Hello sleepy heads! You want to feel more energized in the morning? Have you wondered what it is like to have early energized mornings, but you’d never see yourself having one? Well, we can change that! Because that was also me. Let me share my steps to having energized, happy mornings and eventually good days! Create your best morning routine with us!
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How to kick-start your day: create the best morning routine
Mornings can set the tone for your entire day, so how you start them often determines how energized and productive you’ll feel. If you’re like me and have struggled with dragging yourself out of bed or feeling sluggish even after a few cups of coffee, I’ve got some tips that might just change your morning game. Here’s how to jumpstart your day and carry that energy with you all day long.
1. RISE – RISE technique. (Huberman)
Right when you rise, also rise out of bed. Don’t stay in your bed and slumber.
I know this is so hard, but it is critical to send a signal to your brain: hey I’m waking up now, let’s start all the mechanisms that I need.
2. Get sunlight! (Huberman)
This is by far the most important step. For your body and brain to get activated for the day it needs a cortisol spike. Your cortisol spike will be triggered by sunlight.
So go outside and soak in the sunlight from 5-60 minutes after waking up.
It’s the most powerful tool for wakefulness during the day and it has a powerful, positive impact on your ability fall asleep and stay asleep at night.
Now, I hear you say: but the sun doesn’t shine in the winter or on cloudy days. So what to do then:
- Waking up early (in the dark): turn on all the artificial lights, these will not trigger your cortisol spike that you need, but it will certainly help you wake up. (However it is bright enough to mess with your sleep when you turn them on at or during the night, it messes with your circadian rhythm). Then, when the sun is out, get out into the sunlight.
- Cloudy days: you especially need to get outside on cloudy days and get sunlight: you just need more of it; around 10 days
- Very cloudy or rainy days: go outside and get about 20 minutes of sunlight exposure.
- No cloud cover or minimal cloud cover: get about 5 minutes (more or less) of sunlight.
- Don’t ever look directly into the sun(looking into light that hurts your eyes, can damage your eyes), look towards it.
- Don’t look through sunglasses, the windshield of a car, or a window while trying to get sunlight. Because the process of getting enough sunlight to spike your cortisol will take far too long and will not have the same effect; it’s not going to trigger your mechanisms.
3. Hydrate First Thing
After hours of sleep, your body is essentially dehydrated. Drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up helps kickstart your metabolism and rehydrates your system. Adding a slice of lemon can make it a refreshing and alkalizing start to your day.
4. Avoid Technology First Thing
Instead of reaching for your phone or diving into emails right away, give yourself a tech-free start.
Stay away in the morning from possible anxiety and stress that your phone or Social Media can give you.
Spend the first 30 minutes (preferably as long as possible) of your day focusing on yourself rather than on screens. It can be a game-changer for your mental clarity and overall mood.
5. Wake Up with Purpose
Starting your day with intention can change your mornings. Instead of hitting the snooze button and jumping out of bed in a frenzy, give yourself a moment to set a clear intention for the day.
It could be as simple as “Today, I will focus on staying positive,” or more specific like “I’m going to finish that report by noon.” Having a purpose can boost your motivation and make getting out of bed feel more worthwhile.
My main motivation is just life itself: today is a beautiful day again: let’s go outside, work on my goals and have fun. This all sounds really corny (even to me), but life really is beautiful.
6. Choose Wisely
Choose happiness and positivity in the morning. Okay, now, this sounds weird, you think: I thought so too. But now that I literally choose happiness everyday, it has made such a big difference for me.
I seriously feel happier, I feel more in control of my day and of my feelings. You are in control of your feelings: it’s your choice every time again.
Start your morning by saying to yourself that you are happy to wake up again, even though it’s early or you didn’t sleep long etc, etc.
Decide that you are going to have a good day, then you will.
7. Move Your Body
Exercise doesn’t have to mean hitting the gym for an hour. Even a quick 15-minute morning walk can do wonders for your energy levels. Or something like yoga, stretching or even push-ups are all-right: moving your body helps get your blood flowing and wakes up your muscles.
The first thing I do in the morning is taking a walk which I also do to get my sunlight. This makes me feel motivated to wake up and start my day.
8. Freshen up!
Take a shower, wash your face (do some skin-care), or wash your body with a washcloth: it doesn’t matter how you do it, it matters that you do it. Freshen yourself up helps you to feel good about yourself, which also gives you a better start of the day.
Even if you don’t have much time, take a moment to wash your face (best with somewhat cold water) to wake yourself up and to feel good about yourself.
It makes me feel so much better during the day, bevause I already took a moment for myself. This is why it is alos great for your self-love.
9. Eat a fulfilling breakfast
Fueling your body with the right nutrients in the morning can set a positive tone for the rest of the day. Aim for a balanced breakfast with protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.
Think Greek yogurt (rich in protein) with berries and nuts, or a smoothie with spinach, banana, and almond butter.
This will give you sustained energy and help keep your blood sugar levels stable. In this way, you don’t need to snack in-between meals, which is better for your gut.
My breakfast in the morning is as the following: plain yoghurt of 15 g of protein with dried blue berries and pumpkin seeds. Next to this, I eat kiwis to help my digestive system and I drink water (2L per day).
I have my first coffee of the day around 10 AM, else you will give your body a fake cortisol spike and your body will be dependent on caffeine.
10. Be Mindful
Incorporating mindfulness into your morning routine can help center your mind and reduce stress. This could be through meditation, deep breathing exercises, or simply spending a few moments reflecting on what you’re grateful for.
Be mindful about your breakfast, your shower, your morning walk, and every other aspect: this will make you feel grateful and happy.
Starting your day with a calm, focused mind can make a big difference in how you handle challenges.
11. Plan Your Day
Take a few minutes to outline your goals and tasks for the day.
This doesn’t mean creating an exhaustive to-do list but rather setting clear priorities. Also, don’t make too big plans for the day: plan realistically.
When you know what you need to focus on, you can approach your tasks with a sense of direction and purpose.
12. Tackle a Small Task
Sometimes, starting your day with a small, achievable task can create a sense of accomplishment and motivate you to keep going. It might be something as simple as making your bed or organizing a small area of your home.
These little wins can build momentum and make your day feel more productive.
13. Listen to Uplifting Music or a Podcast
Music or podcasts can be a great way to set a positive tone for your day.
Create or find a playlist of your favorite upbeat songs or listen to a podcast that inspires or motivates you. It’s a fantastic way to energize yourself and get into a positive headspace.
14. Don’t Overthink
When you’ve got something scary, anxious or exciting planned, don’t overthink it. Don’t think about the outcome and don’t say to yourself it’s going to a bad experience. If you start something this way, it will be this way.
Say to yourself: I don’t know what’s going to happen, but good things happen in the unknown. I will go into it as positive as I can and I will do my best. You will notice significant difference when your mindset is different.
“I’ve got this!”, “Yes, I can”, “What if it does work out?”: These work great for me. My mom and I used to say these when I had a great, big scary exam; it helped me calm my anxiety loads.
Extras
- Start taping your mouth at night to get improved airflow (more oxygen), reduced snoring, better oral health (no dried-out mouth), refined jawline and to feel more energized when you wake up. BE PRECAUTIOUS: don’t tape your whole mouth, use surgical tape (Amazon) vertically or use special mouth tape (Amazon).
- Drink 2L water per day: your body really needs it and it will help your skin, your energy levels, your organs and it has many more benefits!
My morning routine
My alarm goes off at 7 AM, to shut it off I need to get out of bed because my phone is not next to my bed. In this way, I have to force myself to wake up and get out of bed.
I take off my mouth tape and drink some water. Straight to the shower for a refreshing and waking moment. After my shower I start getting ready: do my skin-care, do my hair, do my make-up for a little bit and put on some clothes.
Then I make up my bed and I clean and organize a little bit.
My walk (30-60 minutes) is what really wakes me up: I soak up the sunlight and I am mindful about my surroundings, the day ahead of me and my life. I think about the things that I’m grateful for. This is how I start my day on a positive note.
When I get back home, I eat my breakfast and after breakfast I take a little moment to plan my day and I write it down. Around 10 AM I take my first and last cup of coffee.
This is how I start my day on a positive note. My routine works for me and it makes me happy. I struggled a long time with mornings, but now I’m actually excited the night before for my morning.
Implementing these tips into your morning routine can help you jumpstart your day and keep your energy levels up. Kick-starting your day and maintaining energy and happiness requires a combination of intentional habits and mindful practices. By setting clear intentions, staying hydrated, incorporating physical activity, and nurturing your mental well-being, you can create a morning routine that supports a more energized and positive day.
Everyone’s ideal morning routine looks a little different, so feel free to experiment and find what works best for you. Create your best morning routine.
Here’s to energized mornings and a more productive, positive day ahead!
With love,
CECA
C’est ca ~ That’s it
WATCH LIST:
How to Feel Energized & Sleep Better With One Morning Activity | Dr. Andrew Huberman
Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake
Sleep Toolkit: Tools for Optimizing Sleep & Sleep-Wake Timing | Huberman Lab Podcast #84
Using Cortisol & Adrenaline to Boost Our Energy & Immune System Function
