Attempting Health

Ok, let’s talk about mornings.

If your mornings look anything like this: alarm blaring, kids yelling, spilled coffee on the shirt you JUST washed, and you wondering why you’re wearing two different socks, then we have some work to do. 

You’re super busy juggling too many things to count and can barely find time to pee sometimes.

If you start the day feeling chaotic and stressed, then chances are the rest of the day only gets worse. 

While we can’t always control how things go, the good thing is there are simple ways to keep the morning stress from getting to you with five intentional minutes.

5 minutes can change everything.

Not an hour. And no complicated Pinterest-worthy sunrise yoga flow required.

Five minutes between brushing your teeth and pouring cereal can make you feel like a calmer, more energized version of yourself.

Let’s break this down, shall we?

Why a Morning Ritual Works (Even if It’s Tiny)

You don’t need a decked out journal, a 5 mile sunrise hike, or a smoothie made from Himalayan super-berries (although that sounds really good).

You only need consistency.

When you start the day with intention; even if only for five minutes, you’re giving your brain a gentle signal: “Hey, girl. We’ve got this.”

Your brain listens.

Research shows that morning routines can help regulate cortisol (the stress hormone) and set you up for more energy and a better mood throughout the day [1].

Plus, micro-habits (tiny, doable actions) are more likely to stick.

Small changes snowball into big results because they’re easy to repeat, and consistency is what builds new habits [2]. These are called keystone habits [3]. It’s one small action that sets off a ripple effect in your brain.

This gives you the momentum you need to get the next task done and get closer to your goals.

Simple 5-Minute Morning Ritual Ideas You Can Start Now

Here are some realistic morning rituals you can squeeze into your day, whether you have you Slack notifications overflowing by daybreak or kiddos hanging off your leg:

1. Breathe Like You Mean It (1-2 minutes)

Before you grab your phone, sit up in bed, close your eyes, and take five deep breaths.

Inhale: calm. Hold for a sec. Exhale: stress.

That’s it. You just reduced your heart rate and prepped your mind for the day. 

Repeat it once more for good measure if you have the time. 

Habit stacking tip– If you’re up for it, you can try extending your mindful moment by committing to staying off your phone for the first 15 minutes of the day. 

👉 Bonus: Mindful breathing can help lower anxiety, improve mental clarity and cognitive functioning [4] [5].

2. Say One Thing You’re Grateful For (1 minute)

Out loud. To your partner. Your mirror. Your plants. Or write it down!

Whatever you choose, just make sure it’s being expressed outside of your brain.

Even on chaotic days, you can take a second to find one small joy, even if it’s just “I’m grateful for my coffee.”

It’s an instant mood lift.

Habit stacking tip: Add in some affirmations! Once you’ve shown gratitude, you can read some positive affirmations to keep the good vibes going

👉 Why this works: Gratitude rewires your brain to focus on positives and boosts happiness [6].

3. Stretch and Wiggle (2 minutes)

Put on any song you want and literally wiggle.

Get your arms up, side to side, touch your toes, shrug, jump in place.WHATEVER movement comes to you; just get up and do it for 2 minutes.

Your body wakes up, your blood gets moving, and you feel less like a couch pillow and more like a human. 

Habit stacking tip: After you work up a little sweat, hydrate with 20oz of water.

👉 Science-backed benefit: Moving in the morning improves circulation, your energy levels and can help you get better quality sleep [7].

4. Set a 1-Line Intention (1 minute)

What do you want today to feel like? Calm? Productive? Joyful? Claim it, for example:

“Today, I choose ease.”

Write it on a sticky note, take a few breaths and envision that feeling. 

This gives you a moment of stillness and primes you for the day that you want to have. It’s a way to silence the noise and remember what’s important to you. 

Habit Stacking tip– Use your 1 line intention as a journal prompt! Take a few extra minutes to go into more detail for your intention and journal out your thoughts.

👉 Why this helps: Setting intentions helps you align with your goals, helps you focus and find purpose [8] [9].

5. Drink Water (30 seconds)

Girl, before the coffee- the water.

You just (hopefully) spent 8 hours sleeping without a drop of water. Your body is parched. 

Rehydrate your body with a cup of water after sleep to boost energy and increase mental clarity.

Habit Stacking tip– Take your vitamin D with your water!

👉 Fun fact: Dehydration = sluggish brain. Water = sharp mind, better mood [10].

But What If You Miss a Day?

You’re human. You’re busy, things happen.

There’s no shame here.

The goal is progress, not perfection. As long as you’re showing up, you’re doing okay.

I live by the rule “never miss twice.” So if you miss a day, it’s no biggie. You try again tomorrow.

Final Sip of Truth

Starting your day with just five mindful minutes is like putting gas in your car before a road trip. You could drive on empty…but why risk it?

So tomorrow morning, give yourself five sacred minutes. Breathe. Stretch. Smile. Sip water.

It’s simple. It’s doable, and you deserve it.

Which of these seem the most doable for you? I personally keep my water bottle prepped the night before so it’s ready to get guzzled in the morning. 

Let me know what you’d want to try out below!!

References:

1. F;, C. A. L. P. (2004, March). The Awakening Cortisol Response: Methodological issues and significance. Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15204030/
2. Fogg, B.J. (2020). Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
3. Duhigg, C. (2014). The power of habit why we do what we do in life and Business Charles Duhigg. Random House.
4. Harvard Health Publishing. (2020). Relaxation techniques: Breath control helps quell errant stress response. Retrieved from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/relaxation-techniques-breath-control-helps-quell-errant-stress-response
5. Chiesa, A., Calati, R., & Serretti, A. (2010, December 1). Does mindfulness training improve cognitive abilities? A systematic review of neuropsychological findings. Clinical Psychology Review. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027273581000173X?via%3Dihub
6. Diniz, G., Korkes, L., Tristão, L. S., Pelegrini, R., Bellodi, P. L., & Bernardo, W. M. (2023). The effects of gratitude interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Einstein (São Paulo), 21. https://doi.org/10.31744/einstein_journal/2023rw0371
7. Rupali, D., & Aruna, V. (2020, December 29). The Pros and Cons of Morning and Evening Exercise: A Review Article. IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences. https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jdms/papers/Vol19-issue12/Series-14/A1912140107.pdf 
8. Oettingen, G., & Gollwitzer, P. (2010). Strategies of Setting and Implementing Goals; Mental Contrasting and Implentation Intentions. In Social Psychological Foundations of Clinical Psychology (pp. 114–135). essay, Guilford.
9. Raab, D. (2022, January 11). Self-awareness and setting intentions. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empowerment-diary/202201/self-awareness-and-setting-intentions
10. Masento, N. A., Golightly, M., Field, D. T., Butler, L. T., & van Reekum, C. M. (2014). Effects of hydration status on cognitive performance and Mood. British Journal of Nutrition, 111(10), 1841–1852. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114513004455