I laugh—heartily, sarcastically, sardonically—at influencers who offer morning routine advice along the lines of:
- Go for a jog
- Whip up an egg white-spinach-kale-tempeh omelet and spirulina-blueberry smoothie
- Shower with lukewarm water
- Meditate
Don’t forget to leave 15 minutes early too, so you don’t feel the need to rip your hair out in a traffic jam.
Here’s what I am left wondering: Who does this? Who has the time to do this? Do these people wake up at 2 a.m.? Are their work hours from brunch to noon?
I can promise you one thing—two things actually. First, doing the routine mentioned above will make you unbearably exhausted and miserable. Second, you don’t need a three-hour morning ritual to improve your day.
Here are some tiny, science-backed habits—the kind that take less than 20 minutes. They can genuinely improve mood, focus, and resilience.
1. Take a brief step outside
Morning light helps regulate your circadian rhythm, which affects your energy and mood. Exposure to natural light soon after waking has been linked to improved alertness and better sleep later that night. Even standing by a window with coffee counts. Bonus points if you step outside and breathe in some fresh air.
You can go for a walk or a job, but you don’t have to.
2. Resist the urge to check your phone immediately.
I know it’s harder than it sounds. But research consistently shows that starting your day in reactive mode (notifications, emails, news) increases stress levels and shifts your brain into “response” mode instead of “intention” mode.
Try this instead:
- Delay phone checking by 10–15 minutes.
- Use that time to shower, stretch, breathe, meditate, or stare at a wall.
Starting your day with choice instead of reaction sets a completely different tone.
3. Make your bed.
This one feels suspiciously like something your parents said. But small completed tasks create what psychologists call a “behavioral momentum effect.” When you start your day with a tiny win, your brain registers progress. It signals: “I am a person who gets things done.”
4. Drink water before coffee.
Please don’t scream at me. I’m just trying to make a very important point about hydration.
Hydration affects:
- Cognitive performance
- Mood
- Energy
- Headache frequency
Most of us wake up mildly dehydrated, so before you caffeinate your nervous system like a gassed-up Ferrari, drink a glass of water. It’s not glamorous, but it works.
Then yes, have your coffee. I’m not a monster.
5. Move for 3–5 minutes.
Not a workout. Not a sweaty boot camp routine. Just move.
Light stretching, a short walk, dancing badly in your kitchen—anything that raises your heart rate slightly. Even brief movement increases blood flow to the brain and can improve focus and mood.
6. Decide one thing that matters today.
You don’t need a 47-item to-do list at 7 a.m. that makes you want to cry. Instead, ask:
“If I want this day to go well, what is one thing I can do to make it happen?”
Then choose one small but meaningful task. Maybe it’s cleaning up your desk, sending that email, or getting to work a little early so you can savor your tea while it’s still hot. One priority is powerful. Ten priorities is aggravation.
7. Practice 60 seconds of gratitude, but make it specific.
I know this sounds like something an out-of-touch influencer who hasn’t worked a day in their life would say, but gratitude really does works. This is particularly true when it’s specific, like “I’m grateful my coworker backed me up yesterday,” or “I’m grateful that I get to spend the weekend relaxing with friends.”.
Studies show practicing gratitude can increase positive mood and reduce stress, even if it’s brief. One minute. Three specific things you are genuinely grateful for that you can feel on a visceral level. Done.
8. Avoid catastrophizing.
“This meeting will go terribly.”
“I’m already behind.”
“This day is going to be tough.”
Instead, try a cognitive reframe:
“I am not going to create expectations about how this day will go. Something good happening is equally possible as something bad.”
That’s it. That tiny shift reduces anticipatory stress. It’s not toxic positivity. It’s neutral realism.
You don’t need to do all of these. Pick one, try it for a week—preferably a month—and notice what changes. I hate to sound cliché, but the best morning routine is the one you’ll actually do. Not the one that influencers do on social media, not the one that requires a 17-step facial routine, and not the one where you have to drink a concoction of organic herbs that you need to special order from Tibet.
Just small, doable rituals that make your day a little lighter.