Simple Morning Rituals to Boost Well-Being
Snooze (if You Want to)
Hitting the snooze button isn’t something that’s generally associated with starting your day on the best foot.
However research has identified that it could actually be helpful, and those who suffer with morning drowsiness may be more alert by the time they get up, in comparison to getting up as soon as the alarm first rings.
So, if you do enjoy a slumber, don’t feel bad about it as it may be benefiting your wellbeing.
2. Make Your Bed
Making your bed in the morning can give you a mental boost. This simple task promotes a sense of accomplishment, and theorists suggest that small initial successes can pave the way for a productive day.
A further survey found that 71% of those who made their beds reported feeling happy, while 62% of those who didn’t considered themselves unhappy.
3. Prioritise a Screen Free Start
9 in 10 people check their phones within the first 10 minutes of being awake, but an influx of notifications and harsh screen lighting can heighten stress and anxiety and end up disrupting focus throughout the day.
Patrick McClure explains “When we wake up, our body is still doing those transitional changes from the restful state of sleep to the active state of being awake. Therefore, throwing screens in front of our eyes at this specific time only alters this natural process in the body and causes overstimulation of the brain”
4. Tune in with Mindfulness
Incorporating mindfulness into your morning routine is a great way to promote clarity and positivity. Supporting this, McClure Adds “We encourage clients to start practicing mindfulness in the morning with exercises like meditation, breathing activities, and even taking a few minutes to plan the day ahead of them”.
There are hundreds of tools with the goal of mindfulness, from audio affirmations to virtual therapy apps like Sattva, and despite 45% of survey respondents saying they don’t seek mental health help due to busy schedules, these tools can align with even the most hectic routines to improve the overall wellbeing of users.
5. Clock in with Coffee
To fully reap the rewards of a morning coffee, you should wait for your natural cortisol levels to drop. This generally falls between 9am and 11.30am, when most of us are settling into work. Since caffeine stimulates cortisol production, drinking coffee within this period provides the body with a vital boost right when it’s needed the most, effectively alleviating the symptoms of a mid-morning slump.
Patrick McClure provides further insight into the importance of a balanced morning routine:
“A balanced morning routine is encouraged with activities that will help the body and mind ease from sleep mode. Other methods could be light stretching, drinking on some water to fill in any voids created from sleep, or letting natural light set up our biological clock.”
“Little adjustments like these can bring about big changes and drastic improvements to an individual’s overall health and well-being.”
The post From Bed to Desk: Morning rituals to boost productivity appeared first on HR News.