6 Healthy Ways to Start Your Day

The way you start your day, from the moment your alarm goes off, is really important. 
These early morning habits are what set you up for the day, and can make or break 
your energy, your mood, and so much more. This isn’t just a list of healthy habits to add 
to your morning routine, but ways to increase your wellness, health, and wellbeing from 
the moment you wake up.


1. Always Drink Water First

One of the healthiest changes you can make to your morning routine is by drinking 
water first thing. You don’t have to completely give up your caffeine if you don’t want to, 
but drinking a full glass of water before you drink anything else is really important for 
your body and your health. 

The main reason is that you will wake up dehydrated. After sleeping for 6-8 hours or 
longer, you have not had any water, so you will probably be very thirsty. Many people 
make the mistake of having coffee or other beverages in the morning because they are 
thirsty and to get a jolt of caffeine. But the problem is that these can often make 
dehydration even worse. 

The best thing you can do for your body in the morning is drink water first thing, then 
decide if you still want something else to drink. If you are trying to cut back on caffeine, 
consider tea or Matcha as it has lower caffeine than coffee or energy drinks.


2. Get Some Fresh Air

Try to get outside in the morning! It is amazing how therapeutic and soothing it can be 
just to be outside in the cool, morning air within the first hour of waking up. It can also 
make you more alert and naturally energize you in ways you might not have considered. 
This is especially important if you work from home and don’t have a reason to go 
outside in the morning. You need to make this a priority! 

Find a way to create a morning habit where you go outside. This can be taking your 
morning glass of water and a good book out to your patio or balcony, going for a quick 
stroll around the block, or doing yoga in your backyard. Anything to get outside during 
those early morning hours. 


3. Habits for Increasing Your Positive Energy

Positive energy is all in your mindset and how you approach different things throughout 
your day. There are certain habits that can help tremendously with boosting positive 
energy during your early morning routine, including:

Meditation
Breathing exercises
Being mindful
Gratitude practice
Journaling
Getting out in nature
Laughing
Listening to music

Consider ways you can add some of these habits to your morning routine to boost your 
positive energy first thing in the morning.


4. Minimize Stress in the Morning

When you experience any form of stress early in the morning, it tends to follow you 
around for the rest of the day. It is often something very innocent, such as scrolling 
Twitter or checking your other notifications. Try to keep any possible stress triggers out 
of your morning routine, until you have given yourself time to wake up in a soothing and 
relaxing way. 

At the very least, try to turn off notifications on your phone, so that when you wake up all 
you see or hear is your alarm. Keep them turned off until you have gone through your 
morning routine and are in a relaxed, stress-free state. You can then decide if and when 
you will turn them back on and let all the noise back in.


5. Relax in a Long Shower

On mornings when you have a little more time, use your shower as time to relax and get 
ready for the day. Hot water in the morning has an amazing way of waking you up, but it 
can also soothe sore and tired muscles, give you a place to be mindful, and help you 
wake up in the gentlest way possible. 

You don’t have to do this every single morning, but on those mornings when you woke 
up early and have a bit of extra time. It is a great way to practice self-care. Something 
else that would be good for this morning shower is using shower steamers, which 
produce essential oils for aromatherapy while you are in the shower.


6. Release Thoughts With a Brain Dump

Finally, get some of those anxious and worrisome thoughts out of your head with a brain 
dump. This is a style of journaling where you write down anything that you have on your 
mind at that time. It is completely normal to think of several topics at once, so just keep 
writing until you feel like you have exhausted everything that was on your mind in the 
morning.
