4 Evidence-Based Ways to Have a Better Morning
How to biologically guarantee a better day, every day
Mornings. They happen every day. Yet, so many of us struggle to make the most out of them, myself included.
While I can’t promise a perfect day every day, I can give you some scientific insight into how to live a better life every morning with these four recommendations.
“Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.” — William Blake
Hopefully, these recommendations can point you to a more evidence-based kind of better day — one step at a time. Here’s what I’ve found about having better mornings:
#1: Get into nature
I always discount the impact of nature on mental health, happiness, and waking up in the morning until I do it. This morning I took the dog I’m dog-sitting for a little walk around my neighborhood.
Just that brief time outside with the sun coming up of no technology and breathing in fresh air gave me a better outlook on life and start to the day.
“Forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, as they call it in Japan, is a famous way of spending time in nature. Research has shown that people who practice forest bathing have optimum nervous system functions, well-balanced heart conditions, and reduced bowel disorders (Mao et al., 2012).” — Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury
And science backs me up.
Get out there — whether it be watching the sun come up with a cup of coffee, taking the dog out, or just standing looking up at the sun for a few moments before you have to kick off the day.
#2: Wake up slowly
Nothing sucks as much as waking up to an aggressive alarm tone far before when your body wants to wake up and having to start your day. Whenever possible, I would recommend waking up slowly.
The other day I woke up after 8 hours of sleep with an hour or so to spare before I had to be anywhere and my first inclination was to grab my iPad and read a research paper for one of my classes over coffee. I went downstairs, got my coffee, and started reading. It was incredible.
“If you do need an alarm, research shows that more melodic alarm noises make it easier to shake off the groggy feeling known as sleep inertia. You could also consider letting light serve as a natural alarm clock, either by leaving the curtains open or by using a dawn simulator that coaxes you gently from sleep.” — Sleep Foundation
I had taken care of packing my bag/lunch/laying out my clothes etc. the night before, freeing up my mind to do what it wanted in the early hours of the day.
The slow waking up of my chill and well-timed alarm combined with the slow habits of reading and coffee set up my day very well for everything else I had to do.
Whenever possible, wake up slowly.
Have an alarm that doesn’t scare you awake and set up a sequence of high adrenaline and cortisol levels for the day. Settle into it and spend time doing things that matter to you, and do it in as relaxed and calm of a way as you can.
#3: Have a good evening routine
It’s often said that the way you start the day depends on how you end the day the night before, and I think there’s a lot of truth in this. Recently I added a simple habit tracker to a whiteboard in my bathroom — with two separate sections for morning and evening habits.
This has been incredibly helpful in making sure that I’m ready to start the day.
“With an evening routine, it makes concluding the day so much easier and you’ll fall asleep faster and get better quality sleep. Having an evening routine is the key to feeling refreshed, getting a head start on the next day, and key for a successful morning routine. It can be hard to stick to any routine at first but if you stay organised and keep at it, you’ll eventually feel more energetic and productive every day.” — Shannan Humphrey
I fell into bad habits recently where I was waking up with little time to get to campus, start my work, or join a meeting — and was stressed for the little time I did have before I had to be somewhere.
Having a more structured and intentional evening routine has freed up both my time and mental capacity in the mornings to do things that matter, like reading good material, brainstorming, or working on a creative project.
Now, I can just sit and think for a few minutes if I want, or read something insightful and interesting that sets my day off on a train of curiosity and passion for what I love.
#4: Fuel yourself well
It wasn’t until I heard during my junior year of high school that peanut butter can actually slow you down that I started pondering what kind of impact the food I ate had on my ability to accomplish my goals.
“A man can eat his dinner without understanding exactly how food nourishes him.” — C.S. Lewis
What we eat and how we fuel our bodies are both crucial elements of becoming a healthier and happier person. What we eat has a tremendous impact on our brain’s ability to function at its peak levels, as well as how we feel throughout the day and what our bodies are capable of.
I don’t believe that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” in a literal or scientific sense, but I do believe what you start your day eating sets the tone. Many college students in my circle wake up and drink only a sugary coffee, and then become curious about why they feel so awful by the time they’re halfway through their 9 a.m. class.
Don’t let this be you. Fuel your body. Pay attention to what feels good and sits right. Choose the healthier options and you’ll see results Maybe your mom was right when she told you that you needed to eat your vegetables…
The way you start the day truly does set up the tone for the rest of the day. Employ these four recommendations and others like them, and I guarantee you’ll start to see some subtle shiftings in the positive direction.
