As someone who is not a fan of mornings, most posts about making the most of them leave me rolling my eyes. I don’t care how many articles I read about how the most successful people get up early – I WILL NEVER BE A MORNING PERSON. (By the way, here are some fairly successful people who also don’t wake at the crack of dawn in case you need to feel better about yourself. It helped me anyway.)
But as someone who also suffers from anxiety and depression, I know taking care of my mental well-being is also something I have be mindful of. And mornings can be a big stressor.
So I found some things you can do when you wake up to help your mental health from the folks at GoodTherapy.
Here are 11 morning habits that can help your mental health.
- Have a good bedtime routine by preparing what you need for the morning the night before.
- Turn on the lights or let the sun in to become alert more quickly.
- Making your bed every morning is tied to better sleep and happier moods.
- Re-hydrate first thing.
- Eat something to help with your blood sugar and combat crankiness.
- Write down three things you’re grateful for.
- Add a reason to get out of bed to your morning routine.
- Cut down on your morning screentime.
- Try a few minutes of meditation even if it’s just closing your eyes and focusing on your breathing.
- Make a to-do list for the day.
- If you can, try to do some type of physical activity.
Read more at 11 Tips for a Morning Routine That Supports Mental Health
And if you are like me and like to sleep until the last possible second, they encourage you to figure out which of these habits you want to focus on first and start there. I am going to start with thinking about things I am grateful for.
What about you? What are your good morning habits?
