The way you start your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. Creating a ritual that’s focused around wellness and self care will ensure you’re more balanced, energized, and productive. The first step to achieving your goals is getting off on the right foot.
“Creating a morning routine for yourself is essential to a successful life,” writes entrepreneur Ken Brokaw for Forbes.
If you’ve been starting your day by reaching for your phone and immediately accelerating into full work mode, you may want to try out some of these calming, yet energizing tips from our team of experts:
Plan for your morning the night before
To have a better morning routine, it's important to plan it out the night before. Do you want to go on a run? Do you want to start your day with a smoothie? Get the steps in place the evening prior, so there’s less room for excuses in the morning.
When we wake up in the morning, many people tend to wake up sleepy and unmotivated. By taking out the guesswork of your morning routine, you set yourself up for success. Investing the time to prepare has two key benefits. One, it breaks up the process so it feels less overwhelming. Two, once you've taken the time to set up for success, you'll be much more invested in seeing it through.
Dr. Lauren Cook, Therapist and Career Coach
Start your day with water
For a better morning routine, drink two full eight ounce glasses of water upon awakening before having any food. The water can be infused with citrus fruits or fresh herbs but shouldn’t include sweeteners, tea, or coffee (at least at first).
This tip is very beneficial, because sleep is a very dehydrating process. We lose water through sweat and breath, and some people even get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. Drinking fresh water immediately upon waking up is paramount. Not only will doing that help you hydrate, but it will flush out any accumulated toxins, push along waste, keep you from overeating during breakfast, and help give you an energizing start to the day.
Dr. Lisa Leslie-Williams, Pharm D, The Domestic Life Stylist
Wake up early and get moving.
Your cortisol levels are generally higher in the morning, so waking up early actually makes you more alert. It might take awhile to get used to getting up with the dawn, but once you're up and moving, you’ll instantly feel energized, and that energy will last you all day.
If you get your workout (it can be as simple as a 30-minute walk) done early, you’ll start your day with a rush of endorphins that will leave you with an overall mood boost, as well as greater energy and focus.
Angela Vaz, Self Care Blogger, Mind Space Cafe
Practice Gratitude
Before you do anything in the morning, begin with a simple two minutes of gratitude. You can stay right in bed and keep your eyes shut (or open, if you prefer). Start rattling off all the things that you’re grateful for. Nothing is too big or too small. It could be material things, like your house or car. Often it will be people or relationships that you can take a moment to appreciate. Don’t forget to consider your health or financial situation. Don’t get discouraged if this seems hard at first; it will become more natural over time.
This is beneficial, because your morning state of mind often dictates how the rest of your day will go. When you begin with a positive mindset, it’s hard to be in a bad mood. Plus, you’ll avoid opening your phone and potentially reading something that will negatively impact your mood first thing. If you implement a daily gratitude practice, you’ll notice a change and so will those around you.
Karin Freeland, Life Coach
Consistency is key
Consistency is one of the most important elements to a strong morning routine. The morning routine consistency starts with a consistent bedtime, followed by a consistent wakeup time, which gives you enough time to get all the things you want to get done in the morning. Our brains use less energy when they can run on autopilot. In fact, when we’re on autopilot, our life feels easier and more natural. Repetition is the key to getting our brain on autopilot, so decide what you want to include in your morning routine, repeat it as consistently as possible, and soon you’ll find yourself breezing through your morning with ease.
Tina Wilston M.Ed., Registered Psychotherapist
Do something you love
Starting the day by doing something you love, instead of rushing everywhere will change everything for you. It changes your mood, the way you react, the way you talk to yourself, and how you're going to be facing your day. It doesn't need to be something huge, just dedicate 15 to 30 minutes to yourself, to do something that makes YOU happy.
Think about it: when was the last time you really started your day by reading a book, painting, doing yoga, going for a morning walk, having an amazing breakfast, or taking a great shower to get ready without feeling like you had to be on the run. Small changes can create a huge impact in our daily lives.
Alejandra Marqués Méndez, Time Management Mentor
The experts agree: the best way to start your day is with a healthy ritual. A KOR shot can be an excellent addition to your morning routine, and our customers agree:
“I can’t live without the Potent-C! I drink it every morning with my coffee. I just love the little burst of energy it gives me each day.” – Paige Martindell, @paigeforrest
“I usually take my KOR Shorts first thing in the morning in one big gulp. I haven’t gotten sick yet this year, and they make me feel super refreshed and rejuvenated.” – Tiffany Mathis, @whenlifegivesyouveggies
Start your day right by adding KOR to your morning ritual!
"I'm obsessed with the Wellness shot. I like to take it first thing in the morning, straight up, with a water chaser. I’ve found that the ginger really wakes me up and keeps me energized throughout the day.” – Erika Holden, @Keepitrealwellness