Healthy Morning Routine Ideas For An Awesome Day

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Hello Sweet Friends:

Do you ever wake up and rush out the door only to find yourself feeling groggy, stressed and tired?

The truth is, morning’s can be tough. And we often don’t have a ton of time to spare in the a.m.

But waking up only to zoom out the door can do more harm than good…

Are there any quick and simple self-care activities that you can tap into in the morning?

Of course there are! And I have 10 wonderful options for you to choose from.

Because creating a happy, healthy morning routine doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming. You deserve to start your morning off with ease and move forward feeling relaxed and ready to take on the day.

Ready to check them out? Let’s dive in!

Before We Get Started

This awesome list of morning self-care activities is awesome! But I by no means expect you to do all of them. That would be exhausting. Which kind of defeats the purpose.

Take what works for you and leave the rest behind baby!

And know that it’s 100% ok to be flexible and change things up. Sometimes you might feel like adding 3 of these to your morning routine. And other days you may just need to lay in bed for 10 more minutes. Do what feels right for you. That’s what matters the most!

To make it as awesome and easy as can be, I made you a FREE Morning Self-Care Workbook.

Fill out the form below and it’ll zoom right into your inbox. Booyah!

Sound good? Awesome. Here’s the goodness:

11 Healthy Morning Routine Ideas

1. Dry Body Brushing

I’m really not kidding when I say I love my dry brush 😀

What if your healthy morning routine included a moment of self-kindness? Dry brushing would be perfect! It’s a moment to be kind to yourself and give tons of love to your beautiful body. Sounds marvelous, right?

I like to think of it as skin care meets self-love affirmations. I mean, the affirmation aspect is 100% optional, but I highly recommend it!

Even if this doesn’t fit into your morning routine, it’s easy to squeeze this into your day somewhere. And so incredibly worth it!

So what does dry brushing even do?

1. Dry brushing is an awesome way to exfoliate, creating smoother, healthier skin.

2. It’s a wonderful form of self-massage, which can lower emotional and physical pain, improve sleep, reduce inflammation, potentially boost immune function and so much more. (source 1, source 2, source 3)

3. My favourite part, dry brushing also works as a pretty fantastic form of self-love.

You see, you need to be in your birthday suit to dry brush that beautiful body of yours. And the act itself really forces you to treat your whole body with extra attention, love and kindness. Especially the parts you might not always be so nice to. It’s a lovely change of pace!

It’s a great opportunity to work on being kind to yourself and your body. And blends well with positive affirmations. (We’ll talk more about that in a hot minute.)

You can learn more about dry brushing and all of the goodness it has to offer your skin care routine right here.

2. Positive Affirmations

Why not start the day with a little pick-me up? Positive affirmations can really boost your mindset, which is pretty darn fantastic.

What exactly are positive affirmations?

Affirmations are simple statements that can help to foster a positive mindset. They can be used to challenge negative self-talk, create inspiration, remind yourself of how awesome you are and, in the mornings, start your day off on the right foot.

They usually look a little something like this:

“I love and respect myself”

“I’m going to have a great day”

“I believe in myself”

(More examples here, here, and here)

But I have a little secret for you… there’s a different way to approach positive affirmations that might work a little better.

A study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that positive affirmations are better at lowering stress and anxiety when they’re spoken in the third person. Bonus points if you use your own name. (source)

So, if you add positive affirmations to your morning routine, give something like this a go:

“You love and respect yourself”

“[Your Name], you are going to have an awesome day!”

“You’re confident and lovable”

Have fun with it and create affirmations that make sense for you. If they’re personal and believable, they’re more likely to work. (source 1, source 2)

Related: 3 Things Everyone Should Know About Positive Affirmations

3. Journaling

Taking a moment to be completely unfiltered with your thoughts, feelings and experiences in a journal can be a wonderful way to connect with yourself.

You can use journaling to:

• Practice gratitude
• Work through something difficult
• Increase mindfulness
• Work on communication skills
• Boost confidence
• Improve creativity
• Work on your goals

(source)

Even better, there are no rules when you journal. So do what feels right. It’s a judgement free zone where your thoughts run free. Which can be an awesome way to start the day!

Related: How To Make ‘Self-Partnered’ Your Awesome New Relationship Status

4. Yoga And/Or Meditation

Meditation is a personal favourite <3

Yoga is a lovely form of exercise. But did you know that it’s so much more than that. This lovely form of movement can also work as a form of meditation.

And you can even forgo the movement part if you want to simply meditate.

Mindfulness meditation is all about focusing your mind on the present.  Take deep, relaxing breaths in and out (we’re going to talk about why deep breathing is so great a little later in this post). And either focus on your breathing or a specific thought or mantra.

You can even focus on your body and its surroundings, centering your mind on your senses and the present moment if that feels better for you. It’s all about what makes you feel good. I find this method works wonderfully for me when I’m doing yoga poses. And the other options are my go-to when I just want to stay still.

I have a whole post on the benefits of meditation and how to tap into them if you need help! Check it out right here.

What do you have to gain from yoga and/or meditation?

• Reduced Anxiety
• Increased focus and concentration
• Supported immune health
• Decreased blood pressure
• Improved empathy and compassion

See how this is a marvelous addition to your healthy morning routine?

Related: 6 Benefits of Yoga That Will Make You Want To Start Now

5. Exercising

I confess – I prefer to exercise at night. I do go for a morning walk (we’ll talk about that shortly). But I’m not going to be pushing myself hard in the a.m. It’s just not my jam.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t be yours! Some of us adore exercising in the morning. So if you’re interested, give it a go.

Exercise has so much to offer your well-being, including:

• Boosts your mood
• Supports muscle and bone health
• Keeps your heart healthy
• Supports brain health
• Improves memory
• Gives you energy (need tons of that in the morning)

I have a full article with sources and tons of fantastic info right here.

Regardless of when you choose to exercise, it’s so important that you find something that you like! If you hate it the entire experience will straight up suck and you probably won’t stick to it.

A good exercise routine is something you enjoy and look forward to. Pick something you love.

And don’t be afraid to be flexible. It’s ok to not workout every single day. And you can switch things up whenever you want to. <3

6. Listening To Music

Bust out your favourite tunes honey! And shake that booty. A new day has arrived.

According to the smarties over at Harvard, music can:

• Lower blood pressure
• Slow your heart rate
• Reduce levels of stress hormones and inflammatory cytokines
• Relieve stress
• Reduce symptoms of depression and pain
• Enhance our mood
• Boost brain function
• Lead to feelings of relaxation

Isn’t that a giant list of fantastic goodness?

So turn on the jams and boogie, baby! Even if you’re doing it while you’re getting ready to leave. Some jams will do you good.

Related: How to Rock Your Self-Care Routine with Meditation Music

7. Enjoying Breakfast

Food, glorious food baby! (I was in Oliver! the musical in high school and I will sing that song until I die…)

After a glorious night of sleeping and, hopefully, dreaming of glorious things, you might want to think about your next meal. You’ve been fasting for quite a few hours after all; breakfast is always a good idea.

That doesn’t mean you have to eat immediately. We don’t all have the stomach for that. I know I need to sip on water and adjust to a new day before I can even think about food. My tummy needs time to wake up yo! Getting out of bed is hard!

We’re all different! But, when you’re ready to eat, breakfast can be a wonderful thing.

Even better, a delish breakfast can help to: boost your memory, concentration, attention span and performance. Which is basically magic.

And I think we’ve all heard the word “hangry” before. Being hungry and not feeding your body can have a serious impact on your mood. Trust me – breakfast (when you’re ready for it) is a great idea!

You can even help out morning you by prepping your breakfast the night before. Boom! A healthy morning routines brought to you by your yesterday self. I’m here for that! What about you?

8. Going For A Walk

If you’re feeling up for it, a morning walk can be a wonderful part of your daily routine. The fresh air and sunshine can do you good. And, hey, you can even pop in your headphones and listen to your favourite tunes. It’s a 2 for 1 yo! Heck yes!

Plus, there are some health benefits to be had. Walking:

• Functions as a great form of exercise
• Boosts creativity
• Increases relaxation
• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces cholesterol levels
• Improves your mood

Whether you walk around the block, get off the bus stop a minute or two early, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or something else entirely, a walk will make you feel so good. If it feels right, give it a go!

Super bonus – I have a whole post about all of the goodness walking has to offer right here. You’re going to love it!

9. Reading A Book

If you have a hot minute, getting lost in a good story can be a marvelous addition to your morning routine.

Check out these health benefits to reading:

• Reduces stress
• Helps you relax and unwind
• May ease depression
• Boosts memories
• Increases focus
• Increases empathy

Yea! That’s a heck of a lot of coolness!

But you might want to pick something light and enjoyable. Reading the news first thing in the morning might have a reverse affect on the mood boosting goodness. You can save that for later, when you’re awake and ready to take on the world!

Loving this idea? Learn more about why reading is so good for you over here.

10. Doodling or Drawing

Need a chill morning self-care activity? Why not doodle or draw a little? Be creative and free in your expression. It’ll be marvelous!

When you doodle you:

• Enjoy a powerful form of emotional expression
• Bring your ideas to life
• Improve your perception of yourself
• Boost your mood
• Reduce stress and increase feelings of satisfaction
• Become more focused
• Retain more information

See! It’s not just swirls and stick people. It’s self-care baby! That’s one awesome addition to a healthy morning routine, wouldn’t you say?

Even better, you can tap into this self-care activity any time you want to. Boom! Magic!

Learn more about doodling and other stress relieving activities here.

11. Deep Breathing

While it might seem silly, deep belly breathing is amazing for you! And it can make you feel SO DAMN GOOD.

Bonus option – take a few extra minutes to lay in bed while you enjoy those deep breaths. Booyah!

Maybe it sounds too good to be true… But take a minute to peek at all the benefits deep breathing has to offer. (source 1, source 2)

Deep breathing:

• Reduces stress
• Eases feelings of anxiety
• Helps you feel more relaxed
• Slows the heart
• Lowers blood pressure
• May help those with PTSD cope with their symptoms

It’s easy, it’s soothing and it’s a darn easy self-care activity to add to any healthy morning routine! Will you be giving deep, belly breathing a try?

Final Thoughts

It’s so important that you start the day in whatever way feels right for you. And that can change day by day!

It’s great to have a few different, calming self-care activities as go-to’s when you need them. Whether it be morning, noon or night. So tap into any of these whenever you need to.

Ultimately, you deserve to start your day feeling relaxed, empowered and excited for the day ahead. I hope this list of goodness helps you achieve just that.

Oh, and don’t forget your free workbook! I’m so excited for you to dive in. <3

See something you’d like to try on the list? I’d love to know! Anything you’d like to add? Share your go-to morning self-care activities with us in the comments below!

I can’t wait to hear from you.

Health and love,

Thought of the day: Start the day off with self-love and kindness.

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