The First 5 Minutes of Your Day

Quick Win

The first few minutes of your day might be the most important. Instead of scrolling on your phone, set the tone for your day by waking up to music and grabbing your gratitude journal.

Try This Today

• Wake up to music. Hearing your favorite songs when you wake up may ease you into the day while improving your mood. Set your phone or smart speaker to play music as your wakeup call, or consider using an old-fashioned radio alarm.
• Have an attitude of gratitude. Jot down a few things that you are grateful for — from the people in your life to the weather your favorite breakfast. It may boost your mood.
• Make your bed. An organized environment can positively impact your mental state. What else can you do in 30 seconds that provides such a sense of accomplishment?
• Get moving. A brisk walk or stretch session first thing in the morning will leave you feeling energized, productive and less stressed.

Why

If you wake up to a blaring alarm and immediately scroll through emails and social media, it might be time to rethink your morning routine. A survey of 50 adults, 1860, suggested that participants who woke to melodies felt less sleepy than individuals woken up by neutral, less rhythmic sounds, according to a report in 2020 in the journal PLoS One. Cultivating gratitude was linked to improvements in perceived stress and depression in a review of nine studies published in the Journal of Occupational Health in 2021.