Brain dump before bedtime
To have more productive mornings, spend two minutes each night sketching out in a notepad or your note-taking app what your tomorrow will look like, advises Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, author of “Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less.”
“It gives your creative subconscious time to think about ideas and problems overnight,” he says. Not only does this reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed, as you’re not starting from scratch in the morning, “it also creates a more consistent (work) pace, as you get going more easily and are more productive.”
Plan five more minutes in bed
If you and your partner often argue in the morning rush, setting your alarm five minutes earlier to allow time for a conversation or cuddle can help you feel more connected, says Todd Baratz, a psychotherapist and author of “How to Love Someone Without Losing Your Mind.” “It’s about creating a conscious moment to connect and turn off autopilot,” he says. Plus, cuddling releases the calming hormone oxytocin.
Do you have different schedules? “Leave your partner a love note over your morning pot of coffee. I do that and it makes my husband (and me) feel good,” says Liz Baker Plosser, author of Own Your Morning.
Consider your day as an adventure
“In medical school, I started using a productivity technique where you identify the most important task of the day to help you focus,” says Ali Abdaal, a physician and author of Feel Good Productivity. “But after a while, it became harder and harder.” Now, instead, he makes it a ritual to ask himself every morning, “What is the adventure of the day?” and to define his main task as something fun and worth exploring, rather than something you tediously do. Simply working at a new coffee shop instead of at a desk or taking a different route to the office energizes you, he says. “When you bring in a sense of discovery, however small, you feel more positive and avoid procrastination.”
Make your shower colder
Don’t underestimate the power of your shower: Finishing your morning wash with two minutes of cold water constricts your blood vessels and your brain releases feel-good endorphins that can reduce muscle inflammation and stress. “Start with 30 seconds and build up to a minute—that initial immersion is the hard part,” says Moody.
See the sunlight as soon as possible
Incorporate a five to 15 minute walk during daylight hours into your daily routine to wake up a part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which regulates circadian rhythms and has a positive effect on hormones, bowel movements, the immune system and sleep quality. “Do it soon after waking up to “Restore your circadian rhythm as soon as possible,” says Liz Moody, author of 100 Ways to Change Your Life. She adds that it’s good to take a breather outside at the first signs of daylight, even if it’s still dark.
“Light increases serotonin levels, improves mood and tells the brain that it’s time to be alert,” says neuroscientist Nicole Vignola. Getting outside early can be especially helpful if you’ve had a few too many glasses of wine the night before. Neuropsychopharmacologist David Nutt says: “Alcohol disrupts sleep patterns, so morning light will help you fall asleep the next night.”
Make your first drink of the day andcaffeinated
“Proper brain function depends on electrolyte balance, which is disrupted by dehydration,” says Vignola, who recommends starting the day with water rather than an espresso. “After sleeping, we are more dehydrated than usual, and caffeine can reduce (hydration) even further.”
Do you enjoy the ceremony of making a coffee first? Then drink decaf. “Many clients feel better when they switch to coffee when they have trouble sleeping or are feeling anxious,” says nutritionist Sophie Trotman.
Do a micro-training
A minute of jumping jacks, a sun salutation or 20 squats can keep grogginess at bay for the rest of the day. “You don’t have to jump out of bed and do an hour-long workout,” says Moody. “Even 60 seconds of movement can help increase alertness and creativity and reduce the effects of sedentary lifestyles.”
Serve a vegetable side dish for breakfast
An extra portion of colorful fruit or vegetables every morning for breakfast lifts the mood and improves intestinal health, says Tamara Green, nutritionist and co-author of “Good Food, Good Mood.” And if you get hungry quickly after breakfast or have an afternoon energy slump? Green suggests adding an additional source of protein. Greek yogurt and cottage cheese work well as side dishes, or you can mix protein powder, hemp and flax seeds into oatmeal and smoothies. “Even 20 to 40 grams (of protein) will help stabilize blood sugar and keep you full longer,” says Green.
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Do you work at a desk? Do this exercise daily
Get on all fours, with your palms under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Slowly extend one arm and the other leg at the same time for eight seconds, bring them back to the floor, and repeat on the other side. This is Bird Dog: a full-body stretch that combines balance, stability, mobility, and strength training—and that counteracts hunching, the rounding of the shoulder blades. “It warms up your core,” says Plosser, “and mimics the stabilization needed for the limb movement you do throughout the day.”
Relax with a mini meditation
Turn any moment of calm—like drying off after a shower—into a moment of mindfulness that will help you regain focus amid the morning chaos. “Spend a few minutes noticing how your muscles, joints and internal sensations feel,” recommends Amelia Nagoski, co-author of Burnout: Solve Your Stress Cycle. to identify and release tensions in the body. Physiotherapist Dr. Leada Malek recommends a few rounds of diaphragmatic breathing to relax and improve concentration: “Place one hand on your stomach and one on your chest, breathe in through your nose as your stomach rises, then breathe out slowly through your mouth.”
Mobile phone ban before breakfast
Checking your email after turning off your alarm may seem like second nature, but it’s one of the worst things you can do in the morning. “Phones are designed to give you dopamine hits that you crave all day,” says Moody. She explains that an early surge increases the likelihood of a later crash, causing you to reach for more dopamine inducers like your phone, alcohol, or processed snacks. Abdaal uses the Opal app blocker to prevent phone access to YouTube, Instagram, X, and Reddit until 10 a.m. If you’re having trouble keeping teens away from screens, implement morning app blockers as a household rule.
Teach your little ones to brush their teeth in the kitchen
“For our younger children, everything “Everything you need for the school day is downstairs,” says Sarah Turner, author of The Unmumsy Mum and author of On the Edge. “We put clothes on the counter the night before so we don’t have to run upstairs to look for lost socks.” Put everything you need – medicine, sunscreen – in a basket and keep it in one place. The kitchen may feel like a dressing room, but Iben Sandahl, author of The Danish Way of Parenting, says it’s better to “focus on the big picture rather than unimportant details”: “It doesn’t matter if teeth are brushed in the kitchen, as long as they are brushed.”
Ask your teenagers to tell you when they need to get up
It may sound counterintuitive, but make it a habit to have a quick chat with your teens in the evening and ask: them Telling them your schedule can reduce the number of “it’s time to get up” arguments in the morning. “Show them that you trust them to get up and start the day off right,” advises Sandahl.
Plosser says: “Giving children the freedom to make their own decisions – within reason, of course, and without micromanagement if possible – helps them feel independent and reduces tension and arguments.” She suggests scheduling check-ins before dinner rather than bedtime – that way any problems with lost sports equipment can be resolved long before bedtime.
Use your coffee machine as stopwatch
Don’t scroll mindlessly while you wait for the kettle to boil: use it as a timer you’re racing against. Can you clear last night’s rubbish out of the living room? Empty the dishwasher? Moody suggests keeping kettlebells in your kitchen so you can get a micro-workout in while you make your morning coffee. “(My son) has to do some last-minute spelling practice while he waits for toast to come to the table,” says Turner.
Moisturize your skin like a beautician
Anna Seynaeve, co-founder of Facestellar, recommends a quick facial massage for the stressed-out among us, following the path of our lymphatic vessels as we cleanse and moisturize. “Use your fingers to move from under the cheekbone towards the ear. Then from the chin to the ear. Then from the ear down to the collarbone,” she says. “A facial massage relieves tension in the face and jaw and helps all the muscles in the body to relax as they are connected. It can help with headaches that can be caused by lack of sleep – and also reduces swelling.”
