In short: Your morning sets the tone for your whole day, and for your night too. A good morning routine doesn’t need to be long or perfect: a regular waking time, daylight on your face, a glass of water, a little movement, a few slow breaths and a breakfast with some protein are enough to wake your body up gently and keep your energy steady. Start with one or two habits that you enjoy, and build from there.
The alarm goes. You reach for your phone before you’ve even opened both eyes, and within a minute you know what the weather is doing, what’s happening in the world and who needs something from you today. You get up already a little behind. Coffee on the go, a slice of toast eaten standing, a quick look in the mirror, and you’re off. By eleven you’re hungry and scattered, and by mid-afternoon you’re running on empty.
Does that sound like your mornings? There’s nothing wrong with you. Mornings are simply the moment when the whole day rushes in at once, unless you give yourself a little space first. In this article I’d like to explain why the first hour matters so much, and share the gentle routine I suggest to the people I work with. Take what suits you, and leave the rest.
Why does a morning routine make such a difference?
Your body runs on an inner clock. Every morning, that clock needs to be set, a little like an old kitchen clock that you wind up each day. The signals that set it are simple: light, movement, food and the time you get up. When those signals arrive regularly, your body knows when to be awake and alert, when to feel hungry, and, much later, when to feel sleepy.
That’s why a good morning helps your evening too. I wrote about the evening side of the story in The power of an evening routine, and the two really work as a pair: one gently switches you on, the other gently switches you off.
And routines are powerful because they’re repeated. When you do the same few things in the same order every morning, you stop having to decide. Your body knows what comes next. That leaves your energy free for the rest of the day, and it gives you a feeling of steadiness before anyone else’s needs come knocking.
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive: to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” Marcus Aurelius
Should I wake up at the same time every day?
If you can, yes, or close to it, weekends included. Your inner clock loves rhythm. A very late lie-in on Sunday is a little like flying to another country and back: your body doesn’t quite know where it is on Monday.
You don’t have to be an early riser. Some people are larks and some are owls, and both are perfectly fine. What matters most is regularity. Choose a waking time that works with your life, keep it most days, and let your bedtime follow.
Why is morning daylight so important?
Light is the strongest signal your inner clock receives. Daylight in the eyes soon after you wake tells your body that the day has begun. It helps you feel alert and lifts your mood, and it starts a quiet countdown towards feeling sleepy in the evening.
So open the shutters wide as soon as you’re up. Have your tea by the window, or better still, step outside for a few minutes, even on a grey day. Outdoor light, even when it’s cloudy, is much brighter than the light in your kitchen. In winter, when mornings are dark, this matters even more, and I wrote about it in Wake up happy: how to look after your circadian rhythm this winter.
What should I do before I look at my phone?
As much as you can. The moment you open your phone, the day comes in: messages, news, other people’s plans. Your mind switches straight to responding, before you’ve had a chance to arrive in your own body.
I’m not asking you to throw your phone in the river. Simply try to give yourself a little time first. Leave it charging in another room, and use an ordinary alarm clock. Then do two or three things from your routine before you pick it up. Even ten quiet minutes can change the feeling of a whole morning.
Is a glass of water really worth it?
It’s one of the simplest habits I know. You’ve gone a whole night without drinking, and many of us then go straight to coffee. A glass of water, warm or at room temperature, perhaps with a slice of lemon, is a gentle way to wake your digestion and start the day well hydrated. On its own it won’t change your life, but it’s a lovely first step, and it makes a perfect anchor for the other habits. I explain why staying hydrated matters so much for your mood and energy in Drink up: how staying hydrated improves your mood and energy.
What kind of movement is best in the morning?
The kind you enjoy, and the kind you’ll actually do. As a yoga teacher, I love a few gentle stretches before the day begins: reach your arms up and breathe in, fold forward and breathe out, roll your shoulders, twist gently from side to side. A few minutes is enough to wake up a stiff body and get your blood moving.
If you prefer, go for a brisk walk, ideally outside, so you get your daylight at the same time. Or do a few squats while the kettle boils. On days when you feel stronger, a longer walk or a proper workout is wonderful. I wrote more about finding movement you like in Let’s talk about exercise.
How can I start the day calmer?
This is where my yoga and breathing background comes in, because a calm morning starts with the breath. Sit on the edge of your bed or in a chair by the window. Close your eyes. Breathe in gently through your nose, and let the out-breath be a little slower and longer than the in-breath. Stay with that for a few minutes. You’ll find more simple practices in Breathe your way to mindfulness.
Then you might like to add one of these:
Set an intention. Ask yourself: what matters most today? Choose one or two things, and let the rest be a bonus.
Gratitude. Think of three things you’re thankful for, however small: the smell of the coffee, the cat on your lap, the light on the garden.
Something creative or inspiring. A few lines in a notebook, a sketch, a page of a book you love, some music.
What’s a good breakfast to start the day?
As a nutrition coach, this is where I always look first, because breakfast has a lot to say about the rest of your day. A breakfast made only of quick carbs, such as a croissant, jam on toast or a sweet cereal, gives you a lovely quick lift, then often a dip and a strong appetite mid-morning. Nothing wrong with any of them; they simply need some company.
What helps is some protein, some healthy fats and some fibre, together with your carbs. It keeps you satisfied for longer and your energy steadier. A few ideas:
An egg or two with a slice of wholegrain bread and some tomatoes or spinach.
A bowl of yoghurt with walnuts, a grated apple and a sprinkle of oats.
Overnight oats, prepared the evening before, with seeds and fruit. I explain why I love them in Why I love overnight oats.
Buckwheat pancakes with goat’s cheese, or a piece of good bread with cheese and a handful of nuts.
And if you’re not hungry first thing, that’s fine. Listen to your body. Have something a little later in the morning, before you’re starving. A breakfast that suits your body is better than one you force down.
What helps?
Here’s the morning routine I suggest. It can take ten minutes or an hour, depending on your day.
1. Keep a regular waking time
Choose a time that suits your life and keep it most days. Leave the phone in another room overnight, so the first thing you see is the day and not the screen.
2. Light and water
Open the shutters, drink a glass of water, and if you can, step outside for a few breaths of morning air.
3. Move a little
A few stretches, a walk, some squats while the kettle boils. Something that gets your blood moving and that you enjoy.
4. A few calm minutes
Slow breathing with a longer out-breath, then one intention for the day or three things you’re grateful for.
5. A breakfast that carries you
Some protein, some healthy fats, some fibre, your carbs, and ideally sitting down.
What doesn’t help?
Copying someone else’s perfect routine. The two-hour routines you see online may not fit your body or your life. Yours only needs to work for you.
Changing everything on Monday. Start with one or two habits, and add another once they feel easy.
Doing it all in a rush. A routine you race through becomes one more task. Take your time with each step, and enjoy it.
Giving up after a missed morning. Some days will be chaotic. Do what you can, and start again tomorrow, with no drama.
Try this for one week
Choose two habits from the list above. Just two. For example: daylight and a glass of water, then a few slow breaths before you look at your phone.
Hang them on something you already do every morning, like putting the kettle on. That’s the easiest way to make a new habit stick, and I explain why in Why change is hard, and how to make healthy habits stick.
Each evening, write one word in a notebook for how your morning felt, and one for your energy in the afternoon. At the end of the week, read your words. You may notice your days starting a little more calmly, and your evenings arriving with a little more energy left.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a morning routine be?
As long as your life allows. Ten calm minutes done every day will help you more than an hour-long routine you only manage once a week.
What should I do first thing in the morning?
Let in the daylight, drink a glass of water and give yourself a few minutes before you look at your phone. Then a little movement, a few slow breaths and a breakfast with some protein.
Do I have to get up early to have a good morning routine?
No. What matters most is getting up at roughly the same time every day. Choose a time that suits your body and your life, and keep it as regular as you can.
When should I talk to my doctor?
If you wake up exhausted day after day even after a full night in bed, if you feel low or anxious most mornings, or if you’d like to start a new kind of exercise and have a health condition, please talk to your doctor. Morning tiredness that won’t lift deserves a proper look.
Would you like some help?
Building a morning that suits you is much easier when someone helps you see your own patterns: when your energy drops, what you eat, how you sleep. Daily rhythm, breakfast and energy are themes I work on in my group programmes in nutrition and health, such as Six Tuesdays in Montignac. If you’d like to hear when the next group opens, write to me at hello@catherinepolet.coach.
Not nearby, or would you rather work one to one? I also coach online. Book a free 20-minute call, tell me what your mornings look like, and we’ll find a gentle start that fits your day.
About Catherine
I’m Catherine Polet, a holistic nutrition health coach, yoga and autogenic training teacher for more than 30 years, author and speaker. I help people find a way of eating and living that suits their own body, online in English, French, Spanish and German, and in person in Southwest France.
