Brain dump before you go to sleep
Spend two minutes each evening sketching out how your tomorrow will look, on a notepad or in your Notes app, for more productive mornings, says Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, author of Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less.
“It gives your creative subconscious time to think about ideas and problems overnight,” he says. Not only does this decrease feelings of overwhelm, as you’re not starting from zero in the morning, “it creates a steadier pace [of work] by making it easier to get going, making you more productive”.
Schedule five minutes more in bed
If you and your partner often find yourselves arguing amid the morning rush, setting your alarm five minutes earlier to give time for a chat or cuddle can help you feel more unified, says Todd Baratz, a psychotherapist and the author of How to Love Someone Without Losing Your Mind. “It’s about creating an intentional moment to connect and get off autopilot,” he says. Plus, cuddling releases the calming hormone oxytocin.
If you’re on different schedules? “Leave a love note for your partner by the morning pot of coffee. I do this, and it makes my husband (and me) feel good,” says Liz Baker Plosser, author of Own Your Morning.
Reframe your day as an adventure
“At med school, I started using a productivity technique where you identify your one most important task for the day, to help [you] focus,” says Ali Abdaal, a doctor and the author of Feel Good Productivity. “But after a while it started to make things feel heavy.” Now, instead, he makes a ritual of asking himself ‘what’s today’s adventure?’ each morning, reframing his key task as something fun to explore rather than something to grind on. Simply working from a new coffee shop rather than at your desk or walking a different route to the office will energise you, he says. “Injecting a sense of discovery, however small, will help you feel more positive and avoid procrastination.”
Make your shower colder
Don’t underestimate the power of your shower: ending your morning wash with two minutes of cold water causes your blood vessels to constrict and your brain to release feelgood endorphins, which can help reduce muscle inflammation and stress. “Start at 30 seconds and build up to a minute – the initial plunge is the hard part,” says Moody.
See sunlight as soon as possible
Incorporate a five- to 15-minute daylight walk into your routine to wake up a part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This regulates the circadian rhythm, positively affecting hormones, bowel movements, immune systems and sleep quality. “Do it close to when you wake, to reset your circadian rhythm as quickly as possible,” says Liz Moody, author of 100 Ways to Change Your Life. She adds that if it’s still dark then, it’s good to take an outside breather at the first sign of daylight.
“Serotonin levels are boosted by light, enhancing your mood and triggering your brain to understand it’s time to be alert,” says neuroscientist Nicole Vignola. Getting outside early can be especially beneficial if you had a few too many wines the evening before. Neuropsychopharmacologist David Nutt says: “Alcohol disrupts sleep rhythms, so morning light will help the next night’s sleep.”
Make your first drink of the day uncaffeinated
“Proper brain function relies on a balance of electrolytes, which are disrupted by dehydration,” says Vignola, who recommends starting the day with water rather than an espresso. “We’re more dehydrated than usual after sleeping, and caffeine can reduce [hydration] further.”
Enjoy the ceremony of making yourself a coffee first thing? Then have decaf. “Many clients feel better switching to it if they are struggling with sleep or feeling anxious,” says nutritionist Sophie Trotman.
Do a micro workout
A minute of jumping jacks, or a sun salutation or 20 squats can keep grogginess at bay for the rest of the day. “You don’t have to jump out of bed and do an hour-long workout,” says Moody. “As little as 60 seconds of movement can help to increase alertness and creativity, and reduce the effects of being sedentary.”
Serve your breakfast with a side of veg
Adding an extra portion of colourful fruit or vegetables to your breakfast every morning will boost your mood and improve your gut health, says Tamara Green, a nutritionist and co-author of Good Food, Good Mood. And if you find yourself quickly hungry after breakfast or having energy crashes in the afternoon? Green suggests adding a bonus protein source. Greek yoghurt and cottage cheese make easy sides, or you can mix protein powders, hemp and flax seeds into porridge and smoothies. “Just 20g to 40g [of protein] will help stabilise blood sugars and keep you fuller for longer,” Green says.
Work at a desk? Do this one stretch daily
Get on all fours with your palms under shoulders and knees under your hips. Slowly extend one arm and the opposite leg at the same time for eight seconds, bring them back to the floor and repeat on the opposite side. This is “bird dog”: a full-body stretch that combines balance, stability, mobility and strength work – and which counters hunching, the rounding of the shoulder blades. “It warms up your core,” says Plosser, “mimicking the stabilisation required for moving your limbs, which you do all day.”
De-stress with a mini meditation
Turn any moments of quiet – such as drying off after your shower – into a moment of mindfulness to help you recentre amid morning chaos. “Spend a few minutes noticing how your muscles, joints and internal sensations feel,” recommends Amelia Nagoski, co-author of Burnout: Solve Your Stress Cycle, to spot and release tension in the body. Physical therapist Dr Leada Malek suggests a few rounds of diaphragmatic breathing to help you relax and improve focus: “Place one hand on the belly and one on the chest, inhale through the nose as the belly rises, then exhale through the mouth slowly.”
Ban phones before breakfast
Checking your emails after turning off your alarm might feel like second nature, but it’s one of the worst things you can do in the mornings. “Phones are designed to give you dopamine bursts that you’ll crave throughout the day,” says Moody. She explains that exposure to a spike early on will increase the chances of a crash later, prompting you to reach for more dopamine inducers, such as your phone, alcohol or processed snacks. Abdaal uses the Opal app blocker to prevent phone access to YouTube, Instagram, X and Reddit until 10am. If you’re struggling to keep teens off screens, instate morning app blockers as a household rule.
Get tots to brush their teeth in the kitchen
“For our younger children, everything needed for the school day is located downstairs,” says “The Unmumsy Mum” Sarah Turner, author of On the Edge. “We put clothes on the worktop the night before, so there’s no running upstairs trying to locate lost socks.” Stick what you need – medication, sun cream – in a basket and keep it in one place. The kitchen might feel like a changing room, but Iben Sandahl, author of The Danish Way of Parenting, says it’s better to “focus on the big picture rather than minor details”: “It doesn’t matter if teeth are brushed in the kitchen, as long as they’re brushed.”
Ask your teens to tell you when they need to get up
It might sound counterintuitive but making a habit of a quick evening check-in with your teens, where you ask them to tell you their schedule, can decrease “it’s time to get up” arguments in the morning. “Show them that you trust their ability to get up and start the day in a good way,” Sandahl advises.
Plosser says: “Giving kids the freedom to make their own choices – obviously within reason and when possible – without micromanaging, helps them feel independent and cuts down on tension and arguments.” She suggests planning check-ins before dinner rather than bedtime – that way any lost PE kit problems can be resolved long before it’s time to wind down.
Use your coffee machine as a stopwatch
Don’t mindlessly scroll while waiting for the kettle to boil: use it as a timer to race against. Can you clear last night’s debris from the living room? Empty the dishwasher? Moody suggests keeping kettlebells in your kitchen so you can fit in a micro workout while brewing morning coffee. “[My son’s] last-minute spelling practice is squeezed in while waiting for toast to pop up,” says Turner.
Moisturise like a facialist
Anna Seynaeve, co-founder of Facestellar, recommends that the frazzled among us give ourselves a speedy facial massage, following the route of our lymphatic vessels, as we cleanse and moisturise. “With your fingers, scoop from under the cheekbones towards the ear. Then from the chin towards the ear. Then down from the ear towards the collarbone,” she says. “Facial massage eliminates tension in the face and jaw, as well as helping all of the body’s muscles to relax as they are interconnected. It can help with headaches, which can be caused by lack of sleep – and also decreases puffiness.”
