Healthy Morning Routines for 2024

It’s that time of year when many of us vow to change our lives and finally get fit and healthy.

For all too many of us, however, the good intentions that dominate our thinking at the start of a year only burn bright for a matter of weeks until we fall back into our old ways. This is because it’s our habits, and not our motivation (which can be fickle), that will actually change our behaviour for the long-term.

With this in mind, here’s an information-packed guide into how you can turn your good intentions into permanent lifestyle changes – simply by following the same morning routine to set off your day, each and every day.

Starting the day in the way you want to, allows you to feel in control. If you wake up and feel overwhelmed, a morning routine can allow you to sit back and take stock of the day ahead. In time, if you stick to a healthy morning routine, this will allow you to feel in control every day, reducing that overwhelming feeling that can paralyse you.

If you start your morning feeling rushed, that feeling will follow you around all day, similarly, if you start your day feeling sluggish, it can be hard to build up your energy.

Having a morning routine allows you to get your ducks in order and puts you in the right frame of mind for the day.

You’re also more likely to be productive throughout the day. You won’t feel rushed or overwhelmed, so you can give every task the attention it needs. Then at the end of the day, you know you’ve done all that you can in a day, so you can relax easily.

If you feel overwhelmed this can cause you to become stressed. Having a morning routine allows you to feel in control and can reduce this stress. If you stick to the routine this will keep your stress levels down.

As stress can negatively affect your physical and emotional health, reducing it can have a positive effect in the long run.

Finally, if you’re not letting yourself laze around in the morning, you’re much less likely to laze around during the day. You can ensure you have more energy in the morning by including an activity, such as a workout to boost your energy.

‘Habits make change possible by freeing us from decision-making and from using self-control, because they become a natural part of your lifestyle,’ according to Gretchen Rubin, author of Better Than Before: Mastering The Habits Of Our Everyday Lives.

You don’t have to make big changes to have a healthy morning routine, just as long as what you do you can do every day.

Here are 10 morning routine ideas that you can turn into long-term habits:

Another important point here is to not press snooze when your alarm goes off. This is essentially a “false start” which puts you on the wrong footing for the day.

If you find it hard not to press snooze, position your alarm clock on the other side of the room, so you have to physically get out of bed to turn it off.

If you find yourself reaching for your phone first thing in the morning and scrolling social media, simply kicking this habit makes for a healthier morning routine.

The passive activity of scrolling can reduce your productivity. Not only that, but your phone (and especially social media) has the potential to stress you out. Notifications demand our attention and can add to that feeling of being overwhelmed.

So instead, don’t use your phone as an alarm and keep it outside of the bedroom. Go and get it only when you need it and once you have finished your morning routine.

It may seem like a chore, but simply making your bed can really prepare you to start the day. Achieving a task as soon as you get up will give you a positive feeling that you will take with you for the rest of the day. Starting it off with this little task is great for your motivation.

We all know the importance of staying hydrated, so beginning the day with some water rather than tea or coffee can help you start your day healthily. You don’t drink when you sleep, so starting out replenishing your water can only be good for you.

If you find it hard to remember, pop a glass of water next to the bed, ready for when you wake. This also means you won’t accidentally go for hours without a drop of water.

Making a to-do list as part of your morning routine can really help. Jot down essential tasks, and tick off each task as you complete it. This will give you a sense of achievement as you work through your list.

Another benefit of this is it allows you to prioritise your tasks. You can see which tasks have to be done that day, and which can be left, planning your day around what you need to complete. This makes your workload more manageable and keeps the feeling of being overwhelmed at bay.

Having this list is also a great way to remind yourself of your tasks throughout the day, so nothing slips your mind, and you stay in control.

The most important part of a morning routine is having enough time in the morning to do all that you need to do. So, if you only pick one of the above suggestions, be sure you get up with your alarm and don’t snooze.

You can start with just that and build upon it or try several at once. It’s important to find what works for you when it comes to a healthy morning routine, so it may be a bit of trial and error. But once you find that routine, stick to it to reap the benefits.

If you’re not sure what your morning routine should include, check out our morning routine cheat sheet and our guide to entrepreneurs’ morning routines.