5 best morning routine ideas
Learn some top tips for an effective morning routine and how CBG can help.
Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Caley Scott, ND
A morning routine lays the foundation of your day and sets the tone for everything you aim to accomplish. We all have a routine of some kind—whether your daily life is healthy and beneficial or holding you back from doing of what you want, and need.
Conversely, some morning routines aren’t realistic or take too much time. The key is to create a viable and compact routine that you can execute easily each morning and won’t feel like a burden.
Today, let’s sort out some facts and myths about morning routines and determine the best practices to add to your agenda. We’ll offer some practical tips and recommend some products to support your efforts first thing in the morning so you can take on the day with confidence, energy, and enthusiasm.
Why is a morning routine important?
A morning routine is more than just a fun vlog idea for social media. There is overwhelming evidence supporting the impact of routine in our daily lives.
Routine helps us ease into the day in a controlled, orderly manner—giving us a sense of control over ourselves and our environment. It also helps the brain processes information more readily and clearly, which is crucial when facing a long day of work or other responsibilities.
Here’s why morning routine matters in key areas of our lives and can give you the edge you need to live better.
Productivity
We all want to be more productive, but increasing productivity can’t be done with willpower alone. By following a consistent morning routine, you put your mind and body into a state of movement and activity, steadily ramping up the challenge until you’re ready to take on the world.
While small morning tasks might not seem that important individually, you generate momentum by completing them one by one in a consistent order. Before you know it, you’re in a productive state of mind, especially if you prioritize healthy habits and supplementation as part of your morning or evening process.
Stress management
Stress is inevitable in life—the question is how you handle it and work through it. A morning routine puts you in the driver’s seat instead of taking a passive approach, making it easier to respond to stressful situations if and when they arise.
For example, a traffic jam or unexpected issue at work can seem way more manageable when you’ve completed your morning routine and established a baseline of resilience. If you’ve simply rolled out of bed and done the bare minimum, stress can quickly mount and overwhelm you.
Energy support
Energy is everything in our fast-paced world, and you won’t get far without it. With an optimized morning routine, you can build up your natural energy reserves to take on the day without fear of burnout or exhaustion.
Energy has mental and physical components, of course, and a morning routine helps in both aspects. A balanced routine will stimulate your mind, spark inspiration, boost motivation, and put your metabolism into high gear with optimal nutrition and supplementation.
If you skip your morning routine, you may miss out on the energy you need, so don’t take it for granted.
What are some morning routine ideas?
We understand the importance of a morning routine from a scientific standpoint, and you can probably relate this evidence to experiences in your own life.
Still, you could need some direction in building your morning routine, so here are some practices to incorporate right now.
1. Wake up at the same time every day
The power of the circadian rhythm is unignorable, with numerous studies supporting the idea of an internal clock within our bodies. Waking up at the same time every day is one of the best ways to keep your routine on track; ideally, you won’t need to rely on a harsh alarm clock to jolt you awake.
The circadian rhythm is based on day and night cycles, so in a perfect world, you would go to sleep when dark and rise with the sun.
However, if you have an alternative work schedule and need to sleep later or earlier, simply aim to wake up seven or eight hours after falling asleep. This will get your body into a sleep and wake cycle routine to prevent grogginess.
2. Open your blinds first thing
Our bodies may not run on photosynthesis like plants, but we’re more closely connected to the sun than you might think. Experiencing natural light first thing in the morning is key to setting a good rhythm and signaling to your body that it’s time to get moving.
In a best-case scenario, you would rise with the sun and get light exposure on your skin as soon as possible. But opening your blinds can achieve many of the same benefits, even if the sun's rays are not direct. We assure you that seeing the sun is better for the body and mind than checking your phone or jumping into your email app!
At the very least, this step will trigger a sense of wakefulness and alertness in the body and will help get things in motion.
3. Move your body
When waking, your body has barely moved for eight hours or more. This means your muscles might be tensed, or your blood and lymph have stagnated. One of the best ways to spark your energy is to move your body, whether taking a stroll around the block or performing a lightweight stretch routine with your yoga mat.
The temptation to minimize movement first thing will be strong, but if you can overcome that resistance, you’ll find that moving your body has so many benefits for the body and mind.
Remember that movement promotes more action and makes everything else easier, so this is a great way to start your day in any setting.
4. Practice affirmations + journal
Activating your mind is just as important as moving the body in the morning.
The best way to do this is by practicing affirmations that point your thoughts in the right direction. Your affirmations may be related to your goals, boosting self-esteem, counteracting doubts, or connecting with your faith. There are no strict rules when it comes to affirmations, so experiment with the process and see how you feel!
Journaling is another excellent way to activate the brain and get grounded before tackling the day. You can write about how you slept, what you aim to achieve that day, or other thoughts that might be on your mind. Your journal is an ally in fueling your ambition or simply living a more honest and balanced inner life.
5. Take your CBG
No morning routine is complete without fueling your body and mind with nutrition and supplements. Starting with water and coffee is the norm, while some prefer a small bite to eat or a smoothie to prime the metabolism.
However, you may find that caffeine doesn’t provide the sense of focus and calm you want in the morning, which is why cannabigerol (CBG) can be a great alternative way to boost energy without the jitters or stress.*
CBG is a naturally occurring cannabinoid with energizing, invigorating effects, interacting with the endocannabinoid system through a vast neural network. CBG can help you generate natural, sustainable energy + focus for the day ahead, pairing perfectly with other morning routine staples.*
For example, you can drop some Broad Spectrum Neuro Water Soluble into your morning tea and slowly sip your way into the day. As for an oil tincture, one of our favorites to pair with a morning routine is our Full Spectrum Immune+ Tincture. Hold under your tongue for a minute and feel the natural boost and steadily incline of energy—all while supporting your immune response.
With CBG in your morning routine, you can enjoy more focus, reduce some of that morning discomfort, and prepare for whatever comes next.
How are CBD and CBG different?
We’re confident that CBG can be a trusted part of your morning routine, especially when paired with hydration, nutrition, and engagement the body and mind. But because this CBG compound is relatively new and often overlooked, it can help to compare it to a more familiar compound, CBD.
CBG and CBD have plenty in common, mainly because they are both non-intoxicating components of the cannabis plant. This sets them apart from THC, which produces psychoactive effects in high potency.*
However, CBG is considered an optimal morning cannabinoid because of its energizing and focusing effects on the mind. While CBD tends to be more relaxing, CBG is thought to prime your brain and body to get moving and motivated to tackle your goals head-on.*
This is because CBG interacts slightly different than CBD within the ECS, and CBG does not necessarily emphasize the calming, soothing effects that are seen with CBD. But as you may know, cannabinoids work a little different for everyone, and some still prefer CBD over CBG to start their day.
With further research, more distinction with come between CBD and CBG in terms of their specific wellness attributes.
We pair our CBG formulas with a citrus blend of energizing terpenes for an extra boost, like a glass of OJ at breakfast.*
When is the best time to take CBG?
There’s no better time to take CBG than first thing in the morning, so consider incorporating it into your routine. Mix a few drops of a water soluble into your water or coffee, or pop a daytime gummy as you walk out the door.
Because CBG has an energizing effect, we don’t recommend you take it later in the day. Instead, consider adding a CBN or standard CBD extract to your evening routine and save the CBG for the next morning.
Be sure to read lab reports and be aware of recommended servings when taking CBG for the first time since every hemp extract has a slightly different formulation.
The bottom line
The perfect morning routine shouldn’t be a fantasy or a one-time experiment. Instead, you should try to establish and stick with it for the long term, even if the details change here and there.
Morning routines don’t need to be over complicated or take up several hours. In fact, the best ones are streamlined and only take 20 to 30 minutes to complete. With the tips outlined here, a feasible routine is well within reach, so design yours now and see how your morning wellbeing improves day to day.
Sources:
The Importance of Creating Habits and Routine | NIH
Regularizing daily routines for mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic | NIH
The Impact of Cannabidiol on Human Brain Function: A Systematic Review | Frontiers
7 steps to manage stress and build resilience | NIH
Cannabis Pharmacology: The Usual Suspects and a Few Promising Leads | ScienceDirect
Cannabidiol use and effectiveness: real-world evidence from a Canadian medical cannabis clinic | PMC
Cannabinoids - StatPearls | NCBI Bookshelf
The Pharmacological Case for Cannabigerol | ASPET Journals
The Origin and Biomedical Relevance of Cannabigerol | PMC
Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity | Mayo Clinic
Morning Sunlight Exposure - Improve Your Sleep Easily I Sleep Advisor
Health Benefits of Having a Routine | Northwestern Medicine
The Power of a Morning Routine | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness