This Morning Routine Will Improve Your Mood

Mornings can be hard for anyone - you don’t feel entirely rested, you want to keep hitting “snooze” on your alarm, you feel cozy and comfortable under your blankets, you don’t want to take that big test. Sound familiar?

We’ve all heard that creating a morning routine is a key to success, but sometimes it feels daunting to know where to even start. I’m here to offer some quick and easy-to-implement tips for starting YOUR morning routine right away. With the right morning routine in place for you, it’s my hope that you feel energized, optimistic and intentional with your day ahead.

1.) Let the light in - Open your curtains to let natural sunlight through or use a light therapy lamp if the sun is not out when you wake up. Natural sunlight can reduce stress, improve mood and even lead to better sleep at night.

2.) Movement - Yes, a 30 minute workout would be ideal…but let’s start even smaller than that. Simple stretching at your bedside or a walk to your mailbox and back is a good place to start. Getting your blood flowing in the morning can help with focus, metabolism and overall mood.

3.) Set an intention - Take in the quiet, take a few deep breaths and set an intention or goal for your day. Intentions or goals can be about a work or school related task or they even be a simple word or phrase such as “creative”, “patient” that you hope to incorporate into your day ahead . By setting a daily intention each morning, you’re providing yourself a sense of direction and purpose - increasing your productivity, adding a sense of accomplishment and reducing anxiety levels.

4.) Make it fun! Morning are too often associated with being rushed and stressed. Whether it’s spending time with a loved one, playing with a pet, dancing to your favorite uplifting song - you’re setting up a joyful and positive tone for the rest of your day.