How to start your morning with positivity

Having a good morning truly does make for a good day and there are small things that we can do to make sure that we have a good morning every morning!

3 min read

August 31, 2021

Goooooood morning!(or whenever you’re reading this!) Having a good morning truly does make for a good day and there are small things that we can do to make sure that we have a good morning every morning!

It all starts the night before

Preparing for a successful (and positive) morning means taking some time in the evening to set yourself up for the morning. This can look different for everyone. Some examples of this are tidying up your space so that way you wake up to a clean home(nothing ruins my mood more than waking up to a messy kitchen), laying out your clothes the night before, writing out your to-do list, or even packing your lunch so it’s ready in the morning. If there are things in your morning routine that seem to take a little bit of extra time or things you simply hate doing in the morning (for me, it’s packing my lunch), see if you can do those things the night before to make your morning smoother!

Open up those windows

Natural light will help your body wake up naturally. This one is very important for me during the winter. Cold weather makes it 10x harder for me to wake up early and often when I wake up, the sun isn’t up yet. This is why I like to allow as much natural light in while I am getting ready for my day. As the sun rises, I get to enjoy the light and the beautiful colours. You’d be surprised at how much something so small can impact your day. Don’t forget to enjoy the little things.

Movement, if possible

Okay, I absolutely HATE morning workouts but damn do I ever feel amazing after completing one. It’s already tough getting out of bed, but then having to move and get sweaty? I’m not sure that I’ll ever jump out of bed excited for the gym, but there are many benefits to getting movement in first thing in the morning.

Working out before starting the day allows you to get yourself in a good mindset for the day. This also gives you a sense of accomplishment because you’ve already gotten one thing done for the day.

Of course, this isn’t possible for everyone’s schedule and that’s okay! Try to get some movement in whenever you can.

Give yourself time

Let’s get real here, not all of us have the ability to wake up a few hours before work and have an elaborate morning routine, but one thing to consider is giving yourself time. Being able to wake up, eat, get ready peacefully, rather than in a hurry, will make all the difference.

Your morning always sets the tone for the rest of your day. If you have a frantic morning, the rest of your day will be the same. Sometimes, this only requires waking up 15-30 mins earlier so that way you can calmly make your way through your morning routine.

Fuel your body with the right food and drink

This one may sound silly, but the first meal and beverage of the day should be a healthy one. Your body needs good fuel for the day, so filling it with junk won’t give you great quality fuel.

Try to get in the habit of having a big glass of water before having your morning coffee. Our bodies become dehydrated when we sleep and need water as soon as we wake up. If we rehydrate our bodies with coffee or another beverage, we’re not doing quite as good of a job replenishing our system.

Next, be mindful of what we put into our morning beverage (which for most of us is coffee). Is that super sweet creamer really good for you? Is that morning stomach ache really worth it? If you can’t seem to break up with your favourite not-so-good-for-you creamer, try using less of it in your coffee. If you love the sweet taste of sugar, there are much healthier alternatives to sugar such as honey or agave nectar.

Lastly, you want to make sure that your breakfast is also filled with nutrients that will help boost your day. Remember, if you feel better, you’ll have the energy to get more done!

It’s also valuable to take note of how your body reacts to coffee. If it reacts well and coffee helps you wake up, great! However, sometimes coffee can cause a caffeine surge, leading to anxiety-like feelings, trouble gathering thoughts, and having a hard time focusing. If this sounds familiar to you, consider swapping your morning coffee with something that contains less caffeine, or better yet, no caffeine at all. Yes, it is possible to live without coffee!

From personal experience, I know that watching several perfect morning routine videos on YouTube can be quite discouraging since 99.9% of the time, my morning looks nothing like that. The truth is, not all of us can afford to have a 2-hour morning routine to practice meditation, do a 10-step skincare routine and cook a fancy breakfast. The key is to find what works for you and your lifestyle. Try a few different things out, see what you like and what you don’t. Create your ideal morning routine based on what helps you have the best day!