just for you. This will lead to a happier, healthier all-around outlook.

Having a morning routine and consistently going to sleep and getting up at the same time will have a positive impact on the quality of your sleep. With a better sleeping pattern you will get through the day being sharper and more alert.

Tips for Your Morning Routine

Personalize Your Routine

Start by asking yourself what you want to accomplish first, then go from there. Do you want to meditate right after you get up? Do you want time to drink your coffee in peace before the kids wake up? Do you want to focus on your hair and makeup then do some morning affirmations? Will a short workout help you feel better or is light stretching in the morning be a better fit?

Figure out what’s important to you and write it down. Then, plot out a tentative time table so that you know how long you’ll need to fit these priorities into your morning. After you do this, this should give you a good idea of when you should set your alarm each morning.

Starting your morning off on the right foot requires a routine. This is a set of habits that helps to wake us up and get us going. A few tips for setting a healthy routine might include:

• Maintain a set bedtime and waking time

I recommend setting a fixed bedtime and wake-up time and sticking to them as often as you can. Doing this will this set you up for a better day ahead and it can also provide more restful sleep at night.

That's because waking up and falling asleep at the same time sets your internal clock, or circadian rhythm, which makes for better quality sleep.

• Self Care

Self-care is often the first thing to go to when you’re rushing to get everything done in the morning. Getting the kids ready for school, getting ready for work and rushing to get out the door. This principle is essential to help manage day to day stress and stress of having a chronic illness. Find time to address your spiritual, physical and mental health. As soon as you wake up, take a few moments to meditate or pray. Take time to eat a healthy breakfast. Give yourself a few moments to say your affirmations and review what you’d like to accomplish that day.

• Make Your Bed

I know, making your bed is technically a chore. How can be a that be good thing? But hear me out. It can be a deceptively simple and tiny way to make yourself feel good. It goes a long way in making your space less cluttered and then in turn it makes your mind feel less cluttered. It also encourages good sleep hygiene. Also, who doesn’t want to crawl into a freshly made bed at the end of the day?

• Eat A Healthy Breakfast

A nutritious, well-balanced breakfast can give you energy and prevent you from eating too much during the rest of the day. The best options when it comes to eating a healthy breakfast is a one that is based on whole foods, i.e., foods that are in their natural state and not processed, with protein and fiber to satisfy and give your body fuel for the day ahead. Carbohydrates are your body's main energy source, but choosing carbohydrates high in fiber like fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, or whole-wheat toast are a great choice, because they slow down the spike of blood sugar and release of insulin. This keeps you full and energized for 3-4 hours. Protein and fat are also digested slowly and suppress hunger hormones. Here’s a list of 15 foods that have been proven to help promote energy levels.

Bananas, Sweet potatoes, Eggs, Apples, Water, Oranges, Quinoa, Oatmeal, Yogurt, Avocados, Strawberries, Seeds, Green tea, Nuts, and Leafy green vegetables. If you start adding just two or three into your breakfast every day you will have the energy you need to help you throughout the day.

• Self-affirmation

Affirmations are positive statements that can help to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts. When you repeat them often, and believe in them, you can start to make positive changes.

• Meditation

Meditation is a great tool to maintain a healthy balance of dialogue between your mind and your body. It is a simple technique that you can practice anytime and anywhere to alleviate stress.

Breathing meditation – You can use this technique alone as a meditation to calm your mind and reduce distractions. Simply focus your attention on your breath, the inhale and exhale.

Mantra meditation – Repeating words can help you find calm and focus.

Guided meditation – There are many resources online that have guided meditations and music to help you relax. Just google “guided meditation” and you’ll find tons of resources.

There are many apps out there that you can use to help you with meditation my favorite one is Calm. They have tons of different meditations and a lot options to choose from.

• Stretch your body

If your like me, and have a chronic illness, it's incredibly important to stretch and get your body moving in the morning. Anyone can enjoy a good stretch in the morning. It doesn’t have to be a full-on yoga routine. It can just be a way to get your blood flowing and to tap into the nice feeling of a good stretch with those muscles. Of course, stretching properly to avoid injury is extra important, especially in the morning when you might be stiff and not properly warmed up. If you are sore and stiff, like I usually am in the morning, be sure to start slow and listen to your body and only do what you can. If you want to do more in the mornings, you can use stretching as a warm up and then do your morning work out.

Once you’ve established your routine, simply keep it up. Doing these things day after day each morning it will quickly turn into a habit. Once you have a routine established, you will go on autopilot, easily enjoying these healthy activities. Eventually, you may find that you have time to incorporate new positive habits into your morning routine.