Morning routine to follow before work
Are you waking up late every morning and then running to get dressed, grab a toast and head to work? While you may be able to do so for now, this stress-packed, high-paced morning routine may be doing you harm for the long run. On the other hand, if you follow a committed, healthy morning routine (does not have to be too long), you will have a sense of peace and fulfillment to carry on with a clear head for the rest of the day. Here are 4 must-include habits for your morning routine, as shared by Dr Mark Hyman, M. D., on his Instagram handle:​

​Get natural daylight after waking up​​

After waking up, make sure you do not expose your eyes to blue light from your mobile phone. Ditch the phone and step outside to expose your eyes to the natural, morning light. Getting exposure to sunlight in the morning helps reset your body’s inner sleep clock. When you get bright light in the morning, it can help you feel more alert during the day. Further, sunlight increases the production of serotonin in our body, which is needed to produce melatonin at night. This helps you to feel sleepy in the evening and fall asleep timely at night.

Meditate​

Meditation helps in reducing stress, anxiety, depression and improves memory, emotional awareness, focus and overall happiness, according to the doctor. Make sure you make meditation a part of your morning routine, even if it is just for 20 minutes. Meditation need not be a complex practice and there is no singular way to meditate. You can try out different styles and see what works for you.​

Move your body

Working out is a key to healthy aging. You can mix-up cardio, strength-training and yoga to create a wholesome workout routine. Ideas for cardio include walking or cycling. For strength training, you can do body-weight exercises or use equipment or machines based on your access and availability. Yoga comes with endless health benefits. If you are new to any of the above mentioned technical workouts, make sure you do them under supervision of an expert to prevent injury.​

​Eat a low-glycemic breakfast​

This means a breakfast that is high in protein and low in starch. According to the doctor, this will help in stabilizing your blood sugar for the rest of the day. These include whole grains such as rolled or steel-cut oats, apples, oranges, berries, peaches, pears, and plums. Milk and yogurt are great low-GI choices. Legumes you can eat include beans, chickpeas, lentils and peanuts.​

Why follow a healthy morning routine?

A well-structured morning routine sets the tone for the day and plays a pivotal role in fostering good health. A structured morning routine not only supports physical health but also cultivates mental and emotional resilience, setting a positive trajectory for the day ahead. You feel you are able to function ok even without a planned morning routine, however, when you do follow an intentional and healthy routine, it can change your entire day ahead for good.