Start Your Day With a Strawberry: 15 Micro-Habits for Calmer, Healthier Mornings

Make your shower colder

Don’t underestimate the power of your shower: Ending your morning shower with two minutes of cold water constricts your blood vessels and releases feel-good endorphins in your brain, which can help reduce muscle inflammation and stress. “Start with 30 seconds and work your way up to a minute—the first dip is the hardest,” says Moody.

See sunlight as soon as possible

Incorporate a five to 15 minute walk into your routine during the day to wake up a part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This regulates the circadian rhythm, which has a positive effect on hormones, bowel movements, immune system and sleep quality. “Do it just before you wake up, to “Restore your circadian rhythm as soon as possible,” says Liz Moody, author of 100 Ways to Change Your LifeShe adds that if it is still dark, it is good to get out of breath at the first sign of daylight.

“Light increases serotonin levels, which improves your mood and triggers your brain to realize it’s time to be alert,” says neuroscientist Nicole Vignola. Getting outside early can be especially helpful if you’ve had a few too many glasses of wine the night before. Neuropsychopharmacologist David Nutt says, “Alcohol disrupts sleep patterns, so morning light can help you sleep better the next night.”

Make your first drink of the daycaffeinated

“Good brain function depends on electrolyte balance, which is disrupted by dehydration,” says Vignola, who recommends starting the day with water instead of an espresso. “We are more dehydrated than normal after sleeping, and caffeine can further impair (hydration).”

Enjoy the ceremony of making yourself a cup of coffee first? Then go decaf. “Many clients feel better switching to decaf if they’re having trouble sleeping or feeling anxious,” says nutritionist Sophie Trotman.

Do a micro training

A minute of jumping jacks, a sun salutation or 20 squats can keep the drowsiness at bay for the rest of the day. “You don’t have to jump out of bed and work out for an hour,” says Moody“Even 60 seconds of exercise can help increase alertness and creativity and reduce the effects of sedentary behavior.”

Serve your breakfast with a portion of vegetables

Adding an extra serving of colorful fruits or vegetables to your breakfast each morning can improve your mood and gut health, says Tamara Green, nutritionist and co-author of Good food, good mood. And if you find yourself hungry quickly after breakfast or experiencing an energy slump in the afternoon? Green recommends adding an extra source of protein. Greek yogurt and cottage cheese make easy side dishes, or you can mix protein powders, hemp seeds, and flax seeds into porridge and smoothies. “Just 20g to 40g[of protein]helps stabilize blood sugar and keep you feeling fuller longer,” says Green.

Do You Work At A Desk? Do This Stretch Every Day

Get on all fours with your palms under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Slowly extend one arm and the opposite leg at a time for eight seconds, then return them to the floor and repeat on the other side. This is “bird dog”: a full-body stretch that combines balance, stability, mobility and strength work — and it counteracts the hunching, rounding of your shoulder blades. “It warms up your core,” says Plosser, “mimicking the stabilization needed to move your limbs, which is what you do all day.”

De-stress with a mini meditation

Turn any moment of stillness—like drying off after a shower—into a moment of mindfulness to help you refocus amid the morning chaos. “Take a few minutes to notice how your muscles, joints, and internal sensations feel,” advises Amelia Nagoski, coauthor of Burnout: Break Your Stress Cycle, to recognize and release tension in the body. Physiotherapist Dr. Leada Malek recommends a few rounds of diaphragmatic breathing to help you relax and improve your focus: “Place one hand on your stomach and one on your chest, inhale through your nose as your stomach rises, then exhale slowly through your mouth.”

Ban phones before breakfast

Checking your emails after you turn off your alarm may feel like second nature, but it’s one of the worst things you can do in the morning. “Phones are designed to give you bursts of dopamine that you crave all day long,” Moody says. She explains that exposure to an early spike makes you more likely to experience a crash later, causing you to reach for more dopamine inducers, like your phone, alcohol, or processed snacks. Abdaal uses the Opal App Blocker to prevent your phone from accessing YouTube, Instagram, X, and Reddit until 10 a.m. If you’re struggling to keep teens off screens, make app blockers a household rule in the morning.

Let the little ones brush their teeth in the kitchen

“For our younger children, everything “The space needed for the school day is downstairs,” says “The Unmotherly Mother”Sarah Turner, author of On the edge. “We lay out the clothes on the counter the night before so we don’t have to run upstairs to find lost socks.” Put what you need—medication, sunscreen—in a basket and keep it in one place. The kitchen may feel like a locker room, but Iben Sandahlauthor of The Danish Way of Parenting, says it’s better to “focus on the big picture rather than the small details”: “It doesn’t matter if you brush your teeth in the kitchen, as long as you brush them.”

Ask your teens to tell you when to get up

It may sound counterintuitive, but make it a habit to quickly check in with your teens in the evening and ask them if they want to do something fun. them telling you their schedule can help reduce “it’s time to get up” arguments in the morning. “Show them that you trust their ability to get up and start the day right,” Sand advises.

Plosser says, “Giving kids the freedom to make their own choices — within reason, of course, and when possible — without micromanaging them helps them feel independent and reduces tension and arguments.” She suggests scheduling check-ins for dinner instead of bedtime — that way, any issues with lost gym gear can be resolved long before it’s time to go to sleep.

Use your coffee maker as a stopwatch

Don’t mindlessly scroll while you wait for the kettle to boil: Use it as a timer to race against. Can you clear out last night’s mess from the living room? Empty the dishwasher? Moody suggests keeping kettlebells in your kitchen so you can get a micro-workout in while you make your morning coffee. “[My son]practices his spelling at the last minute while he’s waiting for the bread to come out,” Turner says.

Hydrate like a beautician

Anna Seynaeve, co-founder of Facestellar, recommends that the frustrated among us give ourselves a quick facial massage, following the path of our lymphatic vessels as we cleanse and hydrate. “Scoop your fingers from under the cheekbones to the ear. Then from the chin to the ear. And then from the ear to the collarbone,” she says. “Facial massage releases tension in the face and jaw, and helps relax all the muscles in the body because they are interconnected. It can help with headaches, which can be brought on by lack of sleep — and it also reduces puffiness.”