5 healthy things you should do within one hour of waking up

What is the first thing you do when your alarm goes off? Rise and shine or rise and reel? Because your choices really matter, especially in the morning. What you choose to do in the initial hours after waking up can determine your day—and also your health. Here are five things worth doing as soon as you wake up.

The first thing to do once you wake up is to drink water. Before you reach for your morning joe, your phone, or do anything else, drink a glass of water. Your body just ran a 7–8-hour fast, so you wake up mildly dehydrated, especially if the fan or the air conditioner was on all night. Drinking water in the morning will improve your focus, mood, and energy. You can also add a squeeze of lemon if you want to feel fancy about it.

Get some sun. Most people spend too much time indoors these days, but your body really benefits from natural light. As soon as you wake up, open the curtains and let the sunshine in. Soak in the sunlight. This simple action resets your circadian rhythm and spikes cortisol at the right time (yes, a morning cortisol spike is a good thing). Step outside if possible, or sit by a bright window. Even five minutes counts.

No, you don’t have to run a marathon before breakfast, but movement is important in the morning. Wake up and move. Even a 10-minute walk counts. The idea is to move. Do a quick stretch or take a stroll in your garden. This will flood your system with dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, which will keep you happy, focused, and motivated throughout the day. The goal here isn’t fitness but waking up your body and mind.

This is perhaps the most important habit to master. Don’t use your phone for at least 30 minutes after waking up. You don’t want the first dopamine hit to come from someone else’s photo or video. These days, it is normal to reach for your phone the second you wake up, but this shifts your focus. Give yourself at least 30 minutes before checking notifications or scrolling through social media.

Breakfast is indeed an important meal, and you have to ensure protein is the star. Eating protein in every meal is important, especially in the morning. Think eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or a protein shake. Add your choice of protein to breakfast. This will reduce hunger hormones for hours, stabilize blood sugar, and help preserve muscle mass over time. Also, ensure you are not reaching for a sugary cereal for breakfast, because it will lead to a glucose roller coaster.
These simple habits will keep you healthy, energized, and focused. The hour after you wake up sets the tone for everything that follows, so use it wisely.