A Simple Minimalist Morning Routine to Benefit Anyone
Morning routines can be very beneficial, as they prep the mind and body for success. However, many of us do not have the energy or time to wake up at 5 am and start a routine that lasts hours. This is a simple minimalist morning routine that can be of great help to anyone, whether you’re a morning person or not.
Find out what a morning routine is and what the benefits of having one are. Plus, find out how this simple minimalist morning routine can easily boost wellness!
What is a Morning Routine
A morning routine is a series of activities you do as soon as you wake up. These are meant to help improve your physical and mental health. It is the epitome of getting up on the right side of the bed and can help individuals dealing with mental health issues by incorporating simple forms of self-care first thing in the morning. Morning routines are a quick and simple way to lower stress, improve focus, and set the tone for the rest of your day.
The important thing about a morning routine is to make one that can be easily incorporated into your life.
Simple Minimalist Morning Routine
Here are some simple minimalist morning routine activities that you can try adding to your everyday experience. While everyone can have a different morning routine, there are always good starting points that you can take away as inspiration.
1. Make the Bed
This is one of the most commonly recommended steps of a morning routine, something that should be done as soon as you wake up. While many consider this boring, it is a simple way to accomplish a goal. Whenever we complete a task, the reward pathway system in our brain floods us with dopamine, a happiness chemical that makes us feel good. Want more easy ways to boost feel-good chemicals throughout the day? Here is a list of four happiness chemicals and simple everyday activities that help increase them in the body.
Plus, making the bed is an easy way to declutter, and may encourage good sleep hygiene by giving you a relaxing space at the end of the day to tuck yourself into.
2. Mindful Cleanse
A common activity everyone does in the morning is some form of cleansing. This can be brushing your teeth, washing your face, or decluttering the house a little bit. A simple minimalist morning routine step would be to make this a mindful activity. Mindfulness is a state of being in which you are fully present in the moment. It can cause changes to the brain that help support mental health.
The benefits of mindfulness include decreased stress, increased inner peace, improved self-awareness, and improved emotional regulation. Make this task of cleansing a mindful one in which you simply breathe and focus on what you are doing in the present moment.
3. Wash Your Dishes
Washing your dishes may not seem like an important morning step, but it accomplishes two things. First of all, it encourages you to nourish your body in the morning. You will want a well-balanced meal with healthy fats, healthy carbohydrates, and a good source of protein to keep you full and energized throughout the day.
Plus, it’s another small task that, upon completion, will fill you with a sense of accomplishment and pride. An added bonus is that washing the dishes allows you to come home after work to a kitchen that is clean and ready to be used again. This prevents dirty dishes from piling up and creating a mountain that you need to clean later on.
4. Drink and Think
No matter who you are, you’re likely to drink something in the morning. This can and should be a glass of water, as everyone tends to wake up a little bit dehydrated. A glass of water during the day is a great way to increase physical and mental well-being since even slight dehydration poses a problem.
Besides water, many of us drink coffee, tea, or even some juice in the morning. No matter what your beverage of choice is, take the time to savor it and breathe deeply. Breathing deeply can instantly boost health as it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the system in the body responsible for relaxation and reduction of cortisol levels.
This becomes another moment of mindfulness in the morning. Small moments of mindfulness like these help lower stress and increase feelings of inner peace and control.
5. Morning Movement
Finally, but most importantly, try to incorporate some form of movement in the morning. This can be something as simple as stretches, some of which you can do from the comfort of your own bed like those found here. It could be something a bit more complex like a short yoga routine.
You could even try going on a brisk morning walk. A morning walk is very beneficial because it helps circulate oxygen and blood throughout the body, and exposes you to natural light. Exposure to sunlight in the morning can help regulate your internal clock which in turn helps you feel more energized throughout the day. This exposure to light in the morning can even help you feel more relaxed in the evening as your internal clock calibrates.
The Takeaway
A morning routine does not have to take hours upon hours, nor do you have to wake up at 5 am to have one. This list of simple minimalist morning routine steps is easy to incorporate into your everyday life and has huge benefits to overall health. Try out any, or all of these simple morning routine ideas, and personalize them to fit into your daily life.
Remember that health comes from within. Eat nutrient-dense meals, exercise when you can, at least 3 times a week, and take care of your mental health. Daily habits become the building blocks for emotional, mental, and physical health. Take care of your gut health too! Learn everything you need to know about gut microbiota today for free here.
