{"id":370372,"date":"2025-12-26T16:45:05","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T16:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/370372\/"},"modified":"2025-12-26T16:45:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T16:45:05","slug":"the-perfect-morning-routine-how-to-build-a-happy-healthy-start-to-the-day-from-showers-to-sunshine-health-wellbeing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/370372\/","title":{"rendered":"The perfect morning routine: how to build a happy, healthy start to the day \u2013 from showers to sunshine | Health & wellbeing"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first thing to say about the ideal morning routine is that it probably doesn\u2019t exist. Yes, endless influencers promise that they have tweaked, tested and fine-tuned the process of revving up for the day, but how history\u2019s most productive people actually get things done is so varied that it\u2019s hard to draw definitive conclusions. Beethoven, reportedly, used to count out exactly 60 beans for his morning cup of coffee, while Victor Hugo downed two raw eggs after reading a daily missive from his mistress. Mark Wahlberg, on the other hand, wakes at 3am<\/a> for pre-workout prayer, chasing up his gym time with a few holes of golf and a jolt in the cryo chamber before he even thinks about doing any work.<\/p>\n

It is clear, though, that having some sort of routine is key: a set of automatic actions that you do every day, to ease you into your responsibilities with a bit of momentum and a fresh frame of mind. And there is some stuff that seems beneficial enough that everyone should be doing a version of it, even if individual methods differ: one person\u2019s meditative bean arithmetic, after all, is another\u2019s mindfulness. But if you want to finesse your routine, the key is to add one change at a time. \u201cWhen you focus on a single behaviour,\u201d says the behaviour change specialist Dr Heather McKee, \u201cyou build confidence through quick wins, and give your brain the clarity and dopamine hit it needs to automate that action. Once that habit feels natural, you free up mental space to layer in the next change.\u201d But what habits should you be building?<\/p>\n

Dogs are the perfect excuse to get a dose of morning light. Photograph: Posed by model; Olga Rolenko\/Getty ImagesGet up, get out<\/p>\n

First things first: there\u2019s no single best time to get up. If you have the luxury of picking your own window, it\u2019s probably best to start by roughly working out your chronotype, which boils down to if you feel and perform best earlier in the day, you can probably get away with getting up a bit earlier (if you do your best work at night, of course, it would be ideal to sleep in).<\/p>\n

Most adults need between seven and nine hours\u2019 sleep to feel fully functional, and you probably have a good idea of where you fall in that range. In an ideal world, you shouldn\u2019t need an alarm to wake up: if that means going to bed at 10 so you\u2019re feeling fresh by 6am, that\u2019s the way forward.<\/p>\n

Ellie Hambly, a clinical psychologist specialising in helping families deal with stress, advises getting outside in the morning light. \u201cThis is getting harder with daylight hours reducing, but trying to manage your diary around getting some daylight can make a huge difference in your mood.\u201d Morning exposure to natural sunlight plays a key role in keeping our body clock working properly. It suppresses melatonin, boosts serotonin, gets you ready for the day \u2013 and seems to help people sleep better<\/a> at night. If you have a dog or a running habit, great \u2013 but it\u2019s even worth poking your head out of the door while you enjoy your morning coffee. \u201cIf you can make the time for a short walk without your phone in the morning, the combination of movement and lack of stimulation can help to activate your brain\u2019s default mode network \u2013 the set of brain regions engaged in introspection and daydreaming,\u201d says Hambly. \u201cThat can help with creative problem-solving and coming up with new ideas. If you don\u2019t have time for a walk, even taking a shower without a podcast can work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Getting outside in the morning light can make a huge difference. Photograph: Posed by model; Brook Pifer\/Getty ImagesPut the kettle on<\/p>\n

Recently, it\u2019s become fashionable among self-optimisers to claim that you should wait 60-90 minutes to drink your first coffee to avoid an afternoon crash. This sounds plausible, but a review of studies<\/a> published in 2024 concluded that there\u2019s no evidence this happens \u2013 and caffeine has also been shown to increase exercise performance in a variety of ways, so it\u2019s definitely worth having a coffee if you\u2019re going to work out (giving it 20-30 minutes to let the effects kick in). Otherwise, just do what\u2019s most comfortable for you.<\/p>\n

Go with your natural flow. Photograph: Posed by models; Thomas Barwick\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Should you exercise first thing? If you can face it, yes: at least a bit. The best time of day to hit the gym seems to vary depending on your chronotype, specific goals and preferred workout style: morning exercise, for instance, can help with burning fat<\/a>, and strength-building sessions are also probably slightly better<\/a> if your aim is muscle. But it\u2019s possible that you can \u201cretrain\u201d your body to work out more effectively at different times of day by doing it consistently (one study on swimmers<\/a> found that both chronotype and habitual training time are important). However, morning workouts seem to have a host of benefits all of their own, from reducing body fat to improving sleep<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On a more basic note, it\u2019s also just easier to ensure you get your workouts done if you schedule them first thing, with no chance of a random pub invite or work demand getting in the way. If you can\u2019t face a full-on run or dragging the dumbbells out from under the bed, it helps to have a pre-set, full-body routine that\u2019s simple enough to do in your living room while everyone else dashes around eating toast and doing last-minute homework. The \u201cslow\u201d burpee is a winner here: squat down low, put your hands on the floor (between your feet if you can), then step one foot back at a time until you\u2019re in a plank position. Do a press-up if you\u2019ve got it in you, then reverse the whole process to come back to your feet: a handful of these will hit your arms, legs and core while also helping you stretch out stiff joints. Start with five, and work your way up.<\/p>\n

Read a line of poetry, sip your tea, write a quick reflection, or get through a couple of pages of a bookCold comforts<\/p>\n

How cold should your morning shower be? Again, this depends on what you\u2019re going for. There is some evidence that hosing yourself down with frosty water in the morning can offer physiological benefits: cold exposure can trigger the release of endorphins and help your parasympathetic nervous system (the restful one) kick in, so even if it doesn\u2019t feel like it in the moment, it\u2019s probably cheering you up. On the flipside, a cold shock is potentially going to jolt you out of any default mode network thinking that\u2019s helping you to solve problems or think creatively. But there\u2019s a best-of-both-worlds approach. \u201cI recommend to my coaching clients that they introduce hot and cold cycling as part of their morning routine for both the physical and mental benefits,\u201d says the wellness expert Tana Hoffman Cook. \u201cFor people who are just starting out, even ending your shower with a cold blast can offer health benefits \u2013 cold exposure has been linked to increased dopamine levels, making it a powerful addition to anyone\u2019s morning routine when they want to start their day feeling alert, clear-headed and with a mood-boost.\u201d.<\/p>\n

Judgment-free scribbles can boost physical and psychological health. Photograph: Posed by model; Luis Alvarez\/Getty ImagesScribble it out<\/p>\n

What about journalling, which is frequently recommended? A 2018 review of studies<\/a> found that writing about stressful or emotional events for a few minutes resulted in improvements in physical and psychological health in non-clinical and clinical populations. \u201cMorning pages\u201d, as they\u2019re sometimes known, can work as a sort of lower-stakes version of that: aiming to fill a page or two with judgment-free scribble (that you\u2019re definitely allowed to throw away afterwards) might help you reorganise your thoughts before you go about your day, or at least get your biggest worries down on paper. If you\u2019re struggling to get anything out, use a prompt as an easy starting point: \u201cWhat\u2019s the biggest thing I\u2019m worried about?\u201d or \u201cWhat\u2019s one thing I want to focus on today?\u201d Or you could be more specific with something like: \u201cHow am I actually going to get this project done on time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mindfulness on the goMeditation can be alternated with breathing techniques. Photograph: Posed by model; pixdeluxe\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

As for meditation, the benefits are well established<\/a> \u2013 they range from reduced anxiety to a boosted immune system \u2013 but if your mornings are too chaotic to sit in a quiet space (or plug into an app for 10 minutes), it might be worth starting with something a bit simpler. \u201cI use something called the Ease morning routine to start the day with nervous system regulation rather than jumping straight into hustle mode,\u201d says the wellbeing coach and yoga teacher Chloe Markham. \u201cWe begin with an Exhale, or stillness. If I don\u2019t have time to meditate, I\u2019ll use the 4-7-8 breathing technique: breathe in gently through your nose for a count of four, hold for seven, and breathe out through your mouth for eight. Next, we Anchor \u2013 this is where we clock in with the way our body feels and maybe set a soft intention for the day.\u201d Spend a second listening to your body, she suggests, and maybe change your goals accordingly. \u201cIf you\u2019re feeling energised, great! If not, maybe scale things back a bit. The next step is movement, or Shift \u2013 this is about moving our bodies in ways that feel good \u2013 and the final step is to Engage in something nourishing: read a line of poetry, sip your tea, write a quick reflection or get through a couple of pages of a book.\u201d<\/p>\n

You could try to sneak in a bit of mindfulness while you do the washing-up<\/p>\n

Whether it takes five minutes or 95, she says, \u201cthis sort of routine cannot only prepare us for a calmer day, but also can strengthen our nervous system\u2019s ability to self-regulate more quickly. The magic comes from consistency rather than perfection.\u201d And if all that takes too much time, you could try to sneak in a bit of mindfulness while you do the washing-up: in one paper from Florida State University<\/a>, a group of volunteers who read a text that encouraged them to focus their thoughts on the sensations evoked by the activity they were doing reported increases in elements of \u201cpositive affect\u201d (such as inspiration) and decreased nervousness.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need a 5am wake-up call or a one-hour ritual to have a \u2018good\u2019 morning,\u201d says the yoga teacher Maysun Hassanaly. \u201cWhat matters is consistency. Think small daily doses of feelgood moments to lift your mood, that are useful and doable. Think of your mornings in three layers: must-do, nice-to-have and optional. On busy days, stick to your must-dos: the simple actions that ground you or energise you. On slower mornings, add a nice-to-have or two. It could be something as small as putting on your favourite song and having a quick dance, walking one extra bus stop, or taking a moment to notice the morning light. Tiny rituals like these help you feel calmer and in control of your day, without sacrificing sleep or overloading your to-do list.\u201d You can\u2019t micromanage everything that\u2019s going to happen for the rest of the day, or everything that\u2019s going on in the world \u2013 so for 10 minutes after you wake up, why not just be a bit nicer to yourself?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The first thing to say about the ideal morning routine is that it probably doesn\u2019t exist. Yes, endless…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":370373,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[49,48,407,84],"class_list":{"0":"post-370372","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-fitness","11":"tag-health"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=370372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370372\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/370373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=370372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=370372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=370372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}