As much as we all hate to admit it, most of us spend our mornings scrolling through social media before we head off to work. Unfortunately, this isn’t the best way to start your day – studies have shown that prolonged use of social media is linked to several mental health issues: depressive symptoms, low self-esteem, and even internet addiction.[1] Not exactly the best way to set the tone for your day.
Mornings get a bad rep because it’s hard to get out of the drowsy feeling of having just woken up. Because of this, people tend to neglect the importance of your morning routine on your entire day. Most of us try to ease this gloomy feeling by turning to our electronics for entertainment.
But did you know that there are better ways to start your day?
By changing up your morning habits, you will also be improving the quality of the rest of your day. Self-care isn’t just for nighttime routines – a healthy and stress-free morning is what you should always be striving for.
Here are some morning habits that you should adopt to improve your lifestyle.
- Always make sure to eat a hearty breakfast.
Breakfast is called the “most important meal of the day” for a reason.
Oversleeping, a hectic schedule, or laziness are just some of the reasons why some people choose to skip breakfast. While this routine works for some, others may not have the same experience – in fact, it can be dangerous as it contributes to metabolic impairment, which increases the risk of obesity and type-2 diabetes.[2]
After you’ve woken up, you’ve gone almost 12 hours without food. By this time, your glucose stores are low. Think of glucose as the body’s fuel – without it, you’ll feel groggy and fatigued trying to get through your daily tasks. Once your glucose reserves have been depleted, your body will start breaking down fatty acids. But without carbohydrates, this process will only partially oxidize your fatty acids, which actually reduces your energy levels.[3]
By eating a complete and nutritious breakfast, you’re set to have stable energy levels and improved concentration throughout the day. Here’s a list of foods that should be on your breakfast menu:
- Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are an important in keeping your energy levels high. When carbs enter your body, it gets broken down into two types of sugars: glucose, which is the energy source of every cell in your body, and fructose, which provides you with short term bursts of energy. Although they often get a bad reputation for being linked to weight gain, it’s all just a matter of choosing the right type of carbohydrate.
For a healthier diet, choose complex carbohydrates – these are the carbs that come from whole grain/less-processed variants of bread, pasta, and rice. Complex carbs are more filling and provides energy that lasts longer than simple carbohydrates.
- Proteins: Proteins are another must-have for breakfast: there’s a reason why traditional breakfasts around the world are protein heavy. Proteins are filling, and it slows down the production of the “hunger hormone” ghrelin. Proteins also provide energy to your muscles and it helps build new bone and muscle cells. Additionally, proteins will stabilize your blood sugar levels, balancing the effects of carbohydrates.[4]
- Fiber: Dietary fibers are essential to our digestive and cardiovascular health, so they’re a great addition to breakfast. Fibers will help you feel full longer and it also stabilizes your blood sugar levels. Grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes are some examples of fiber-rich sources of food.
- Fats: Like carbohydrates, fats have a negative reputation for being associated with weight gain. However, your body actually needs fats to function properly – just not the ones coming from the trans-fat-ridden fast food and processed meats.
Dietary fats provides your cells with energy and are an important component in cell regeneration. For instance, omega-3 fatty acids – which are mostly found in fish – are highly beneficial to heart and brain health. Your brain is actually made up of fats, so it needs dietary fats to maintain its structure and function.
Avoid trans fats and saturated fats, which are typically found in burgers, pizza, French fries, cookies, and butter. Instead, aim for mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which can be derived from plant and some animal sources.[5]
- Make your bed right after waking up
This may sound very simple and inconsequential, but making your bed in the morning will actually make a huge difference.
By finishing a task first thing in the morning, you’ll immediately feel a sense of accomplishment, which will give you an extra self-esteem boost. No matter how “small” it may be, this feeling of accomplishment will positively impact your day by inspiring you to finish your tasks one by one.
At the end of the day, you’ll come back to a bed that’s fully made up. A cleaner space will help you feel more at ease with your living area. In fact, studies have shown that people who have tidier bedrooms have better sleep, which is an important factor to your mood in the following day.[6]
- Take a cold shower
As much as some people may hate it, taking cold showers are actually great for your health.
Firstly, the quick jolt of coldness will instantly wake you up. It somehow works as a shock therapy that increases alertness, clarity, and energy levels throughout the day. In fact, cold showers have been recommended for people who struggle with depression and anxiety. In one clinical trial, taking a cold shower for at least 2-3 times a week was able to improve symptoms of depression. [7] This is because cold showers have the ability to activate endorphins, which is popularly known as the “feel good” hormones.
Cold showers also result in better blood circulation in the body, because your body will work twice harder to regulate its temperature. This is the same reason why we apply cold compress to wounds and injuries – your body works faster to deliver a fresh and warm supply of blood to counteract the coldness in that specific area, which in turn speeds up recovery.
- Practice yoga and meditation
If you have enough spare time in your morning routine, a short meditation or yoga routine will improve your mindfulness throughout the day.
By devoting time to breathe and letting your thoughts go, it will help decrease your levels of stress and anxiety in the morning. Compare this to starting your morning by checking your emails, social media, or the news, where you’ll immediately be hit by stress and negativity – this short period of peace and quiet will give you a healthy mindset at the start of your day.
Studies have also shown that people who meditate increases the ability to focus, which will also result in higher creativity levels. This will help you perform better at work, as you begin with a clean and healthy mind.[8]
Even a simple 5 to 10-minute meditation session is enough for you to feel the difference. And the best part about meditation is that you don’t need any equipment to do it. All you need is a quiet and comfortable space where you can meditate uninterrupted.
- Disconnect from the internet
Part of giving yourself a great start is to stay away from anything that will distract you from maintaining a positive outlook.
The internet is a place where billions of bytes worth of information is passed around every minute. Simply scrolling through your Instagram feed is a sensory and information overload for your brain, as it processes every picture and video that passes by. Even if its minimal, this additional stress and clutter in your thoughts will greatly affect your mindfulness throughout the day.
Additionally, bad news and negative posts will appear every now and then on your feed, which will definitely kill your concentration as it lingers in your subconscious mind.
In one study from the University of Nottingham and the National Institute of Education in Singapore, it was found that your willpower is at its peak in the morning. As the day goes by, your self-control levels deplete, which decreases your ability to focus and control impulses. By keeping distractions away early in the morning, you’ll be able to reserve this willpower energy for more important tasks later in the day. [9]
- Let natural light inside your bedroom
If you’re one of those people who love to keep their blinds shut, it’s time to keep them open if you want to improve your mornings.
Through evolution, our body has adapted to the day and night cycle that most of us practice today. Much so that sunlight activates certain hormones which stimulates certain processes in our bodies.
For instance, exposure to sunlight first thing in the morning increases the brain’s secretion of serotonin, the hormone commonly found in antidepressant pills. Serotonin is the hormone which stabilizes our mood levels, and generally boosts pleasant emotions and feelings of well-being. This hormone also helps us calm down and stay focused, which are both important in staying productive.
In contrary, decreased exposure to sunlight is associated with depressive symptoms. This is why some people have the tendency to feel depressed during winter seasons, which is a thing called Seasonal Affective Disorder.[10]
By exposing yourself to sunlight in the morning, you’re also telling your body of your waking hours. This stabilizes your circadian rhythm, which is your body’s natural clock that controls the fluctuations in biological processes. This will help you fall asleep faster and have a better quality of sleep, as your circadian rhythm will release the signals that tells your body to sleep at the appropriate time.[11]
Conclusion
Having a better morning routine is just a matter of self-discipline. As you can see, most of the habits described above will take less than 30 minutes of your day to accomplish.
Old habits may die hard, but by consciously changing your morning routine for the better, you’ll find that a short period of sacrificing your comforts will pay off in the long run. Not only will your mind and body become healthier, but it will also reflect in your work and personal life.
References
[1] Pantic I. (2014). Online social networking and mental health. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking, 17(10), 652–657. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2014.0070
[2] Macmillan, A. (2017, May 22) Here’s What Skipping Breakfast Does to Your Body. Time Magazine. Retrieved from https://time.com/4786181/skipping-breakfast-health-benefits/
[3] Ogata H, Kayaba M, Tanaka Y, et al. Effect of skipping breakfast for 6 days on energy metabolism and diurnal rhythm of blood glucose in young healthy Japanese males. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;110(1):41-52. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy346t
[4] Applegate, L. (2017, April 7). 4 reasons you should eat protein at breakfast. Runner’s World. Retrieved from https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/nutrition/diet/a775700/4-reasons-you-should-eat-protein-at-breakfast/
[5] Dietary Fats. (n.d.) Heart.org. Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/dietary-fats
[6] Make Your Bed For Better Sleep. (2020, July 28). SleepFoundation.org. Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/touch/make-your-bed-better-sleep
[7] Shevchuk, N. A. (2008). Adapted cold shower as a potential treatment for depression. Medical Hypotheses, 70(5), 995–1001. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2007.04.052
[8] Levy, D. M., Wobbrock, J. O., Kaszniak, A. W., & Ostergren, M. (2011). Initial results from a study of the effects of meditation on multitasking performance. Proceedings of the 2011 Annual Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems – CHI EA ’11. doi:10.1145/1979742.1979862
[9] Why You Should Never Start Your Day With Social Media. (2016). Vulcan Post. Retrieved from vulcanpost.com/602607/social-media-morning-routine-negative/
[10] Rosenthal, N. E., Sack, D. A., Gillin, J. C., Lewy, A. J., Goodwin, F. K., Davenport, Y., … & Wehr, T. A. (1984). Seasonal affective disorder: a description of the syndrome and preliminary findings with light therapy. Archives of general psychiatry, 41(1), 72-80.[11] Cherry, K. (2020, May 5) How Circadian Rhythms Act as the Body’s Biological Clock. VerywellHealth. Retrieved from https://www.verywellhealth.com/circadian-rhythms-the-bodys-clock-2795928#
