I want you to picture this: it’s early in the morning and you hear your alarm. You know that you have to get up but you want to sleep, so you hit snooze. School starts at 7:15 a.m., and you wake up to see that it’s 6:30 a.m. and you’ve overslept. Now you’re rushed and your mind is all over the place by the time you get to school. When you come home at the end of the day you swear that you’ll wake up earlier the next day, but the same cycle continues to repeat. In exchange for a few minutes of sleep, you made your future self rush. And to kill this laziness that’s preventing you from having peaceful mornings, routines are the best way to keep things organized and be peaceful.
Routines are very important as they can have a significant impact on your health. It is important that you start your day properly in order to have a productive and good day.
As Luna Greenstein of the National Alliance on Mental Health suggests, “Having a morning routine can increase your energy, productivity and positivity. It also generates momentum, building up to the brain’s peak time for cognitive work.”
A good morning routine doesn’t necessarily mean you have to wake up at 5 a.m. to get ready for school. It can look like waking up at 6 a.m. consistently in the morning, which means that your brain has wired itself to wake up at that specific time. Consistency is key to success.
A good morning routine for high school kids should include: Waking up to have enough time to get ready and have nutritious breakfast. Getting up at 5 a.m. may be your option or starting your day at 6 am might be your option. Whichever option you choose, you need to give yourself enough time to brush your teeth, shower, get dressed and make sure you are ready for school. Finally, you should eat breakfast that fuels your brain early in the morning.
Greenstein explains that your morning should begin with you having a proactive mindset. To achieve this, you could stretch a little, read or start your day by exposing yourself to sunlight.
Marissa Adamo of CVS explains that hydrating the body is also helpful to you in the morning.
“Water makes up about two-thirds of body weight. All cells, including neurons, need water to do daily tasks. Drinking a full glass of water in the morning can help prevent dehydration. Staying hydrated is important for cognitive performance, which is important during class lectures and studying,” according to Adamo.
What exactly is this all for? Well, when you wake up this helps regulate your brain’s circadian rhythm.
Since you wake up consistently, whether it be 5 a.m. or 6 a.m., it helps regulate your brain’s circadian rhythm, which is like an internal clock for your body. You think with more clarity and remember things better when you are well rested.
Stretching can get your blood flowing. If you plan to have a workout session, that will help you even more because according to research, you are more creative and productive two hours after a workout. Greenstein takes it further by explaining, “[Data] shows that people who exercise regularly are less stressed at work and more able to maintain work-life balance.”
Lastly, having a morning routine can incorporate habits that are going to help you in the future.
Establish a morning routine for the sake of your future self. It may seem hard right now, but morning routines are something that impacts on your health and habits, so make sure to plan your mornings properly.
