Neurology in the Brain – Optimizing the start of your day with simple habits

Neurology in the Brain - Optimizing the start of your day with simple habits

6 September, 2024 – Sharla Borrowman

Have you ever woken up in the morning feeling exhausted and unprepared for the day to begin? If that sounds familiar, take heart. There are a few straightforward things you can do starting today that can help you up-level your game so that mornings, and the rest of the day that follows, don’t feel quite so difficult.

What is a good sleep routine?

As those of you who are familiar with our program know by now, good sleep is really important in the day to day quality of your life, both in the short term as well as in the long term. One of the best ways to ensure you are able to wake up in the morning feeling ready to take on whatever come your way is to prioritize getting enough Zzz’s the night before. We all have nights when we want to stay up late and enjoy the night life. I have been a self proclaimed night owl for about half of my life, and while that might not be the end of the world, it does make one’s own internal world more challenging.

One helpful tip here in the modern day is instead of using the end of a television show, digital game time, or personal text/email messaging time to cue your bedtime, focus on putting away devices and screen entertainment earlier in the evening so you can better tune in with your body. This lets you avoid stimulating activities before bed and focus on creating a more calming environment. You will wind down better and then be able to use your own natural feelings of tiredness to cue your nightly sleep hygiene routine. At first you may struggle with that self awareness or not even experience tiredness earlier in the evening, but don’t give up! You will become more attuned and able to shift to an earlier more healthy bedtime as you work to consistently improve your daily habits and sleep/wake routines.

You will wind down better and then be able to use your own natural feelings of tiredness to cue your nightly sleep hygiene routine.

Why Does it Matter?

Studies have shown that during the night our body cleans out the unnecessary by products & toxins that have accumulated in our system throughout the day. Our brains have a need for this nightly detox as we sleep. This “house cleaning” also includes organizing and characterizing new information we have acquired through our waking hours. Our mind plays with these new thoughts exploring, making, and strengthening new connections as we dream. Consolidating new information is done partially during the day of course as well, but during sleep our brain is focusing solely on this along with detoxing & healing little micro injuries we sustain during the day.

What Comes Next?

Once you’ve nailed your bedtime routine and are getting a good nights sleep most nights, are there things you can do to optimize your morning routine to set you up for a better day? Why, yes! I’m glad you asked!

Research, as well as anecdotal evidence, suggests that there are a few simple things you can do when you first wake up to set yourself up for success. One of those things is to wake up at a consistent time each morning to help your internal body clock remain well regulated. This helps train all the necessary systems to be up and running when they need to be. Ideally, you would choose an hour that allows plenty of time to be ready to head out the door for work or school without stress, and without skipping breakfast. Healthy nutrition is another key pillar in making sure our brain and body can function properly the way we want them to during the day, allowing us to feel good, contribute to supporting others, and achieve what we need to.

Now we all know the reality of life doesn’t always play nicely with our ideals, and that’s ok. But we do want to set our sights on target goals that will get us as close to the ideal as possible, as often as possible.

Upon waking we are advised to have a glass of water or two, and take any medication that might be necessary. This is also the perfect time to simply open a window and let in the natural sunlight if it is available, which helps your body clock stay regulated so mornings are not as difficult. If sunlight is not available, create your own sunrise by turning on the lights and allowing your brain to register that it’s morning even if it’s technically still dark outside.

We are also counseled by research experts to avoid engaging with our phones for the first 30 minutes or so of the day, teaching the brain and body self control, while also learning to find contentment through focusing on healthier morning habits that give lower doses of dopamine.

“Sunlight before screen light. Every day. Even if cloudy. Your mental and physical

health both strongly benefit.” – Andrew Huberman

As a healthy rule, we want to avoid getting higher dopamine hits that are achieved with very little effort too often. Simple morning activities like making the bed and saying morning prayers or meditating give your brain time to focus and set your good intentions and goals for the day as you think about what’s coming in your schedule. You can release dopamine a little more by playing good music, interacting with a pet, reading a bit out of a book, or exercising to list a few ideas. My husband and I are big fans of easy stretches and movement in the morning, which can be very helpful in gently getting your blood circulating if you’re not into a full-on early morning workout.

Ultimately it is important to remember that there is no one-size fits-all for ideal lifestyles or routines. We each need to pay attention to the things that research has shown are the most impactful and helpful, and then individually explore what feels best and fits well in our personal life. Really paying attention to our routines and the behaviors we tend to do on autopilot can reveal places where we might consider tweaking things. Small healthy changes done consistently over time can have big impacts down the road, and that can be a good starting point for any of us.

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If you want more information about this topic and other content to help the neurology of your brain work as well as possible, you can find it here at Neurology Made Easy: . Also, check out our online portal where we have lots of helpful content about this, and many other topics, to help you become healthier and happier. CORE Healthy Happy Community