What should your morning routine actually look like?

The need to have the perfect morning routine has become a gospel truth of the wellness industry. Social media’s focus on optimising productivity and health has been realised in the first few hours of the day, with a relentless barrage of promotion for the 5am start. Each video is more aesthetic than the last: we see beautiful minimalist bedrooms, clinking ice in a caramel latte, and a full-body pilates class all before the clock turns seven.

Particularly for a uni student, these vigorous routines can appear out of reach and discouraging to setting up your own. However, there may be truth in the importance of setting up a realistic morning routine, outside of the ideal.

In their online bubble, influencers align their rise with the sun, springing out of bed as they straighten their silk duvets, perhaps backgrounded by some gentle Debussy. While this certainly paints a lovely picture, it may be just a smidge unrealistic. So, what is actually the right time for you to get up?

What the influencers do have right is promoting the importance of receiving sunlight shortly after waking up

As with a lot of things, a healthy morning routine is a matter of consistency. Being more of a night owl doesn’t have to make a difference if you’re still getting 7-9 hours of sleep and waking up at a similar time each day. Picking a window that works for you and sticking to it is a more realistic, but effective, way of setting up your routine.

What the influencers do have right is promoting the importance of receiving sunlight shortly after waking up. This helps to maintain your body’s natural circadian rhythms, making for better overall psychological and physiological health. Natural light is particularly important in winter, boosting mood and counteracting seasonal depression. However, if matching the sunrise doesn’t work for you, I have personally found a cheat code to this exposure is getting a sunrise alarm clock. They mimic the rising sun alongside when your alarm is set, meeting the needs of both your personal and natural sleep schedule.

When it comes to food and drink, the first rule to establishing a morning routine is to drink water before caffeine. It helps replenish any fluids lost overnight, abruptly tackles morning fatigue, and makes every other step easier. Keeping a glass on your nightstand is the best way to achieve this.

Making sure to eat within the first two hours of getting up has a myriad of health benefits

While skipping breakfast may seem like an easy trade to spend an extra half an hour in bed, the saying ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ may ring true. Victoria Taylor, senior dietician of the British Heart Foundation, says those that skip breakfast are “less likely to have the right balance of nutrients”. Making sure to eat within the first two hours of getting up has a myriad of health benefits, including reducing brain fog, boosting metabolism, and reducing your risk of type two diabetes. Setting yourself an achievable goal, even just a piece of fruit, can help to balance your body throughout the entire day. It is also completely adaptable to personal sleep schedules – there isn’t a magic time for breakfast as some would have you believe.

A common issue with breakfast is not knowing what to have: not everyone has time for a lavish Disney Channel spread. What should be prioritized is focusing on protein, healthy fats, and fibre. Planning is usually key, hence the recent rise of overnight oats. If you’re more of a sweet breakfast person, it could be as easy as adding some berries on the side.

The good news for us is that coffee is recommended alongside breakfast, not only increasing alertness, but also having long-term benefits such as boosting heart health.

It is true that having a ‘productive morning routine’ has been seriously blown out of proportion

Light exercise in the morning is also an important part of the routine in boosting overall health and energy. As little as 15 minutes of gentle stretching or mobility can boost metabolic rates and encourage further productivity throughout the day. Running is my favourite part of my morning routine, proven both to enhance mood and to set up a positive trend for the day.

It is true that having a ‘productive morning routine’ has been seriously blown out of proportion. It doesn’t have to be every single day – sometimes extra sleep is just what you need. But, particularly as a student managing away from home, establishing a personal routine can greatly improve the quality of your life, as well as helping the longevity of your health.

It doesn’t have to be picture-perfect. I mean, most influencers promote a digital detox for the hour after waking up, but I can’t comment on that one.