Do you have your morning routine completely nailed? Like, your mornings are so productive and full of energy they couldn’t possibly get any better? If you answered yes then props to you. Pass on by, superhuman. Meanwhile, the rest of us will always welcome the chance to make our mornings just a little bit better. So with that in mind, here are five tiny tweaks that will help you have a great morning.
5 Tiny Tweaks for a Great Morning Every Morning
Don’t worry—we call these “tiny” tweaks because they really do require minimal effort. Promise.
Morning routine tweak 1: Load up on extra protein
Think protein is just for gym bros? Think again. A protein-rich breakfast can kickstart your day in exactly the right way.
Why it will help you have a great morning:
Eating a good dose of protein in the morning will set you up for a better day of eating. Research has shown that upping your protein intake can keep you feeling full for longer and lead you to eat fewer calories throughout the day.
Some research even suggests that eating a high-protein breakfast could reduce emotional or comfort eating by changing the way the brain responds to thoughts and images of food. (…though this was a small pilot study, so we’re not making any conclusions here.) But if you’re prone to comforting yourself with Oreos, it may be worth it to add an extra egg or two to your breakfast plate. Just in case.
How to do it:
Whipping up a fancy omelet is one way, but if you don’t have the time (or the flair) you can make even smaller tweaks that are super effective.
For example, if you normally eat fruit for breakfast, add a tub of greek yogurt for a protein boost. If you eat a bagel, add a boiled egg and a few spoonfuls of cottage cheese. Or swap out your cereal bar for one packed full of nuts and seeds.
Adding a little extra protein power to your morning can keep your thoughts off snacking and focused firmly on smashing through the day’s tasks.
Morning routine tweak 2: Take a moment for goal-setting
Likely to bust through your morning without taking a moment to pause and think about the day ahead? Try this small but significant tweak.
Why it will help you have a great morning:
You have a bunch of stuff you need to do, and whether you’re conscious of it or not, those rogue to-do list items are ping-pong-balling around your head and interrupting your thoughts. Laying down any kind of plan has been shown to help free up your mental space. So in short—taking a moment to set your goals will give your day direction and get you focused.
How to do it:
Simply put aside a few minutes each morning to think about what you want to achieve for the day ahead. Then write down your key goals for the day. Research shows that writing down your goals makes you more likely to achieve them.
Don’t feel like you have to create a mega to-do list or a complex plan of attack: The point here is to quickly and simply declutter your thoughts and hone your focus for the day. Jotting down three to five goals or priorities will be enough to make a difference. Promise.
Morning routine tweak 3: Get a playlist pumping
Use the power of music to get into your morning groove.
Why it will help you have a great morning:
The research on music for productivity is mixed. Aka, if you’re working on a complex task, tapping your toes to your favorite tracks might not be the best way to stay focused. As for getting through your morning routine, on the other hand…
Music can improve your mood, so it might just be the antidote to early morning grumpiness and lack of motivation. And if you can start your day off feeling good, there’s a good chance you’ll face the day ahead with greater positivity and resilience.
How to do it:
Make a playlist of music that fits your morning routine needs. Maybe upbeat tunes can get you jumping out of bed and into your gym gear. Or try calming tracks to de-stress you during your morning commute. Use a speaker or set of headphones, depending on your circumstances.
Morning routine tweak 4: Use a smart alarm
Sick of rude awakenings from harsh alarms? Be gently roused from sleep with a smart alarm clock for a better start to the day.
Why it will help you have a great morning:
Smart alarms are those that wake you when you’re in a lighter phase of sleep. The benefit? You’ll wake up feeling more rested and recharged.
When deep sleep is interrupted, you wake up feeling groggy and, let’s face it, probably grumpy too. Using a smart alarm that monitors your sleep cycles and chooses the best time to wake you will get your day off to a better start.
How to do it:
Smart alarm clocks exist as stand-alone devices, wearables (some fitness trackers have inbuilt sleep tracking), and apps. Plenty of free sleep apps for iPhone and Android feature inbuilt smart alarms, for example. Typically these use your phone’s microphone or sensor to detect your sleep phases and wake you at an opportune time. If you don’t want to invest in a new device, simply download an app and away you go.
Morning routine tweak 5: Ditch social media
We’re not talking about a lifelong Instagram ban. But how about keeping off the social media until you’ve made it through your morning routine?
Why it will help you have a great morning:
There’s no faster way to sabotage your morning routine than by letting yourself get sucked into the bottomless rabbit hole of your Facebook feed. Research even confirms that social media makes us worse at completing tasks. So limiting screen time will surely help you get the most out of your morning.
How to do it:
Simply swear off checking your social media until you’ve achieved everything you want from your morning. Self-control stretched to the limit? Then use a distraction-blocking tool to enforce the ban. There are plenty of free apps you can use to block your social media access during your morning hours—like Freedom and Offtime to name just a couple.
To sum it all up
You don’t need to totally overhaul your habits to upgrade from a good morning to a great morning. Instead, focus on making tiny changes to your morning routine to reap the benefits of a calmer, happier start to your day. Just try one or all five of the below tweaks and enjoy.
- Add extra protein to your a.m. for satiety that sticks around long after your morning meal.
- Set your priorities for the day before it gets away from you. Try a tool like Panda Planner to get you in the habit.
- Make a morning playlist to boost your mood before you get to work.
- Track your sleep with a smart alarm so you wake up in a lighter phase of sleep. In other words, so you’re not a groggy troll until noon.
- Stay off social media until you hit your morning goals. You’ll be happier and more productive without it.
Your turn: Do you have any tips or tweaks for better mornings? Let us know yours in the comments.
Need some other ways to uplift your days? Here are 49 tips for happier mornings.
Author: Tania Braukamper
Tania Braukamper is an Australian-born writer and photographer. She believes in curiosity, kindness, and adventure as a state of mind.
Linda Pratt says
February 28, 2019 at 10:28 amAwesome information. Love the companion concept to the Panda Planner. Thank you and look forward to more from positive routines.com
Chelsey Taylor says
February 28, 2019 at 11:18 amThanks so much, Linda! Check out the rest of the site for more helpful articles, and we’ll do our best to keep providing informative and interesting pieces like these. Cheers!
Kristen Arnold says
March 6, 2019 at 9:22 amThanks so much. I find that if I take even 5 minutes after using my panda planner in the morning to meditate, I always have a better day.
Chelsey Taylor says
March 6, 2019 at 9:38 amThanks, Kristen! We feel the same way! It’s remarkable what five minutes of deep breathing can do.
Valerie says
September 12, 2019 at 10:18 amI love your insights and have been using the Panda Planner for several months. My challenge is that I am in my late 60s, retired in a small town. I was substitute teaching but find that more stressful than not doing anything 🙂 How do I make myself feel good about all this spare time instead of feeling useless?
Chelsey Taylor says
September 13, 2019 at 3:39 pmThanks so much for the comment, Valerie, and we’re glad you’re using your Panda Planner! One thing you might want to try is doing something that adds meaning to your days. Of course, meaning looks different to everyone so it might take some digging to figure out what it means to you. A lot of people find that volunteering their time to a cause or purpose larger than themselves gives them meaning. It’s a good place to start! You can also check out some of the ideas in our blog post on meaning: https://positiveroutines.com/finding-meaning/
Another idea is to really dig into something that you enjoy doing that you might not have had time for when you were working. Are there hobbies you’ve always wanted to try that you could pick up now? Places you’ve wanted to go? People you’d like to build better connections with? Prioritizing the things that bring you joy is important and can help you feel fulfilled in retirement.
Let us know how it goes! And thanks again!
G king says
September 12, 2019 at 6:56 pmI think all those suggestions are good. Only missing is a time for devotion and/or meditation. I find when I take time for my personal devotion and reading the day simply is better.
Chelsey Taylor says
September 13, 2019 at 3:41 pmThanks for the great comment! You’re certainly right that meditation and devotion are great additions to your morning routine! Some of our other morning routine posts take on meditation a bit more directly. Thanks again!