Establishing a Morning Routine to Create a Healthier, Happier You

HUMANS are creatures of habit, pure and simple. We like traditions, customs, festivals – they make us feel good and on track. And a routine is our own personal set of traditions and rituals that we move through each and every day, often without pausing to reflect upon what we are doing or why. A strong routine gives us a balanced life, an understanding of what we need to do and when to navigate the trials and tribulations of daily life.

Think of those people you know who are always stressed – look closely and they most likely do not have any established routines in their lives. They will cling to the notion that they are living in the moment, but in fact are usually struggling to cope with chaos.

Harnessing routine does not mean you are boring or predictable, more that you have taken control of your life and make chores work for you rather than you for the chores. Even a simple morning routine helps you set the tone for the day ahead and be prepared for the challenges coming your way – it helps you establish a clear balance between your body and your mind. Benefits of a clear morning routine are soon apparent – you maintain a rhythmic body clock, digest better, reduce overeating and so much more.

The key is to create good habits in small doses until they become so ingrained in you that you can run on autopilot. Trying to structure everything from scratch in one go is usually too much and tends to ultimately fail – just as if you launch yourself into a super strict diet.

Some tip tips to help build your morning routine into a powerful waking up experience include:

1.       Prayer or Meditation

Take the time to wake up properly without jumping straight into action – waking close to sunrise and making time for reflection helps boost your immune system and longevity and sets you up for a positive day ahead.

2.       Dental

One ancient tradition, Ayurveda, encourages a gentle tongue scrape in the morning to help detoxify and improve digestion, coupled with using coconut oil to swish around your mouth before brushing – a technique called oil pulling, it sucks the dirt from your mouth.

3.       Hydration

Staying hydrated is known by most people to help the body stay healthy – and a glass of room temperature water after brushing teeth is ideal, but avoid ice.

4.       Breakfast

Skipping breakfast is common in today’s busy world but it sets you up for failure - a simple and nutritious breakfast should be an essential part of every morning routine, such as oatmeal or fruit.

5.       Supplements

High levels of protein are ideal for a healthy body but it can be tricky getting enough, especially at breakfast, so adding collagen powder to your breakfast is an ideal way to help support joint health, gut health and looking after hair and skin.

Probiotics help keep our gut balanced with healthy levels of the right bacteria – often a source of ill health in today’s world due to excess sugar, GMOs, gluten, stress, inactivity, smoking and lack of sleep among other factors. Yogurt and other fermented produce easily help restore our gut biodiversity, coupled with a good prebiotic.

And a multivitamin tops off a good breakfast routine by filling any nutritional gaps you may have in your diet. Make sure you choose one designed for you - there are many on the market specially formulated for men and women of different ages to optimize what your body needs.