A morning routine can help you to find centre, reduce stress and go about your day with greater clarity and intent. Uncover the essentials for starting the day on a positive note.

Are you a morning person? While some of us spring out of bed when the alarm goes off, for others it’s not so easy. It can be all too tempting to roll over and hit snooze – and end up racing to get ready for whatever our day holds.

If the latter sounds familiar, it could be worth rethinking your approach. Taking time to move mindfully into your day can make all the difference to your health, happiness and productivity. Having a morning routine is one of the best ways we can set ourselves up for whatever lies ahead. It helps to create a sense of peaceful awareness and self-connection before we engage with other people and whatever tasks we face. In doing so, a morning routine supports us to find centre, reduce stress, and to go about our day with greater clarity and intent, helping us to be more mindful in all that we encounter. No wonder having a morning routine is frequently cited by some of the world’s most successful businesspeople as vital for their achievements and wellbeing.

Creating a morning routine

Creating a morning routine is all about finding what works for you. Decide what is realistic for you to fit in. A morning routine doesn’t have to be long to be effective – even a 10-minute practice can make a huge difference to your day. Having a plan and preparing whatever you need the night before also helps to make a morning routine smoother and easier to stick with.

The following are elements that can be great to incorporate in your routine – each with powerful benefits for mind and body wellness:

Keep your electronic devices switched off

Many of us are in the habit of reaching for our electronic devices the moment we wake up. But starting the day scrolling, checking emails, responding to messages and reading the news – often before we’ve even got out of bed – bombards our nervous systems. This can ramp up feelings of stress and activation, scatter our focus and have us leaping headfirst into whatever is calling our attention, all before we’ve had a chance to properly awaken and attune to ourselves. Try keeping your phone or device switched off for at least the first half hour – or ideally longer – of your day. Your creativity, productivity, attention span and overall sense of calm will all benefit greatly as a result.

Move your body

One of the best ways to start the day is with movement. Whether it’s an exercise class, some gentle stretching, a morning run or a light walk, moving your body first thing helps to release endorphins and enhance mood, reduce stress and boost metabolism. It also supports alertness and concentration, helping you to feel more focused and energised throughout the day. Exercise also supports a healthy sleep cycle, helping you to feel more rested and find it easier to get up in the mornings. While not everyone enjoys a strong workout first thing, even a small amount of morning movement that feels good for your body can pay dividends.

Enjoy a meditation practice

Meditation and mindfulness practices support us to begin the day with greater calm and awareness. By promoting feelings of relaxation and clarity, they help to reduce stress throughout the day, enabling us to be more conscious of our experiences and our responses to them. This in turn has a positive impact on our relationships, our productivity and our overall wellbeing. From breathwork to guided visualisations, mindful journaling and more, there are many meditative morning practices that can help to leave you feeling alert, balanced and better equipped to navigate your day.

Set intentions for your day

Mornings are the perfect moment to think intentionally about your day ahead. Setting your priorities and being clear about where you’d like to focus your energy and attention can help your day to run more smoothly. Note how you’re feeling, physically and emotionally, and review any tasks that you may have. Beyond any to-do lists, it’s also useful to think about the mindset you’d like to cultivate throughout the day. How would you like to meet whatever lies ahead of you, independent of outcomes? This simple practice helps to set the tone for your day, supporting you to move through it in a more centred and productive way.