If you’re not a “morning person,” the idea of a morning routine might not sound appealing to you. But what if we told you that a solid morning routine can have a positive impact on your physical and mental health?
Regular morning routines provide consistency, help you regulate your sleep cycle, and give you time to start your day off on the right foot by prioritizing your health!
A great morning routine can also help you reduce stress and set the tone for a productive and positive day.
But starting a routine can be tricky—we’re humans, after all, which means we’re resistant to change.
We put together a list of 7 simple morning routine ideas to get you started on your path to a healthier, happier way to start the day.
1. Set a Screen Timer
For many of us, reaching for the phone first thing is a tough habit to break. In fact, it’s this habit that keeps many people from having a productive morning!
But you can keep your morning screen time and have a successful routine by setting a timer.
Give yourself 5 minutes to clear emails, check notifications, and save any articles you want to read later. When the timer goes off, put the phone away!
This will let you keep the dopamine hits your body is craving but prevent you from wasting the morning on a screen-time scroll.
2. Make Your Bed
We’ve all heard the age-old debate about whether it’s pointless to make your bed every day. What most of us don’t know is that science says it isn’t.
Studies have shown that making your bed in the morning gives you a feeling of accomplishment that can positively impact your mood for the rest of the day!
And with more people working from home than ever, making your bed has become even more important. It’s easier to focus on your day if your space is less cluttered and messy. (Plus, a messy bed in the background of a Zoom meeting isn’t the best look!)
Start your day out on the right foot by building this simple task into your morning routine!
3. Breathe Deep
There’s a reason why we encourage small children to take a deep breath when they’re feeling angry. Breathing deeply calms your entire mind and body down!
Taking a deep breath lowers your stress levels, slows your heart rate, and keeps your blood pressure stable.
It’s a great habit to build into your morning routine. Whether you practice meditation, yoga, or just take a few minutes to belly breathe, give yourself time to take those deep breaths!
4. Bask in the Sunshine
Long before alarm clocks and late-night television, our bodies were in sync with the sun. That’s why we’re hard-wired to wake up when the sun comes up. Sun slows down our melatonin production, waking us up and encouraging the natural circadian rhythm we need to regulate our sleep cycles.
But most of us choose to keep our homes dark and cool, meaning we sometimes don’t see the sun in the mornings at all.
Try to incorporate some sun into your morning routine. Open the curtains, have your tea or coffee on the porch, water your flowers, or even go for a morning walk—whatever gets you those rays!
5. Exercise
Morning movement is very important. It helps lower your cortisol levels, ensures that you get your exercise in for the day, and increases your endorphins to help you stay focused, awake, and productive.
But many of us are too busy or too tired for a full morning workout. That’s ok though—a little morning exercise goes a long way!
Instead of giving up because you can’t get in a full workout, build in a short exercise routine for the mornings.
Try 5-10 minutes of jump-roping, hula hooping, jumping jacks, or other cardio. Getting your body moving and your blood pumping is the goal!
6. Eat Up
The old adage “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” might not be completely true, but it’s still a vital part of any morning routine.
Eating in the morning fuels you for the day. In fact, research shows that we should take in 15-25% of our daily calories in the morning.
Don’t be tempted to skip breakfast, even if you’re short on time. When you’re in a crunch, try smoothies or meal replacement shakes to give you the nutrition you need.
Remember that what you eat for breakfast is as important as the amount of calories. Pass on the temptation to eat something sweet to start the day. Most of your breakfast choices should be high in protein or healthy fats!
7. Supplement with OPCXtra
In addition to eating a balanced meal, starting your day off with the right supplements is important.
You’ll fill in the gaps your diet is missing and help your body regulate.
OPCXtra provides your body with nature’s super-antioxidants (grape seed extract, green tea extract, red wine extract, bilberry extract, and pine bark extract). These OPCs have been linked to higher brain function, lower stress, better mood, and reduced anxiety, along with lower risk of many long-term illnesses.
That’s why OPCXtra is a solid part of the morning routine—it gives your body the antioxidants it needs and sets your body and mind up for the day.
What Our OptiHealth Family is Saying About OPCXtra
“I love my OPC. It's a great experience taking OPCXtra. When I get up every morning I take my OPCXtra. It gives me energy. It helps keep my blood pressure down and it helps me grow.” -Clarice
“I feel wonderful and energetic when I take OPC. I take it every morning without fail because of how good I feel on it.” -Carma
“Don't start the day without it!!!!!!! I have used this for YEARS! I make sure I don't run out as I notice a BIG difference if I don't take my HEALTHY shot each morning before I even have my coffee.” -Kathy
Take Control of Your Mornings
With these seven tips in mind, you’ll be ready to create a morning routine that starts your day off right, every day.
Remember to personalize your morning routine to suit your lifestyle. The most important part is filling your body with the right nutrients and staying consistent!
Try OPCXtra today to level up your morning routine—with our 365-day money-back guarantee, you can rest easy in your choice!