Why a steady morning routine might be your best wellness hack
Having a consistent morning routine can set the emotional tone for the rest of your day. Experts share tips on how to draw one that will optimally work for you
If one were looking for advice related to productivity, there’s no dearth of content. We have social media, websites, motivational speakers and even celebrities telling us how to lead optimal lives in more ways than one. Listen closely to this deluge of information and one advice that rings aloud is the call to have a morning routine. It's believed that having one helps set the tone for the rest of the day. Well-known personalities from the late Steve Jobs to Tim Cook, Jeff Bezos and Oprah Winfrey have attributed their success to optimised morning routines. Actors Jennifer Aniston and Deepika Padukone have sworn that staying away from social media in the mornings has helped them function better throughout the day.
Deepti Chandy, therapist and COO of Anna Chandy & Associates says, “I’m personally a big believer in morning routines because how you start your morning sets the emotional tone for everything that follows." Quiet mornings are vital for both mental clarity and physiological stability," says Prakriti Podar, head of mental health and wellbeing, Roundglass Living app. Citing studies done by the Harvard Medical School, Poddar adds, “When we wake abruptly due to stress or digital stimulation, cortisol and adrenaline surge prematurely, which can lead to fatigue and anxiety later in the day."
A MORNING ROUTINE THAT WENT VIRAL
In recent times, fitness coach and influencer Ashton Hall’s morning routine not only went viral on TikTok, it even got Gen Z latching on. To describe Hall’s routine as extreme would be an understatement – especially the bit that involves taping your mouth while sleeping. While critics have panned it as ridiculous, it hasn’t stopped people from trying it for themselves. Here's a brief outline of what it involves: Wake up at 3.50am. Within 30 mins of waking up i.e. by 4.30am, dunk your face in ice, at 5am, sit down for prayer and reflection, follow it up by eating a banana as an early morning pre-workout snack and slapping its peel on your face as some kind of beauty treatment. The window between 6.15am-7.30am is for exercising, followed by a shower and breakfast prep at 8.30am. By 9.15 am, you are ready for work.
In a post that chronicles his routine, Hall writes, "Between 4am-8am, no one’s calling or distracting your productivity… they are asleep." Interestingly, the virality of the post has motivated other wellness influencers and lifestyle coaches to recommend their own morning routines.
Commenting on Hall’s routine, Chandy says, “I am not a big advocate of viral or one-size-fits-all routines. While some people swear by ice plunges and other self-help trends, I believe routines should be deeply personal. It’s great to experiment, but what matters is finding what genuinely suits you, your body, and your lifestyle. Routines are most effective when they’re authentic, not performative."
DRAW UP A MORNING ROUTINE THAT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH
On the question of how to set a morning plan that suits you, Mumbai-based psychologist Ayushi Kenia says, “Routines need to be aligned to our goals and priorities." Quoting Mason Currey and his book, Daily Rituals, she says, “Currey talks about how routines and rituals are built through trial and error. All of us have the same 24 hours at our disposal. But, how we use it is different." The ability to follow a morning schedule rigorously is subjective to external conditions, and so, it helps to be cognizant of the fact that you will have days where the conditions aren’t ideal – an exigency might suddenly crop up – but you will also have days where everything aligns.
Kenia suggests taking time not only to create routines but also to test them out for 2-3 days. “Observe your mood, your physical capacity, how different you feel during the day and night and keep tweaking the routine till you end up with one you are comfortable with," she says, noting that routines help alleviate anxiety, a phenomenon affecting a lot of millennials and Gen Z.
“Using physical tools like a journal, a soft alarm or a light-based wake-up lamp can anchor your attention to the present moment. Even simple objects (a cup of tea, a candle, or the first sunlight entering the room) can be helpful in setting the tone for the day," Poddar says.
“I have personally found journaling to be very useful," Kenia says. “Writing down your to-do list or externalising your intentions for the day helps turn those tasks into actions," she says. For an overachiever or a Type A personality, Kenia recommends ensuring that the first 15 minutes of the day are completely gadget-free. While, for someone in a creative profession like dancing or writing she suggests committing 30 minutes to one hour – “preferably, in the first half of the day" – to that activity.
What about those who might want to follow a night-time routine? Kenia says, “It might be hard to not use your phone after 7 pm, so make sure you use it in any other room other than the bedroom. Reading before bed is something I would recommend. But, ensure it is something light, not too intense." Her other suggestions to unwind at night include dimming the lights and having a cup of green tea.
“A nighttime routine helps you close the day with intention while preparing for the next. It is about entering a restorative mode, not just falling asleep. During the day, the sympathetic nervous system keeps us alert and engaged. At night, the body must shift into parasympathetic dominance, often called the rest-and-digest state," Poddar explains. Having a very doable, calming night routine would help mitigate anxiety and be immensely restorative.
Taking a leaf from these conversations, I sought the help of AI in crafting a morning routine for myself. The suggestion I have received is to wake up at 5.30am! Yes, it's a routine that I fully intend to put to the test from tomorrow…
Sumitra Nair is an independent journalist based in Kochi.
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