How much is your morning routine helping you? There are all kinds of habits that you can or should make a part of your routine. But what about morning routine habits to avoid?
This post is designed to break down some of the habits that could be negatively affecting you- your mood, your physical health, your mental health, how your day goes, etc.
But we’re going to take it a step further and also talk about what you should do instead of those bad habits so that you can keep your life and wellbeing going in the direction you want it to.
So grab a cup of coffee, and let’s get into it!
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Bad habit #1: Immediate screen time
When we wake up, our brains are waking up too. I mean yeah, they’re kind of always awake, but they’re in ‘rest mode’ while we’re asleep.
So when we wake up and immediately look at screens, we’re giving our brains quite the harsh awakening.
There is so much stimulation in our day to day lives. And that much stimulation is doing damage to our brains, our moods, and our overall mental health.
There’s almost a guarantee that you’ll be using screens at some point throughout the day. I mean practically everything we do in today’s world is screen-based.
But your morning routine does NOT have to be one of those things.
What to do instead:
Set a goal of going screen-free for a period of time in the morning. It could be the first 5 minutes of being awake, or it could be going without screens completely until you leave for work.
Every minute that you avoid using a screen is helping your brain.
My best tip for avoiding immediate screen time? Get an alarm clock that wakes you up naturally and doesn’t have a screen. I’ve been using my Hatch Restore for years and swear by it for better sleep & easier wake ups.
It has sleep sounds to help me get better sleep, and the alarm sound is customizable along with the gradual sunrise-style light that wakes me up naturally. And the best part? I don’t have to stare at a screen while turning off the alarm! You can grab the Hatch Restore here: Hatch Restore
Bad habit #2: Stressing yourself out right away
There are so many ways we can immediately stress ourselves out when we wake up.
Reading the news right away, or jumping straight into worry-mode about the things we have to do, what we didn’t get done yesterday, or all of the stressful things about life.
Taking in information isn’t all bad. I recognize that reading your to-do list for the day is helpful for many people, including me. But regardless of what information we’re taking in, our approach matters.
What to do instead: Do a brain dump
To avoid getting immediate stress, we’re going to kind of do the opposite. Before taking in more information (news, our to-do lists, information from others), we’re going to get rid of what’s in our brains already.
I walk you through this step-by-step in the workbook The Brain Detox, but the concept is pretty simple.
Each morning, take a few minutes to essentially clear out your brain. Whatever you’re feeling, thinking, stressing about, daydreaming about, nervous about, angry about, whatever.
Take a pen and paper or even just sit with your thoughts and get out everything.
Doing this will help you feel lighter, and can also often make you realize that the thoughts in your head that feel really big and scary are actually completely manageable.
Doing this as part of your morning routine can help you handle the day better, and feel more well prepared for whatever comes your way.
And if you want to dive deeper into clearing out your brain, you can grab The Brain Detox here!
Bad habit #3: Coffee first
You will never see my saying that you shouldn’t drink coffee. I loooooove my morning coffee and genuinely look forward to it every day.
But I’ve noticed something- when coffee is my first drink in the morning, I feel worse, both physically and mentally, the rest of the day.
I feel more jittery, more dehydrated, more anxious. I’m also somehow was less likely to drink water throughout the day.
So I started trying something- committing to drinking a glass of water before my morning coffee.
And the difference I felt in my body was definitely noticeable.
If you’ve noticed the coffee jitters throughout the day, maybe this habit is to blame.
What to do instead:
Commit to hydrating first, caffeinating second.
Each morning, drink a big glass of water before taking that first sip of coffee!
And if you’re looking for a little bonus, try adding in some electrolytes to help you rehydrate after a night of sleeping. These are the ones I’m using and LOVING right now (as someone who has never been a fan of drink additives): LMNT Electrolytes
Bad habit #4: Skipping breakfast or eating only sugar
What we eat in the morning of course has a huge impact on our physical health, but it also affects our mental health for the day ahead.
Your morning eating habits will have effects lasting throughout your whole day.
If you find yourself often skipping breakfast completely, or having a breakfast that’s basically just sugar with nothing of nutritional value, you’re not doing your body or mind any favors.
Sugar has a huuuuuuge role in our moods, anxiety levels, and overall brain function. Consuming too much sugar can drastically worsen how we feel mentally throughout the day.
And starting your day with only sugar? Your body can definitely tell. You’re more likely to have cravings and unhealthy eating habits for the remainder of the day, you’ll probably feel more jittery and weak, and your energy levels will not be able to keep up.
What to do instead:
Completely skipping sugar in your breakfast may not be realistic for you, and that’s okay.
We’re not about perfection here, we’re about taking one little step forward as often as we can.
So in this situation, a step forward might look like pairing your sugary breakfast with some protein or other nutrients too.
Having a bowl of cereal? Grab some almonds to eat on the side. Making muffins? Try a protein-packed muffin recipe. Instead of just eating a piece of fruit, pair it with some greek yogurt and granola.
If you can add some protein into your breakfast, your body and mind are going to feel so much better as the day goes on. Trust me.
Bad habit #5: Rushing through your morning
For me, ‘busy’ has started to feel….normal.
I have a ton of tasks to do each day and only so many hours to get them all done. And even when the tasks aren’t piled up, I still feel this sense of urgency in my body at all times.
Sound familiar?
But constantly rushing through our lives, and accepting the hustle of it all causes us to sacrifice so much peace and joy.
One way to take control back from your busy life? Embracing slow mornings.
Allowing yourself to have a slow and gentle morning routine is going to make a huge difference in how your life feels.
I know mornings can be hectic and busy and chaotic, but for most people, there is still some room to simplify.
What to do instead:
Take a ‘slow living’ approach to your morning routine. Slow down your existing tasks. Approach things more gently. Let yourself find calm amongst what is normally chaotic.
I highly recommend you read my guides for morning routines just like these:
How to Create a Hygge Morning Routine for a Cozy Start to Your Day
How to Create a Slow Living Morning Routine
Find ways to slow down your morning. Cut out unnecessary tasks. Avoid harsh stimulation and chaotic moments. Set yourself up for success the night before.
Your life will truly improve the more you can find slow and calm moments in a regularly chaotic life.
Creating and keeping a healthy morning routine is just as much about avoiding the bad habits as it is about keeping the good habits.
By cutting out the things that are harming your wellbeing, you’re making room for the good stuff to find its way in.
If you want more help creating a cozy and intentional life that you look forward to waking up to, please join my cozy community where we talk about things just like this.
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