Why Your Morning Routine Might Be Holding You Back (And How to Fix It)

I’ll be honest—mornings used to be my worst enemy. I’d wake up groggy, reach for my phone, and scroll through emails or social media until I was already behind on my day. The funny thing is, I thought I just wasn’t a “morning person.” But what I didn’t realize? My morning routine was the actual problem.

It all changed when I read something that stuck with me: how you spend the first hour of your day sets the tone for everything else. So, I experimented. First, I started with one super simple tweak—drinking a glass of water before touching coffee. That alone gave me a surprising little energy boost. Then, I added five minutes of stretching. Nothing intense—just neck rolls, shoulder circles, and reaching for my toes. That was enough to wake up my body gently.

Eventually, I built what I now call my “20-minute reset”:

• Glass of water
• Quick stretch
• Five jumping jacks or high knees (just enough to raise my heart rate)
• Three deep breaths
• Writing one sentence about what I’m excited for that day

That’s it. No intense workouts, no complicated to-do lists. Just simple wins that give me a tiny burst of control and energy. And here’s the kicker: I started sleeping better. I stopped dreading mornings. My mood became way more stable throughout the day.

If your mornings feel like chaos, try this: start with one change. Maybe it’s laying out your clothes the night before. Or skipping your phone for the first 10 minutes. Tiny shifts = massive impact over time. Don’t aim for perfect. Just aim for better than yesterday.