After I left the 9-5 world, my morning suddenly looked very different. Instead of rushing out the door to eat my breakfast in the car on my morning commute, I had time to curate the morning I want. Since then, these morning habits have become essential to starting my day off on the right foot with the right mindset.

No matter how busy or early my mornings get, I make sure to get these done. These rituals ground me and set my day up for success, no matter how busy my day gets.

1. No scrolling on social media

PERIOD. I cannot tell you how many years I’d spent waking up, rolling over, and opening up social media first thing in the morning. It is a trap!

Social media first thing in the morning doesn’t just waste your time; according to research, it can negatively impact your mental health by increasing stress and anxiety while decreasing your productivity.

Instead of scrolling, I check my emails, set up my daily to-do list, or log in to my favorite mental health and motivation apps.

I know it’s tempting to grab your phone (especially if that’s where your alarm is), but replacing social media with other apps or habits on my phone has been a game-changer for my morning ritual.

Other habits you can use to replace doomscrolling are stretching, meditation, or breathwork.

2. Get out of bed immediately

This one is also huge, and sets the tone for your day. Instead of lying in bed and letting sleep linger… I try to get out of bed immediately.

This sets the tone for the day – choosing action instead of staying idle.

I get out of bed, do my skincare, tidy up my room, and get myself in the mindset for the day. I get dressed in either workout clothes or my outfit. This lessens the temptation to just sit on the couch or slip back into bed.

When I start my day immediately, instead of lounging in bed for 10-15 minutes, I feel much more energized. This allows me to shake out my sluggish morning energy and usher in a more motivated and inspired energy for the day.

3. No TV, podcasts, or radio in the morning

We spend too much time listening to other people talk. We spend hours listening to their words, opinions, ideas, advice… But how much time do we spend listening to our own voice?

The morning is the beginning of our day – the note that sets the tone for the rest of our 24 hours. Why are we spending that crucial time listening to the words and opinions of someone else?

Instead, I listen to music without lyrics. Binural beats, lo-fi hip-hop, meditation music, nature sounds, or even nothing at all. This advice may not be for everyone (my father listens to the morning news every day, for example); however, it has been revolutionary for my morning routine, especially for my journaling ritual.

Studies show that inviting silence into your life can:

• Lower blood pressure.
• Decrease heart rate.
• Steady breathing.
• Reduce muscle tension.
• Increase focus and cognition.
• Increase profound thoughts.
• Stronger relationships.
• Increased creativity.
• Improved communication skills.

4. Get outside

The benefits of spending time outside in the morning are well-documented. When constructing my new morning routine, I knew that time outside needed to be incorporated.

Spending even 30 minutes outside between 8am and noon uplifts mood, reinforces circadian rhythm, regulates sleep cycles, boosts serotonin, and has even been shown to support weight loss.

Sunlight is the primary way humans absorb vitamin D, which is essential for bone growth and overall health.

My favorite way to get outside in the morning is to water my plants, sip on my coffee, and jot a few thoughts down in my journal. I also love stretching and just soaking up the sun.

5. Journal

I cannot recommend journaling enough. I’ve had a regular journaling practice since I was a teenager, and it is one of my favorite mental health and self-regulating tools.

While it can seem awkward to get started, once you break through the barrier of ‘what you think you should be writing,’ it can be a transformative experience.

My favorite time to journal is first thing in the morning, while I sip my coffee and munch on my breakfast. I find that it’s super helpful to get my thoughts out of my head and onto paper. That way, I’m able to sift through helpful thoughts, intrusive thoughts, and things I need to get done throughout the day.

6. Make a To-Do list

When it comes to productivity, To-Do lists are the bread and butter of getting things done.

My favorite thing about making my lists is that they break up the tasks I need to accomplish into smaller steps. It also allows me to visualize what needs to be done, and helps me quiet the noise in my brain that I’m forgetting something.

The template I use allows me to organize my tasks into categories like urgent, easy, digital, domestic, etc.

Find a system that works for you, so you can set yourself up for success each morning.

7. Exercise

Want to feel more energized, awake, focused, and happier? Want to boost your metabolism, mood, curb cravings, and regulate your blood sugar? Exercising in the morning is proven to give you all these things for free.

I aim to get my workouts done within one hour of eating my breakfast and within the first two hours of waking up. If I don’t have a workout scheduled for the day, I opt for a 30-minute walk with a weight vest for added resistance.

Exercising first thing in the morning is not always easy to fit seamlessly into a morning routine. It is, however, something that we can incorporate into our daily lifestyle.

Exercising at any time of day is better than not exercising at all.

Remember:

The goal is not just to make a ‘routine’, but to engineer a ritual. A functional system that checks off as many non-negotiables as possible, while still feeling joyful, easeful, and intentional.

As James Clear writes in his book Atomic Habits, “Habits are the atoms that make up who we are.”

So design your morning habit to flow with your natural rhythms, while also setting you up for success for the rest of your day.