It feels natural to use the start of the year (or month, or week, for that matter!) as a turning point for change. But, if there’s something in your life that you want to improve, getting started is the most important thing, no matter when that is. Midweek, mid-month, mid-year – wherever you’re ready to start is THE best time to start.
Nonetheless, I know that many of us like to make changes to our routines at this time of year so I’ve looked at one of the things I’ve improved since last year – my morning routine – in order to share some tips to help you do the same.
Despite it being so cold and dark in the mornings at the moment, the good news is that the days are only going to get brighter and warmer from now onwards so it’s the perfect time to start a new morning routine – if you can stick to it now, it’ll be super-easy to keep it going as the weather and daylight improves throughout the year.
My own goal last year was to get up at a set time every morning (hopefully without the need for an alarm), see the sunrise, go for a walk, eat a healthy breakfast and feel like I’d had some time for myself before my busy day began. It sounds lovely, doesn’t it? But, here’s the first thing I discovered…
It all begins in bed
The key to having a healthy morning routine is getting a good night’s sleep. There’s no chance you’re waking up feeling rested and ready to embrace the day if you’re tired out from staying up late or tossing and turning throughout the night.
So, the easiest first step is to make sure you have a comfortable bed and a distraction-free bedroom to sleep in. You can choose dark, cocooning colours for your bedding or walls and can add blackout blinds or thick curtains to block out the light. Close windows and doors to minimise sounds and feel cosy in soft pyjamas and bedsocks.
I’ve previously shared 9 tips for a great bedtime routine that might give you some more ideas on how to wind down from the day and achieve that peaceful night’s sleep so be sure to have a read of that blog post too. I won’t repeat it all here, otherwise we’ll be here all day when really, we should be getting back to the morning routine advice!
Wake up with the world
I don’t know if you feel the same but I think it must have been such a lovely time in history when they didn’t have clocks and would simply go to sleep when it was dark and wake up when the sun rose. That’s kind of what I like to do as my morning routine but, in reality, for many months of the year, the sun rises way too early for me to wake up with it.
However, it’s easier to be up with the sunrise this time of year. In fact, from about late-September onward the sun will rise after my usual wake-up time so I’m usually on my morning walk by the time it comes up, so I get to see some beautiful pink skies that brighten my day.
So, this month is the ideal time to get into a routine of waking up earlier, as you’ll be rewarded with lovely vibrant sunrises most mornings, even if it IS frosty outside. At least when you look out of your window, you’ll hopefully get to see peachy pastel skies or fluffy orange-tinged clouds, which all make you feel a little warmer inside.
Time to get active
Another bonus of getting up earlier is that you’ll have more time for yourself in the morning before the busy day begins. You could use this time to relax with a cuppa, do some journalling, meditate or listen to the radio.
OR you could use the extra time to wake up your body as well as your mind by getting a little active in the morning. I’m not talking about a full-on gym workout (although you can of course do that if you like). Instead, I’m talking about doing a bit of stretchy, some morning yoga or going out for a walk.
Getting some fresh air in the morning wakes up your body and being in the natural daylight helps to regulate your circadian rhythm, which helps you to sleep easily and more soundly at night – which we know is the key to being able to have a healthy morning routine in the first place.
I’m lucky that there nice routes to walk around here but even just strolling around the streets is lovely when it’s early in the morning, with almost no cars or people around. The rest of the world is only just waking up and you may see businesses and workers starting their day, which may make you feel part of a community with others and feel more motivated for the rest of your day.
Enjoy a healthy breakfast
When you return home, you’ll step out of the crisp fresh air and into your warm home, click on the kettle and still have time to settle down for a healthy breakfast. It’s harder to make healthy choices when you’re rushed in the morning – or you may skip breakfast altogether, which may mean you have less energy throughout the day.
Did you know that eating the right kind of food can actually help you sleep better at night? There are some things you can add to your usual diet that contain helpful vitamins and minerals that’ll let you get a good night’s sleep and give you plenty of energy during the day.
Many of these are foods you can incorporate into your breakfast such as bananas, oats and wholegrain cereals, prunes, cherries, peaches, apples, flax and sunflower seeds, almonds, citrus fruits and dairy products like low-fat milk and yoghurt. These not only give you tryptophan, vitamin B6 and calcium to boost your serotonin happiness levels during the day but also the magnesium and melatonin you need for restful sleep.
I’ve previously written about the effects of having caffeine early in the morning, as delaying your first cup of coffee can help you to have more energy in the afternoons and avoid that 3/4pm slump. So, if you’ve already been awake for 1-2 hours, have been out for a walk and are now sitting down for breakfast, you can confidently enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with breakfast knowing that you’ll still have energy in the afternoon and will drift off to sleep better at night.
I hope these ideas for a morning routine have given you inspiration to adopt some healthy habits that you’ll enjoy this year. Please let me know your tips for getting up early and please share your own morning routine in the comments below, I’d love to hear what you do each day. 🙂
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This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂
