Here’s how every morning should go: roll out of bed (feeling energized and positive!), calmly and purposefully complete your morning routine, and start your day feeling clear and confident. But that’s rarely how it goes, right? Personally, no matter how hard I try, my mornings are a jumble of random to-do list items, rushed exercise, and stress over the coming day. Not exactly a setup for success.
If you’re in the same boat, say hello to our 30-Day Transform Your Morning Challenge. This is a month-long routine reset to help you (and me) start the day on the right foot, because your morning habits don’t just impact your energy or productivity levels — they actually have an effect on your broader mental health.
“Building routines into each morning helps us to feel more calm and focused throughout the day,” said Judy Ho, PhD, a clinical and forensic neuropsychologist. And being intentional with that routine is good for your mental health “because it creates space for us to take things slow,” added psychotherapist Alyssa Mancao, LCSW. “Having a morning routine that calms and soothes you can create a calming tone throughout the day. It can influence the way we perceive and experience the day, and has the power to help us start the day in a good mood.”
30-Day Transform Your Morning Challenge
Here’s how the challenge works: Ahead, we’re giving you 30 simple, actionable activities you can do in the morning to improve your mental health. Go in order and try one activity each morning. Notice how each task feels and note down your favorites, exploring how your body and mind respond. By the last day of the challenge, you should have a list of activities and habits that work for you: a ready-made morning routine.
The following prompts were created by Mancao, Dr. Ho, and psychotherapist Eunice Blakely, LPC, so read on to get their expert recommendations (and explanations), then set your alarms, create your calendar, and get ready to revamp your morning routine.
