Your morning routine will affect the outcome of the day. It is imperative to ensure that you start the day on a high note. This article compiles 15 best things to do in the morning and why they are important.
The late Jim Rohn, a keynote speaker/author said that you either run the day or the day runs you. He, therefore, suggests that you need to have your day planned, and that starts in the morning. Having a daily morning routine is vital to your health, success, and even your relationships.
A morning routine raises your productivity and self-confidence levels. You meticulously plan and execute. It gives you the chance to meditate, connect with your loved ones, and relieve stress.
You start the day enthusiastically, eager to execute the plans you laid down. Incorporating a time to exercise or go for a nature walk in your morning routine boosts your health and makes you start the day feeling energetic.
15 Best Things to do in the Morning
There are tons of things you can do in the morning but I have picked the 15 best ones for you. It is not necessary that you do all the things that I advised. Pick one or two things you like and do it regularly. Make it a habit and then pick another one.
Let’s dive deep into the best things to do in the morning.
1. Wake up Early at a Consistent Time
Have you ever heard of the 21/90 rule? This concept states that if you do something consistently for 21 days, it becomes a habit.
If you continue doing it for 90 days consistently, it becomes a lifestyle change. If you wake up early at a consistent time, say 5.00 am, and apply the 21/90 rule, you will have not only formed a habit but a lifestyle change. You will never need an alarm again to wake you up.
This is one of the best things to do in the morning to wake up at 5 am. Join the 5 am club.
Ever wondered how highly productive people accomplish so much in a day? Well, it starts with waking up early. Our bodies are wired to be more productive in the morning than at night. At night, our bodies produce melatonin, the hormone that induces us to sleep. This makes us feel sleepy and mostly be unproductive.
Have a look at the table of some of the successful people and their wake up times:
| Name | Profession | Wake up Time |
| Tim Cook | CEO of Apple | 3:45 am |
| Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) | Actor | 3:30 am |
| Michelle Obama | First lady of the United States | 4:30 am |
| Jeff Weiner | CEO of LinkedIn | 5:30 am |
| Oprah Winfrey | Host of The Oprah Show | 6:00 am |
| Elon Musk | CEO of SpaceX | 7:00 am |
In the morning, our bodies suppress the production of melatonin, making us alert and productive. Consistently waking up will make your body adjust its circadian cycle, your internal clock, to make you always be alert at 5.00 am. This gives you a chance to plan your day without distractions and get much done before the day breaks.
If you struggle to wake up early, here’s a complete guideline to wake up early in the morning.
2. Make Your Bed
Admiral William H McRaven made an incredible speech and remarked,
“If you wanna change the world, start off by making your bed.”
William H McRaven
This is one of the best things you can do in the morning. He advised that starting your day by making the bed will give you pride and a sense of accomplishment. This, in turn, motivates you to carry on activities throughout the day.
Charles Duhigg, in his Power of Habit book, suggested that making a bed raises one’s productivity and skills to take charge of his remaining duties. A neatly-made bed is a stress-remover. You feel more relaxed when the bedroom is neat, and the bed is made.
Starting the day by making the bed is a sure way to boost your productivity and mood. Knowing that in the evening, you’ll find a neat bed feels good.
3. Have a Full Glass of Water
When you wake up, your body is dehydrated. Having a full glass of water first thing in the morning will rehydrate the body. This causes the body to be fully alert and energetic. Having coffee, though rich in antioxidants, as an alternative to water is not advisable. Coffee dehydrates your body.
Drinking water in the morning will boost your energy levels and regulate your body. Water also aids in your brain functioning better since the brain is made up of 73% water. You take your brain functioning to optimum levels when you kick start your day with a glass of water.
You also jump-start your metabolism when you take water in the morning. Having enough water in the body is ideal for metabolism to occur. We tend to need more water in the morning due to the long sleep. If you wake up feeling sluggish, the best thing to do is drink a glass of water.
According to Pinnacle Care, you should drink at least 450 mL of water right after waking up.
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine says women should drink 2.7 liters (11.5 cups) of water per day whereas men should drink 3.5 liters (15.5 cups) of water.
4. Go For a Walk/Run
Walking or running is by far the cheapest yet very effective way also one of the best things to do in the morning to keep you fit. Experts recommend that the best time to go jogging is in the morning. But it requires motivation to get up and go jogging while others are keeping warm in their beds.
What’s the importance of a morning run anyway?
- Health benefits- Running, even for 5 minutes daily, can affect your health positively. According to research, if you are a regular runner, you have 30% less risk of cardiovascular issues and 27% less risk of early death. Running will boost your health to optimum levels.
- Improved productivity- morning run leaves your body flowing with adrenaline and endorphin, which gives you mental stimulation to get things done.
There are numerous benefits to morning runs. It’s a must-do if you want to be more healthy and successful.
People also read: How to Start Running When Overweight
5. Exercise or Yoga/Meditate
All great ideas are generated from thought. The best way to generate these ideas is through meditation. Meditation, especially in the morning, will boost your focus, reduce your stress levels and anxiety, and help you reconnect with your inner self. Oprah Winfrey and other high-performance people confirmed that they start the day meditating, which helps them better plan the day and the future.
You may also substitute meditation with exercising or Yoga. Yoga, whether Restorative, Ashtanga, or Hatha, will improve your health and make you feel calm and relaxed. Yoga helps reduce depression and improve your body’s flexibility and strength.
A few push-ups, sit-ups, or other exercising forms are also beneficial to your health. This will keep you fit and productive. Meditating or exercising in the morning will largely improve your productivity and long-term health.
6. Take a Relaxing Cold Bath
After your morning run or exercise session, your next stop should be in the shower. A cold bath is recommended. Taking a cold bath will reduce your fatigue and alertness in the morning. The cold shower improves your air circulation leaving you gasping for oxygen which raises your alertness.
According to Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, cold baths help in reducing depression. This is due to the electrical impulses sent to your brain when the cold water hits you. Cold showers also improve your metabolism and your body’s resistance to illnesses like flu and colds. It also aids in relieving sore muscles and is good for your skin.
No doubt it is one of the best things to do in the morning and it’s one of the best habits that I have developed.
Though a cold bath is beneficial, in cold seasons, it is not recommended. You can switch between a relaxing cold and warm bath, though cold baths are more beneficial.
7. Check Your To-do List and Plan.
How do you raise your self-confidence? Have a to-do list. As recommended in our article on “things to do before bed”, you need to make a to-do list before you sleep.
Jim Rohn said, “Part of the fun of having a list is checking it off.” Check the to-do list you made before sleeping. Check off what you have accomplished.
A to-do list will help you focus on important things, make large projects manageable by breaking them down, and help you analyze your progress.
As Benjamin Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Start the day by checking your to-do list and updating it with new plans. Prioritize the most important things. Use a paper and pen to plot financial and life goals. Planning will act as your compass towards achieving your goals.
8. Eat Healthy Breakfast
According to experts, the most important meal of the day is breakfast. Many people, I hope you are not one of them, miss breakfast. They wake up late, do things hastily and leave for work. After some hours, they have to take coffee and unhealthy junky food.
Having a healthy breakfast gives you the energy to work productively till lunch hours. You maintain good health and have better concentration. Your body needs energy after a long sleep. Replenish it by eating a healthy breakfast. This will improve your metabolism and overall health.
As Mahatma Gandhi said,
“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
Mahatma Gandhi
So, take care of your health.
9. Listen to Productive Podcasts or News
To become more productive, you have to keep improving your mental factory. You can read a book, watch motivational videos, or listen to podcasts. Podcasts are better because you can listen as you carry on other duties. You can listen to relaxing podcasts when doing Yoga or having breakfast. When driving to work, you can listen to powerful messages that will impact your lifestyle.
There are thousands of podcasts available, covering different topics. You can learn new skills about your industry or a certain subject of interest. Personal development collection will help you develop your mindset, be inspired, and learn critical life skills to propel you towards achieving your goals.
Listen to news, especially business news or those related to your career, is helpful. This helps you set goals according to the current trends. For example, news can signal you when not to invest in stocks.
10. Network During Coffee or Tea
Your network is your net worth. Someone said that “It’s who you know that counts sometimes, not what you know.” Whether that’s true or not, we need human connections. The best time to network in the morning is during coffee.
While sipping a cup of coffee, you can network on social media. Instill in yourself the discipline to only scroll through social media for 10-15 minutes. Social media can be addictive and a time-waster. However, it is crucial to keep good relationships with your friends. Use this coffee time to check on your friends and family members who are far.
The bonds you create with friends and relatives are very critical in your success journey. You cannot make it to the top alone. Make your friends feel important by regularly checking on them. Friends are valuable resources to have.
11. Spend Quality Time with Family
“There is no doubt that it is around family and the home that all the greatest virtues are created, strengthened, and maintained.”
Winston Churchill
What a profound statement by Winston Churchill. In the morning, before leaving to work, have quality time with your loved ones.
See to it that you create a good relationship with your family. Even if they are far, you can call them every morning. Spending time with family builds your mental health and helps you reduce stress. The comforting love and encouragement will build your confidence and inspire you to be productive.
You also build your communication skills, resilience, and conflict management skills. During family time, issues can arise. Being able to solve or seeing how your parents or spouse solved the issues will give you skills.
12. Check and Reply to Important Emails
Before leaving the house, it is imperative that your check your emails. Some experts like Sid Savara, a personal development writer, and Julie Morgenstern, a time management consultant, recommend not checking your email in the morning. It’s key to note that they are against wasting your productive time of the day, refreshing and replying to emails.
However, with an articulate plan, you can schedule a 15-minute session to check your email. You then select the most important emails that require less time to reply. Checking your email is important as important updates may have been sent overnight. Your boss may have assigned your other duties, or a customer may have requested urgent assistance. Checking emails will be helpful as you will know the urgent things that need attention.
13. Put on Something Comfortable For the Day
Before stepping out into the world, you have to dress. A popular quote says, “Your dress, your choice.” But for highly productive people like you, you know that how you dress matters. Gianni Versace said,
“Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress.”
Gianni Versace
To avoid wasting time in the morning, select the clothes to wear before you go to sleep. Always dress according to your day plan. Be simple but elegant, ensuring that what you wear is comfortable and appropriate.
Don’t take your family to the beach in your tuxedo suit!
Being smartly dressed raises your self-confidence, especially when meeting important people. Ensure that your dressing choice displays your personality.
14. Work on a Top-Priority Work
Prioritizing work is important. In the morning, when you are super-productive, work on the top priority work on your list. You can use various methods to prioritize work; these include the Eisenhower Matrix, Pareto Principle, or Brian Tracy’s ABCDE method.
Teresa Amabile, a Harvard professor, remarked that “Of all the things that can boost emotions, motivations, and perceptions during a workday, the single most important is making progress in meaningful work.”
Your self-confidence will shoot through the roof if you prioritize work and tackling top-priority work. This also helps you avoid the last-minute rush that comes when you poorly plan your priorities. Walking out of the door in the morning having accomplished some important tasks will reflect in your whole day.
You go to the workplace enthusiastically, ready to conquer the world.
15. Work on a Side Hustle
Morning hours are meant to be personal. That said, work on your side hustle before going to your full-time job. This will make you confidently say, as Jim Rohn used to say,
“I’m working full time on my job and part-time on my fortune.”
Jim Rohn
The side hustle might be blogging, network marketing, affiliate marketing, etc. Whatever your side hustle is, it is important to allocate your productive hours to its growth. Have a strict strategy to follow when working on your part-time endeavors. You may find yourself working late if you don’t plan the hours to out in every morning to your side-hustle.
Working on a side hustle can propel you to achieving your life or financial goals way faster. Income generated from side hustles supplement your salary, helping you save more money. You can also study for your Masters or any certification part-time.
Book Suggestion on Morning Routine
- The Miracle Morning, by Hal Elrod
- The 5 AM Club, by Robin Sharma
Final Takeaway
Knowing what to do and doing it is the best way to succeed. Incorporating the 15 things discussed in the article in your morning routine will be beneficial. They will improve your productivity and self-confidence.
You will lead a healthy life with healthy relationships with your family and colleagues. Personal development is the best investment to make. Invest in yourself and power up your days.
These productive days will turn into weeks and years eventually. Productivity will become your daily routine. You will attract good things, and success will come your way.
As Aristotle said,
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.”
Aristotle