According to a recent survey, Americans agree that the way you start your morning can impact, not only your productivity, but also your mood for the rest of the day.
The “Morning Mindset” survey was commissioned by Nespresso and Project Healthy Minds, a mental health nonprofit, and the final report was released to coincide with the observance of World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10. For the poll, 1,046 Americans between the ages of 18 and 64 were surveyed to gauge the importance of morning routines, and how people prefer to structure their mornings for optimal well-being.
A majority of U.S. adults, 90%, say their morning routine sets the tone for their mental wellness for the remainder of their day, according to the study conducted by Kantar, a data and consulting company.
One of the most interesting findings was how little time many of the respondents had to devote to their morning routines. A little more than half of participants, 56%, said they typically allot less than five to 30 minutes each day for their morning routine.
When people were asked what the main barriers are to committing more time to a “wellness-centered morning ritual,” these were the top drivers:
Lack of time/busy schedule (29%)Lack of energy (28%)Family obligations (25%)
And interestingly enough, 42% of Americans report that they use the bulk of their morning free time to scroll on social media.
How do we more intentionally use the time that we have? How do we build the right habits and rituals so that we can take on the day?
Phil Schermer
CEO of Project Healthy Minds
Even with the desire to commit more time to wellness, actually making the time for a robust morning routine can be difficult depending on a person’s circumstances, says Phil Schermer, CEO of Project Healthy Minds.
“It really depends on the person and the life that they’re living. It’s easier to say for someone who’s 22 years old and without kids that they should spend 45 minutes on this. Whereas, if you’re a mom and you’ve got kids and they’re going to school in the morning, that just might not be quite as practical,” Schermer tells CNBC Make It.
“I’m less about choosing one particular amount of time, and much more focused on how do we more intentionally use the time that we have. How do we build the right habits and rituals so that we can take on the day?”
There are daily practices that can improve your well-being each morning. Getting outside within the first 30 to 60 minutes of being awake “supports better energy, sharper thinking, and healthier sleep,” said Jamie Wood, CEO of Autonomic, a wellness platform for brain health that aims to lower stress, boost mood and increase energy.
Not checking your phone first thing in the morning is also a great hack for decreasing stress levels and improving your focus throughout the day, productivity consultant Julie Morgenstern, author of “Never Check Email In the Morning,” told Forbes in 2021.
“The problem is, if you do not set an intention at the beginning of the day to set yourself up for the day, to recharge midday and to disconnect at night, you’re not set up to thrive,” Schermer says.
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