I’ll admit that as a student, especially one involved in many endeavors outside of classes, it is difficult to fall into a routine or regular schedule. Yet, as I get older, I realize how important consistency is for a healthy lifestyle.
Routines are essentially automatic sets of consecutive actions. Once your brain finds desirable behavioral strategies that solve problems when applied to daily activities, it conserves energy by establishing a routine. Routines are comfortable for the brain because they allow the mind to slip into an environment not requiring extra effort or stress, making you more productive and your body more efficient. Also, such repetitive actions allow your brain to prepare your body to process the day.
Morning routines are especially important because you can reset and guide your metabolism in preparation for the day. Since you know what to expect, your mind exerts less energy to complete the tasks set before you; you’ll end up with an efficient and stress-free morning.
A small yet effective routine I try to incorporate into my morning is to drink a glass of lemon water after I wake up and before eating. Nothing fancy, just some lemon juice squeezed into a tall glass of water.
This routine comes with many benefits! Read about them below!
Hydration
Even if you’re not thirsty as you wake up, your body is essentially dehydrated after hours with no water. Re-hydrating with a glass of water means:
- Healthier skin
- Flushed toxins
- Cell regeneration
- Supports weight loss
Aids Digestion
The first thing you ingest as you wake up fundamentally breaks your nighttime fast and simultaneously wakes up your metabolism. Thus, it’s important to wake up your metabolism with something easy to digest and process, like fruit or water!
Lemon + Water
Adding a squeeze of lemon juice to your water will boost your hydration as well as:
- Aids immune system with Vitamin C
- Alkalizes your body
- Helps with weight loss
- Clear skin