The key to health, happiness and success lies buried in purposeful morning rituals. Prominent advocates of morning motivation such as Barack Obama, Arianna Huffington and Steve Jobs are proof of this.[1,2] So it seems that the early bird really does catch the worm. But why actually?
Why is a morning routine important?
It's basically quite simple: how you spend your morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. If you start your day with stress and reluctance, these feelings will continue to accompany you. But if you start your day relaxed, productive and optimistic, you lay the foundation for a positive day. After a good start to the day, nothing can upset you so quickly. You become more stress-resistant, more focussed and happier.
Hal Elrod, author of "Miracle Morning - The Hour That Changes Everything", puts it very succinctly: "Focused, productive, successful morning routines lead to focused, productive, successful days - which inevitably leads to a successful life. In the same way, unfocussed, unproductive, mediocre morning routines lead to unfocussed, unproductive, mediocre days and therefore a mediocre life."3
In addition, you are hardly exposed to any external influences in the morning. Before you're confronted with emails, phone calls and the day's events in general, you're a bit like in your own world. And in this somewhat secluded world, suffused with morning calm, you rule. Here you have full control over your time. Early in the morning, something rarely gets in the way and you can do what you have planned unhindered - even before your inner bastard wakes up and bombards you with lazy excuses. True to the motto "first things first", the time after getting up is best suited for good habits. You can't put off what you do first thing in the morning. That's why the morning hours are the ideal time to dedicate yourself to your physical and mental health.
What does the perfect morning consist of?
Keyword physical and mental health: everything that is good for your body and mind contributes to a good start to the day. What exactly this looks like for you depends on your individual preferences and goals. However, here are a few morning ritual ideas that have been tested and proven successful many times:
Liquid: But first, water!
Drinking at least one glass of water on an empty stomach is probably the easiest way to do something for your health early in the morning. Our body regenerates and detoxifies during the night. It loses fluids in the process. It is therefore important to rebalance the water balance immediately after getting up. Starting the day with fluids helps to cleanse the body, stimulates digestion and helps to wake you up.4 The water should be at least room temperature and can also be spiced up with a dash of fresh lemon juice or vinegar for an extra metabolism boost. A pinch of sea salt also helps to balance the electrolyte levels.
Breakfast: the most important meal of the day
It's not called the "most important meal of the day" for nothing: a healthy, balanced breakfast works wonders. It ensures stable energy levels and physical and mental performance. And if you're short on time in the morning, you can help yourself out with SATURO. Our products provide you with a quick breakfast with all the nutrients you need. A vegan breakfast is also quickly conjured up with SATURO: our drinks and bars contain only plant-based ingredients. There is also a vegan version of SATURO powder for a quick plant-based breakfast.
Daily planning: order is half the battle
Keep an overview and set priorities: With a plan for the day, you can focus on the essentials, are less easily distracted and can use your time more effectively. In the morning, write down 1-3 key things that you absolutely want to do that day. You can then use these tasks to organise your daily routine and work schedule. If you define your goal in the morning, you can get there in the evening and be satisfied.
Movement: Active morning, active day
Whether you establish a morning yoga routine, go for a morning jog in the park or head to the gym for a workout, exercise in the morning chases away grief and worry. Exercise in the morning also stimulates the metabolism, promotes blood circulation, strengthens the immune system and increases the ability to concentrate. So get out of bed and into your sports gear! Your body will thank you for it.
Mindset: positive thoughts for breakfast
What you put on the breakfast table determines your physical energy levels. But your thoughts also need to be fed, as they largely influence your mood and emotions. Immediately after waking up (and just before falling asleep), our brain is most receptive to new "programmes" and thought patterns. Positive affirmations in the early morning are therefore particularly effective in changing our self-image and behaviour in the desired direction. A gratitude diary, in which you write down every morning what you are particularly grateful for today, also helps you to channel your thoughts in a positive direction.
Meditation: strength lies in calmness
Meditation is to your mind what morning exercise is to your body. Those who meditate daily are emotionally more balanced and mentally more efficient. Just a few minutes of meditation can reduce stress and alleviate mental illness. You can meditate guided (e.g. with Headspace or Calm) or freely, for example by focussing on your breathing, your heartbeat or any sound in your environment. The main aim of meditation is to be present and take on the role of a silent observer. Both external stimuli and internal processes such as body perceptions, feelings or thoughts are perceived consciously and without judgement. This sharpens our senses, our ability to concentrate, our empathy and our ability to judge situations from an objective distance.
Our favourite morning rituals at a glance
Morning ritual tip: Benefits
Drink a glass of water as soon as you get up: Cleanses the body, stimulates digestion, helps to wake you up
Take time for a balanced breakfast: Ensures stable energy levels, improves mental and physical performance
Move: Ensures a positive mood, stimulates metabolism, promotes blood circulation, strengthens immune system, increases ability to concentrate
Start your day with positive thoughts and gratitude: Improves self-image, positively influences mood, feelings and behaviour, puts focus on the positive
Come to rest and observe: Promotes emotional balance, promotes mental performance
Develop your personal morning routine: dos & don'ts
Want to improve your morning routine but don't know how? No problem! With our tips, you too can become an early riser.
Do: Listen to your inner clock
Don't let anyone tell you when you "have" to go to bed or get up. There is no "one size fits all" solution for ideal sleep. Age, gender, physical activity, genetic predisposition, lifestyle and environment are just some of the factors that influence our sleep behaviour. Find out what works for you and how you can optimise the quality and quantity of your sleep. With this short test you can get an initial assessment of what type of sleeper you are. Then try to sleep as regularly as possible and always get up at roughly the same time.
Don't: Snooze
The more often you push your alarm clock away, the harder it will be for you to get up. With every "snooze" you send your subconscious the message that the alarm clock has no meaning. If, on the other hand, you get up at the first ring, you strengthen the association between the alarm clock and the start of the day. Over time, you will automate this process and getting up will be much easier for you.
Do: Prepare for your morning routine in the evening
The fewer decisions you have to make in the morning, the better. If there's a glass of water next to your bed when you wake up, you're more likely to drink it. If you want to integrate morning exercise into your daily routine, get your sports gear ready the evening before. Then there will be no more internal discussions when you get up. Breakfast is also easy to prepare. Make your morning rituals as easy as possible by having everything you need ready the evening before.
Don't: Reaching for your smartphone first thing
The benefit of mornings is a certain seclusion from the "rest of the world". However, looking at your smartphone blurs this boundary and exposes you to a multitude of external stimuli in a matter of seconds. Everything seems urgent when it pops up as a notification on the screen and requires an immediate reaction. And you've already given up control of your time again. Therefore, try to spend the first 1-2 hours of your day offline. If you use your mobile phone as an alarm clock, switch it to aeroplane mode before going to bed. This way, you can celebrate your morning rituals undisturbed before the notifications arrive and tell you what you have to do.
Do: Take it one step at a time
The perfect morning routine doesn't happen overnight. Take your time and find out what works for you. Start with 5-10 minutes a day, experiment with different morning rituals and gradually integrate them into your daily routine. Small, regular steps will slowly but surely lead you to your goal.
Don't: Creating more stress through your morning routine
If your morning routine is stressing you out, you're overshooting the mark. The idea is to have a positive start to the day, so make sure that you find your morning rituals enjoyable. Think about what you want to achieve with your morning routine and organise your morning activities accordingly.
Morning routine summarised - the most important things at a glance
Benefits of a morning routine : Positive start to the day, first things first, maximum control over your time, stress reduction, increased productivity & concentration, improved physical & mental health
The best morning rituals: Drink water, have a balanced breakfast, plan/prioritise your day, exercise, positive thoughts, meditation
Develop a morning routine: Dos: Listen to your internal clock, prepare for a morning routine in the evening, develop your morning routine step by step
Developing a morning routine: Don'ts: Snooze, reach for your smartphone first thing, create more stress with your morning routine
FAQs: Your questions - our answers
Why a morning routine?
A good start to the day puts you in a positive mood and energises you. Free from external influences, you can devote yourself undisturbed in the morning to what is important to you and what is good for you. A stable morning routine gives you a sense of control, reduces stress and increases your productivity and ability to concentrate. Your physical and mental health are also strengthened by appropriate morning rituals.
- Positive start to the day
- First things first
- Maximum control over your time
- Stress reduction
- Increased productivity & ability to concentrate
- Improved physical & mental health
What are the best morning rituals?
In principle, anything that is good for you makes sense. Your morning routine is there to prepare your body and mind for the day. Here is a summary of our favourite morning ritual ideas:
- Drink water
- Eat a balanced breakfast
- Plan your day/set priorities
- Exercise
- Positive thoughts
- Meditation
How much time do I need for an ideal morning routine?
This logically depends on what you want to do and how long you want to devote to each activity. As a guideline, we recommend an additional 30-60 minutes. If you want to keep your morning routine short, you can also focus on 1-2 morning rituals or alternate each day. For example, you can make your morning glass of water and a balanced breakfast a fixed part of your routine and then alternate between 10-15 minutes of another morning ritual each morning.
- Additional 30-60 minutes
- Morning routines should be shorter, but kept regular
- Morning rituals can also be alternated (1-2 per day)
How can I get up earlier?
In general, the morning begins the night before. Sufficient and restful sleep is the basic prerequisite for a good start to the day. Organise your sleep rhythm as regularly as possible and according to your sleep type. A sleep phase alarm clock also makes it easier to get up. And snoozing is generally not advisable, as it weakens the association between the alarm clock ringing and getting up.
- Regular sleep rhythm
- Consider your natural sleep type
- Use a sleep phase alarm clock
- Set only one alarm clock (no snoozing)
How can Saturo help me with my morning routine?
We offer affordable, ready-to-eat and balanced meals. With our products, you can have a balanced and tasty breakfast at the table in no time at all. This means you start the day full of energy and gain valuable time that you can invest in additional morning rituals.
- Quick, healthy breakfast
- Balanced meal in no time at all
- Optimal nutrient ratio = lasting energy for the day
- More time for other morning rituals
What should you do first thing in the morning?
The first thing to do in the morning is to drink 1-2 glasses of water to hydrate the body after the overnight fasting period and gently stimulate the metabolism. You should then take a few deep breaths in the fresh air, perhaps combined with a few stretching exercises to wake you up and get your circulation going. If you still have some time, a short meditation session lasting 5-10 minutes is also a good way to collect your thoughts and start the day in a positive mood.
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Sources
- Clear, J., n.d. Morning Routine: You Only Get 25,000 Mornings As An Adult. Don't Waste Them. [online] James Clear. Retrieved 12 October 2020 from
- Van Edwards, V., n.d. Perfect Your Morning Routine With 10 Research Backed Steps. [online] Science of People. Retrieved 12 October 2020 from
- Elrod, H. (2016). Miracle Morning - The hour that changes everything.
- Marx, H. (2013). The water balance of healthy and sick people (Vol. 33). Springer-Verlag.
- Mohanapriya, M., Ramaswamy, L., & Rajendran, R. (2013). Health and medicinal properties of lemon (Citrus limonum). International Journal Of Ayurvedic And Herbal Medicine, 3(1), 1095-1100.
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- Nystoriak, M. A., & Bhatnagar, A. (2018). Cardiovascular effects and benefits of exercise. Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, 5, 135.
- Sherman, D. K. (2013). Self-affirmation: Understanding the effects. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(11), 834-845.
- Seligman, M. E. (2012). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Simon and Schuster.
- Monk-Turner, E. (2003). The benefits of meditation: experimental findings. The Social Science Journal, 40(3), 465-470.
- Boyce, B. E. (2011). The mindfulness revolution: Leading psychologists, scientists, artists, and meditation teachers on the power of mindfulness in daily life. Shambhala Publications.
