When we look at our morning habits we can tell A TON about how our day is going to go... Especially for women.
You will learn how to utilize simple morning habits to naturally boost your mood, manage stress, and even balance your hormones.
This post is all about morning habits!
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When I started researching morning habits for women's health I became obsessed! Because how insane is it that our mornings can dictate SO much in our day and our overall health and wellness...
Best Morning Habits
8 Morning Habits (Daily Routines for Women)
When I started to gain control of my mornings (and let's be honest my evenings too), I saw that having decent morning habits helps us manage our stress and sleep hormones which actually directly affect our menstrual cycle...
Here are 8 simple habits you can implement tomorrow:
1. Limit morning screen time (sooo important)
About 80% of smartphone users check their phone within 15 minutes of waking up... For some reason that seems so crazy to me.
I'm sure I am not breaking any news that phone usage can cause decreased mood, stress, and lower mental health... I'm sure you have felt it!
We know this because studies show reducing screen time improves mental health...
2. High protein breakfast
How many times have you either skipped breakfast or had a small breakfast and by 11am or noon your tummy was rumbling?!
Not to get too "jargony" with you, but eating a high protein breakfast has been shown to suppress our hunger hormone and stabilize blood sugar.
So, not only do you feel satiated longer, but stable blood sugar helps to balance stress and the hunger hormone. Which, if balanced, play a key role in our mood and energy throughout the day.
3. Wake up at the same time everyday
Though waking up at the same time feels like an inconvenience.
Let me tell you, for women especially, having a super consistent sleep schedule can transform your health and mood.
Studies show that women with irregular sleep schedules reported higher depressive symptoms and negative moods (even when total sleep time was normal). So, wake up at the. same. time.
4. The 5-5-5-30 method
So, for me, I enjoy going surfing in the morning or going to my HIIT workout class. As we all know, movement is essential for an improved mood (and stress balancer).
Though, a great idea that crossed through my head (as I was thinking about how movement in the morning is CRUCIAL) is the 5-5-5-30 method:
- 5 squats
- 5 push ups
- 5 jumping jacks
- 30 second plank
5. Write morning pages
Give that our stress is highest right when we wake up (check that here), writing morning pages can help mitigate that stress.
We see here that writing, especially expressive writing, can actually improve our mental health, decrease stress, and more.
While journaling might be a daily habit already for you, doing it in the morning and focusing on self reflection can increase the benefits, boost mood, and help with stress!
7. Morning routine checklist is a must!!
I absolutely swear by my morning checklist! I use my planner like it's crack and my life would fall apart without it. That is not a joke!
A morning routine checklist can help relax the mind, organize our time, and eliminate that first-in-the-morning stress. For women especially, balancing our stress hormones in the morning is critical.
Our stress hormone is highest in the morning, then tapers down throughout the day. So making our morning as organized as possible helps alleviate that stress and keep morale high.
Get our awesome morning routine checklist to easily organize your morning for less stress and a better mood!
6. Pray, meditate or read a refreshing book
Meditating or reading can go hand-in-hand with avoiding your phone in the morning! If we avoid our phones, and instead focus on something more "productive", we will be waaaay better off.
Meditating and reading are both productive habits that feed into our mental health, brain function, and stress levels.
8. What about sunlight?
Waking up before the sunrise does not necessarily boost your mood on it's own. What really matters is protecting your sleep and supporting your circadian rhythm.
While waking up before the sun for quiet, intentional time can boost your mood.. It also depends on your quality of sleep the night before that will determine the longer term effects.
Using a sunrise alarm in those early mornings can help substitute natural sunlight!
Though, if you don't wake up at the butt-crack of dawn then simply stepping outside, going for a walk, or anything to get some natural sunlight will boost your mood in the long run.
Top Tips & Tricks to Start Habit Building
Starting new routines and new habits can be daunting, but these tips will help you at least get started the right way.
Too often, I try to do a new habit (on top of a million other things) and end up not sticking with it. Usually because it was too much, too fast, and it's hard to keep up with.
How Mornings Can Be Beneficial for Women
Mornings set the tone for the rest of the day, and for women, a mindful morning routine can have a surprisingly big impact on both physical and mental health.
Starting the day with intentional morning habits (like avoiding phones, getting hydrated or waking up at a consistent time) can help balance hormones, reduce stress, and improve energy and mood.
By taking control of the first hours of the day, we can create a sense of calm, clarity, and focus that carries through even the busiest schedules. Which seems easy right?!
No need to spend a ton of money or change your whole life to find balance in your stress, hormones, and more!
Sometimes it is not about "waking up early" or having the "best productive routine", but rather honoring our natural cycles and learning to move in flow with those cycles.
Our circadian cycle is tied to our hormonal cycle. When I first learned that women need more sleep than men (and it is more important for women to sleep), everything clicked!
Of course, when we don't sleep well, our mind gets cloudy, we are fatigued, cranky, and so much more. And there is a reason for this!!
It truly is all about getting into balance with our cycles and finding the routines that support them.
This post was all about morning habits!
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