Start your morning right! 4 Tips to have great mornings

It’s well-proven that waking up and going to sleep at the same time every day is good for metabolism, digestion, and general well-being. This Psychology Today article, Create a Morning Routine that Works for You, dives into the different types of “chronotypes” — which are natural tendencies to be more awake at night or in the morning. It’s helpful to learn about your chronotype — which can help you determine when to set your alarm each day.

Waking up at the same time every day adds reliability and consistency to the day. Staying in a routine feels comfortable and safe, and is a great way to jump-start your day. There is some research that suggests that waking up at the same time every day can help lead to more productivity. This Mind Body Green article suggests that people who wake up at the same time every day report higher overall happiness in their financial and work situations. 

As the days grew longer and lighter, slowly Emily began to gain back her strength. Winter has always been a difficult season, living in Toronto, where the days are so short, and the winters are so intense. The pandemic had particularly been painful for her, living alone, and working from home. Her bad habits and social anxiety had become heightened, and this spring, she was feeling ready for a new start.

 After doing some internet research on healthy living, Emily began to see a pattern emerge. Every health guru, every doctor, and every seemingly positive and healthy influencer had one thing in common: they begin each day with set healthy habits. Most mornings, Emily would stir awake, grab her phone, check her email and the news, and finally social media. Then she’d make some coffee, and start work on her laptop, on a desk, next to her bed. Many mornings, Emily didn’t feel well, physically, or mentally. She was often tired and would numb her feelings of isolation with alcohol and unhealthy food. She was angry frequently and directed her ire at whoever on social media was the current target. Finally, Emily realized if she didn’t intentionally set new habits, her life wouldn’t get any better.

It can be difficult to know exactly where to start when setting new morning habits! At Qualicare, our senior care franchise owners and staff care greatly about the holistic health of our clients, which begins right when a person wakes up. Here are 4 tips for setting and keeping a happy and healthy morning routine:

Plan good habits the night before

A good morning routine begins the night before. It is natural, as our brains get tired, that we can fall back into default habits that can be less helpful to getting a good night’s sleep. So, it’s a good idea to be aware the night before to try to prime your mind for a good night’s sleep and create better morning habits.

One good step would be to increase healthy habits at night which creates more restfulness and pleasure. A long hot soak in the bathtub with Epsom salts, reading pleasurable books, restful yoga, slow outdoor walks, and evening meditation or contemplation, can be great ways to relax the mind and body prior to sleeping. Some people find writing in a journal at night is a great way to emotionally and physically relax as well.

When you add a healthy habit, think about taking away one habit that doesn’t aid good sleep or a restful morning. For example: consider cutting back or quitting drinking alcohol at night, give yourself a solid end-time for looking at screens, and stop checking email at 6 or 7 pm. Try to keep these habits even on weekends. Testing out just a few habits pre-morning will help you set your focus and flow for waking up.

Drink water first thing

Canadian Living’s article Good Morning Routines notes that first thing in the morning, it’s great to drink a glass, or more than one glass, of room-temperature water. Consider keeping a glass of water right by your bed stand. Water stimulates your digestion and metabolism.

About 60% of our body is made up of water, and we constantly need to replenish it. When we wake up, we’re dehydrated because we haven’t had any water to drink for many hours. Water gives us energy first thing and helps us wake up. Drinking water can help keep our brains sharp and prevent brain fog and headaches. Mental performance is boosted when the body is more hydrated.

Move your body

Many people feel groggy when they first wake up. One great way to naturally wake up is to move your body. Some people like doing hard cardio workouts or lifting weights, but taking a short brisk walk, or doing some yoga stretches are also easy and simple ways to get the lymphatic system engaged. The important thing is to warm up the muscles enough to speed up your blood circulation so that energy levels can increase.

It’s taken many trials and setbacks, but three months after Emily decided to make her mornings more intentional, she’s developed a routine that works for her. Now, Emily stops looking at screens at 9 pm and takes a hot bath before bed. She decided to move her desk away from her bed and make her bedroom just for sleeping. Now, in addition to her coffee, Emily drinks three warm glasses of water every morning. And instead of starting work right away, she’s started going on 20-minute walks. Though life still isn’t always easy for her, it’s getting better. One new habit at a time.