This post is written in partnership with New Chapter, a Vermont-based maker of whole-food vitamins and supplements, however all opinions are my own. I only work with and recommend companies whose products I love, and I’m so excited to share these with you!
Did you wake up before your alarm went off, roll over to plant a loving kiss on your partner (or your pet), and jump out of bed, excited and enthusiastic to greet the day and its many challenges ahead?
Chances are, you did not. Perhaps you groaned as the incessant beep, screech or whine of your alarm went off, hitting snooze before you finally accepted it was time to get up. Maybe you lethargically rolled out of bed, barely opening your eyes and wishing for another 3 hours of sleep. Or maybe your eyes flew open as soon as you heard that beep, and your heart raced as your tried to figure out what time it was, what day it was, and maybe even what your own name was…
Helping my clients establish a healthy morning routine is one of the first and most important elements of their journey to optimum health. Because how you start your morning is how you will spend your whole day, and a great morning routine is the key tool in setting the tone for your mood, energy levels and productivity for the whole day.
But it doesn’t have to be expensive, complicated or time consuming. The steps below are super simple, super easy, and enjoyable to perform. And you don’t have to implement all of them at once – start by adding one habit, then layer another, and you’ll quickly find that the routine falls into place in no time at all!
Here are my 5 top tips for creating a healthy morning routine that will set you up for an energized, productive and joy-filled day:
1. How You Wake Up Is Just As Important As When You Wake Up
It’s called an alarm clock for a reason. When we wake up naturally it’s due to a cascade of hormones raising your body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and cognitive function. An alarm clock shocks you into waking up by spiking your cortisol levels (our stress and energy hormone) and fast forwarding that hormonal cascade. And even worse, if you use your phone as an alarm clock, it’s pretty tough to resist checking your emails and text messages (and Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Slack) the second you open your eyes.
I highly recommend waking up with a daylight alarm clock. These life changing devices start to emit a natural light 30 minutes before your set wake up time, and as light is one of the key regulators of our natural rhythm it will innervate your pineal gland into starting that hormonal cascade, ensuring you wake up feeling like you had 8 hours of deep, restorative sleep.
2. Hydrate Happily
One of the main processes our body undergoes whilst sleeping is detoxification, so it’s vitally important to rehydrate the moment we wake to flush out those toxins. I put a large glass of water by my bed every night before I go to sleep, and drink it the second I open my eyes, before my feet even touch the ground. For an extra boost of adrenal health you can add a squeeze of lime and a pinch of Himalayan salt for added minerals and electrolytes.
3. Set the Tone
I love to start my day by reading something inspirational, educational or simply life-affirming for 30 minutes, For me, this can be anything from a self-help book to an autobiography or spiritual text, but the important thing is that it makes you feel strong, inspired and ready for the day. I keep my Kindle and my reading glasses on my bedside table (next to my glass of water), and complete this step even if I just have 5 minutes to spare.
4. Gratitude and Goals
Continuing the theme of inspiring an incredible day, my next step is to complete my Gratitude and Goals journal. I have been doing this practice for years, but lately switched the order to list 5 things I was grateful for before listing my goals. These 5 things can be anything, but I tend to keep mine to simple day to day pleasures (a delicious cup of coffee or a beautiful sunrise), and always make them different from the previous day to illustrate just how many things I have to be grateful for. An attitude of gratitude helps you to come from a place of abundance when goal setting, transforming your 5 goals from a ‘to-do’ list, and to a ‘can-do’ list.
5. Nourish Your Body
Whilst tips 3 and 4 nourish your mind, spirit and soul, nourishing your body in the morning is so important, and will set you on the right track for an energized and balanced day in which you make choices that sustain your great start.
A breakfast consisting of great quality protein, low sugar fruit, high fibre veggies and great fats is perfect for balanced blood sugar, all day energy and sustained cognitive function, and I love to make a smoothie using New Chapter’s Complete Organic Plant Protein+, Fermented Maca Booster Powder, some berries, a handful of greens, a tablespoon of flaxseed, a little avocado or nut butter and some almond milk. Not only is this delicious and super simple to make, it packs 20g of easy to digest and absorb plant protein (keeping me full for hours) and the Fermented Maca Booster Powder gives me a sustained boost of energy throughout the morning.
I pair this smoothie with my go-to daily vitamins (these are the two products I refuse to travel without), New Chapter’s Every Woman’s One Daily Multivitamin, and Probiotic All-Flora. Whilst I rotate other New Chapter products into my supplement regime seasonally or based on my health needs, these two products are my ‘can’t live without’, and I recommend them to all of my clients. New Chapter’s patented fermentation process unlocks the nutrients, making them more powerful and easy to absorb, and they are so gentle on your stomach and easy to digest you can even take them on an empty stomach, just in case you are grabbing breakfast on the run!
You can find all of the New Chapter products mentioned here in your local health food store, Whole Foods, CVS, on Amazon, or at www.newchapter.com.