How you start each morning has a huge impact on the rest of your day. By practicing a healthy morning routine, you can increase your productivity, decrease stress, boost happiness and more. Here are some healthy morning habits, as well as tips and tricks for creating a routine that sticks.

Set Your Alarm to Work for You

                The first step to kicking your day off right is adjusting your sleep schedule to ensure you have enough time in the morning for yourself and your responsibilities. If your kids get up at 6:30 a.m., this means getting up before them. Or, even if you don’t have kids or pets to care for, if you usually get up at 7 a.m. to scramble out the door by 7:30, it’s time for you to start your days earlier. That said, sleep is important. When you adjust your alarm to wake up sooner, you also need to adjust your bedtime to turn in earlier. There is nothing healthy about being sleep deprived, so aim to get at least seven hours of sleep.

Breathe in the New Day

Unfortunately, the first thing many of us do when we wake up in the morning is reach for our phones. The morning scrolling can potentially let stress build due to what you find on the news, social media, or messages. Instead of grabbing your phone first thing, try taking six long, deep breaths to focus your attention on the power and blessing of your own life. The diaphragm acts as both a respiratory and core postural muscle, diaphragmatic breathing not only helps you positively focus your mind, but it also primes your body to support movement and good posture.

Drink Water Before Coffee

Because we lose water through our breath and sweat while we sleep, we usually wake up thirsty. Considering that the adult human body is comprised of up to 60% water, hydration is essential for good health. Drinking water first thing in the morning will not only help rehydrate you but can also jump-start your metabolism, boosting it up to 30%, according to research.

Make Time to Exercise

You might not have the time to fit in a full workout in the morning. That’s okay. You can sneak in exercise by stacking in onto some of your existing morning habits. An example of this is doing push-ups before getting into the shower or squats while you brush your teeth. This concept is called habit stacking, by stacking a new exercise habit onto a morning habit that is already ingrained, it makes it easier to sustain.

Make Your Bed

By making your bed every morning, you demonstrate to yourself that you take personal responsibility for your tasks and commit to keeping your personal space comfortable and tidy. It sets a precedent that reinforces the foundation of your ability to follow through.

Repeat Your Routine

This is the hardest part. Establishing a routine is not easy. It’s understandable if you start out strong but then falter. If you sleep in one morning or forget some new habits, don’t be too hard on yourself, but also don’t give up. Start again the next morning and you will soon find it easier to stick to your morning routine.