How can you have more energy in the morning? 


To help you start your mornings with more energy, we asked health-conscious professionals and business leaders this question for their best insights. From doing some yoga to drinking at least 8 oz of water upon waking up, there are several tips that you may follow to help you have more energy in the morning to run your day.

Here are 14 tips these leaders follow to have energy in the morning:

  • Do Some Yoga
  • Limit Yourself to One Cup of Coffee
  • Avoid Sugar in the First Hours of the Day
  • Don’t Snooze the Alarm
  • Get Natural Sunlight as Soon as Possible
  • Sing Out in the Morning
  • Don’t Touch Your Devices Till You’re Wide Awake
  • Sleep Between 6.5 and 7.5 Hours Per Night
  • Take a Cold Shower to Energize Yourself
  • Get Morning Exercise
  • Dance in the Morning
  • Eat a Good Breakfast
  • Stay Offline and Off the Phone for at Least 30 Minutes
  • Drink at Least 8 oz of Water upon Waking Up
How To Have Energy In The Morning: 14 Tips To Boost Your Day
How To Have Energy In The Morning: 14 Tips To Boost Your Day

 

Do Some Yoga

Stress is killing us, and the first place we see it is in restless, sleepless nights. When we don’t get a good rest, we wake up tired. We reach for the wrong things that add to the problem (or our waistline), and the vicious cycle repeats. We must carve out time to breathe, and yoga is a wonderful way to calm the mind through restorative breathing and stretching. Just 20 minutes a day can make a huge difference in the quality of your sleep. So, if you want to wake up with more energy tomorrow, do some yoga today!

Lorraine Bossé-Smith, Chief Solutions Officer, Concept One LLC

 

Limit Yourself to One Cup of Coffee

We think of coffee as the ultimate morning energy drink as its caffeine can give us that extra boost, but monitoring your java intake can be just as important to maintaining that energy level throughout the morning. We have all seen those people who never have an empty coffee cup on their desk, constantly refilling it the moment it gets below mid level. However, studies have shown that drinking too much coffee can actually have a negative effect. Just like any drug, the body builds up a tolerance, and requires more to get the same effect, meaning we won’t get the same morning boost with a single cup. In addition, drinking coffee throughout the day can have lingering effects that can negatively impact the quality of your sleep. By keeping your morning coffee to one cup instead of constantly topping it off, you can better increase your morning energy levels.

Greg Gillman, Chief Revenue Officer, MuteSix

 

Avoid Sugar in the First Hours of the Day

Many people find more energy in the morning if they avoid sugar during the first few hours of the day. This is because sugar provides a quick burst of energy followed by an inevitable slump. When you avoid sugar in the morning, your body has to find another energy source, which can be found in the form of stored fat. In addition, avoiding sugar can help to regulate your blood sugar levels, preventing spikes and dips that can leave you feeling tired and irritable. While reaching for a bowl of sugary breakfast cereal or coffee drink may be tempting, taking a few moments to create a healthy breakfast will pay off in terms of having more energy throughout the day.

Michael Sena, Founder & CEO, SENACEA

 

Don’t Snooze the Alarm

If you think snoozing your alarm will make you feel better, remember that you’ll feel tired when you wake up again. Because by going back to sleep, you make yourself sleepy, which makes you feel tired. Therefore, it is important to leave the bed immediately and start your day by turning off the alarm. This prevents your body from going back to sleep, allowing you to wake up better, and have more energy in the morning. But if you have trouble getting up right away, put your alarm away from you – in the room where you have to physically get up to turn it off.

Daniel Foley, Director of Marketing, SEO Stack

 

Get Natural Sunlight as Soon as Possible

The best tip to get your energy going in the morning is to get sunlight within the first hour of waking up. When your eyes receive sunlight, it activates your cortisol and serotonin, which alerts your brain to get fired up for the day. This could be going out for a 30 minute walk or sitting on your balcony reading a book and enjoying a cup of tea or coffee. To work best, you should not wear sunglasses, as it affects the amount of sunlight your eyes can receive.

Kristine Thorndyke, Founder, Test Prep Nerds

 

Sing Out in the Morning

Grab a hairbrush or pen and do your best impression of a rock star! Studies show that singing reduces stress levels, in turn increasing energy! Belting out your favorite song will likely elicit feelings of joy, as most of our favorite tunes are connected to happy memories. Since emotional highs also put more energy into sluggish mornings, on your way to work pump up the volume and sing away! You just must entertain other drivers at stop lights and brighten their mornings too!

Erin Banta, Co-founder & CEO, Pepper

 

Don’t Touch Your Devices Till You’re Wide Awake

I don’t think enough of us talk about how the seemingly innocent act of doom-scrolling right from the moment you wake up is the worst way to start the day. It depletes your mental energy for tasks that need your concentration and keen attention under the guise of “entertainment”. If you really want to see a huge difference in your energy levels, keep your devices in another room and don’t touch them till you’re wide awake and have a headstart into your morning routine.

Harry Morton, Founder, Lower Street

 

Sleep Between 6.5 and 7.5 Hours Per Night

Although common knowledge suggests that more sleep translates to more rest, and consequently, more energy, this is in fact wrong. Or at least in part. Sleeping too much can actually have adverse effects on your energy levels. Studies suggest that oversleeping can cause drowsiness, sluggishness and lethargy, among other negative side effects. This is particularly true if you sleep 9 or more hours per night. The ideal amount of sleep is actually closer to 7 hours. It does depend on a variety of factors, and changes from individual to individual, but by and large, if you can sleep between 6.5 and 7.5 hours per night, you should have more energy in the morning. This holds true personally for me and others I know as well.

John Ross, Chief Executive Officer, Test Prep Insight

 

Take a Cold Shower to Energize Yourself

You may be surprised by the many benefits of a simple cold shower. The cold water wakes you up and boosts your circulation. Additionally,  challenging yourself with something uncomfortable first thing in the morning trains your brain to be ready to take on the challenges of the day. The benefits of a cold shower and both mental and physical, and the effects are immediate with no adverse side effects. A cold shower is a surefire way to wake yourself up, challenge yourself and get that circulation going so that you are ready to take on the day.

Ann McFerran, CEO, Glamnetic

 

Get Morning Exercise

Getting out of our heads into our bodies does a world of good for our mood and energy levels. One of the best ways to start your morning with more energy is to incorporate exercise into your routine. Science shows that exercise gets the blood flowing, helps with stress management, and gives you a burst of endorphins. Find an activity that you like and makes you feel good, and make time for it each morning, and you will likely see increased mood and productivity throughout your day.

Sumeer Kaur, Founder & CEO, Lashkaraa

 

Dance in the Morning

Dance. Put on your favorite up-tempo song and get your body moving. Sandra Bullock said, “The rule is you have to dance a little bit in the morning, because it changes the way you walk out into the world.” Dancing in the morning accomplishes three things. First, moving your body is exercise which generates endorphins which make you feel good. Second, your mood will be elevated which boosts energy levels. Finally, you might make others in your household join in and high energy is infectious!

Jeff Goodwin, Senior Director, Performance, Orgain

 

Eat a Good Breakfast

Food fuels the body and the mind. And studies show that skipping your morning meal can negatively impact your energy and ability to pay attention throughout the day. So start your day by eating lean proteins, whole grains, nuts, and lower-sugar fruits to help combat fatigue and ward off brain fog. And eating breakfast after you work out – instead of before – will help you avoid an upset stomach while boosting your metabolism to burn more calories. I follow a light aerobic exercise routine with a nourishing breakfast chock full of vitamins D and B-12, which are excellent for supporting brain health. Eating a vitamin-rich breakfast keeps me feeling sharp and energetic.

Maria Shriver, Cofounder + CEO, MOSH

 

Stay Offline and Off the Phone for at Least 30 Minutes

The best way to have more energy in the morning is to simply stay offline and off your phone, even for half an hour. You will be less distracted and spend less mental energy in the chaos of your apps, work emails and the news. We underestimate how much energy simply consuming chaos takes, so give your mind a break. Plus, there are practical considerations: if you are groggy and checking your phone first thing in the morning, you may be more prone to opening phishing and smishing links that appear in your inbox!

Volodymyr Shchegel, VP of Engineering, Clario

 

Drink at Least 8 oz of Water upon Waking Up

Guzzle that water. If you want to have more energy in the morning, drink at least eight ounces of water as soon as you wake up. This will help fight dehydration which has been known to cause fatigue. If you love to have a cup of coffee in the morning, be sure to drink water first. It will make the caffeine more effective, creating a win-win.

Isaiah Henry, CEO, Seabreeze Management