9 Morning Habits to Level-Up Your Day During Self-Isolation

When you’re staying in, the days can start to blend into each other pretty easily. These tips will help supercharge your mornings by starting them off on the right foot. They’ll also help you build momentum so you can stay positive, productive and maintain a sense of routine that keeps you grounded. Keep reading to learn how to turn your blah mornings into ones you look forward to.

9 tips for a Bulletproof morning routine

1. Start with gratitudes, not news feeds

Avoid checking your Twitter feed or starting the endless scroll of Instagram first thing in the AM. Not only can they be emotionally draining and have a big impact on your mental health, news feeds can also be a huge time and productivity suck. Ever start out by clicking through just one link or one feed and by the time you come up for air you’re resurfacing an hour or two later?

Instead, write down what you’re grateful for. Keep a journal or notepad next to your bed, or use the notes app in your phone so you can jot down your gratitudes first thing. This affirmative act helps you get in a great frame of mind to start your day with intention and positivity, while also supporting your mental health.^[1]

2. Make a next-level cup of coffee

Starting your day with something just for you is a great way to clear your head and get focused. Making yourself a cup of Bulletproof Coffee is one way to boost your morning productivity levels with fuel that keeps you going and helps you feel satisfied. This isn’t just a cup of butter coffee — it’s a creamy, frothy drink filled with quality fats to energize your mornings and get your day started off right. Get the Bulletproof Coffee recipe.

Related: 15 Ideas for Delicious Bulletproof Coffee Hacks

3. Get some movement in

It doesn’t matter how you move. What matters is that you move in a way that works for you and your body. Do yoga, lift weights, take a walk, jump on your stationary bike or have an all-out sweat session. Any way you choose to get in some activity and get your blood pumping is going to have your mind and body thanking you for the rest of the day.

That’s because physical exercise makes your brain work better, according to Harvard Health.^[2] Exercise helps with memory and thinking by reducing insulin resistance and inflammation. Working out releases the chemicals in the brain that support brain cell health. And as an added bonus, exercise also improves your mood and quality of sleep, while helping to reduce stress and anxiety. Find out how to reduce stress and sleep better with exercise.

4. Take your supplements

Getting some of your supplement support in the morning can help you set up your day for success, especially if you’re supplementing to fuel your brain, chill out or amp up your workout.

Some supplements work best when taken on an empty stomach (like right when you wake up). Others should be taken with fat so that they are absorbed better into your system, so take those with your morning Bulletproof Coffee. Learn more about when and how to take your supplements.

Here’s what we recommend taking in the AM:

• To manage stress: Zen Mode
• To support immunity: Vitamins ADK and Zinc with Copper
• To detox: Glutathione Force
• To support brain and joint health: Omega Krill Complex
• To boost ketone production: Brain Octane MCT oil

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Supplements, From Stress to Sleep

5. Do something for you

Self-care is a key part of your wellness routine, and starting off your day with self-care can be beneficial to your mental health and productivity. It lets you block out time to check in with yourself, set intentions and start off on a positive note with something that brings you joy.

Keep in mind self-care doesn’t have to be extravagant or costly, it can be as simple as taking a relaxing bath instead of a quick shower, getting a little sunshine, having a sit-down breakfast or taking a few moments to meditate. Check out this list of 19 self-care ideas.

6. Prep your meals (or just snacks)

Meal prep is a great example of how a morning habit can be impactful all day long. Instead of scavenging for snacks as the day progresses, meal prep for the day ahead. This will help you avoid picking at food throughout the day and give you more structure for how often and what you’re eating.

You don’t have to cook an entire week of meals in the morning, either. Instead, clean and dice vegetables to toss into a salad later. Choose and set aside your snacks for the day. Or make an extra-large breakfast and portion half for the next day. These recipes are great for batch cooking and reheat well:

• Paleo Sweet Potato Hash with Bacon
• Keto Bacon and Zucchini Muffins
• Collagen Keto Bread
• Low-Carb Thyme and Zucchini Fritters
• Keto Coconut Flour Pancakes

Related: 23 Keto Meal Prep Recipes to Help You Stay on Track

7. Schedule your day based on your circadian rhythm

People run better on different schedules based on their circadian rhythm — your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Being a morning person or a night owl can and should impact how you structure your day.

Maybe you’re most awake, alert and productive early in the afternoon. That’s when you should block out some time to start that new home project, really focus on work or take on a workout. Or maybe you’re an early bird and you want to get all those big things done by noon and focus on some self-care while you feel yourself winding down in the afternoon.

Whatever your rhythm, finding your fit and reworking your day around it will help to keep you motivated and engaged. Find out how to decode your circadian rhythm for all-day productivity.

8. Set goals for the day

Goals can help you build structure at a time when structure has taken a back seat. If you’re finding yourself with more free time on your hands than usual, now is a great moment to get started on personal goals that you might not have had the chance to pursue. Learn a new skill, dig into a new hobby or read that book that’s been living on your shelf for the last year collecting dust.

Let’s face it — we’re wired to love rewards and accomplishments. Checking the boxes when you complete a task can help propel and motivate you throughout the day. Take a look at your to-do list and pick out your top priorities. Schedule them into your day or week and outline your time commitment to them. This will help you stay on track to hit your goals — one step at a time.

9. Get dressed

A study from Northwestern University found that clothes can be used as cues that influence what tasks you pay attention to.^[3] Getting dressed can be a helpful cue for you to focus on work, even when you’re staying home. If you stay in your pajamas all day, you’re setting yourself up for some great lounging — but not necessarily super productive working hours.

This simple step will help you keep your daily routine intact, get you in the right headspace to be productive and help stop the days from running into each other. You don’t have to dress to the nines, either — if you normally wear jeans and a T-shirt, stick with what works. The value comes from creating structure in your day by signalling that you’re shifting from one part of your routine to another.