I’m not the first one to say this and I certainly won’t be the last, but what you do in the morning matters. Your morning is a game-changer that sets the tone for the rest of your day and puts you on a path for success. Having an efficient, enjoyable and easy-to-stick-to healthy morning routine will allow you to get the most out of your day, and ultimately, your life. 

A great morning starts the night before, with improving your sleep cycle. Here are a few quick things we recommend: 

• Go to bed at the same time every night. Our bodies love and crave routine.

• Begin to lower the lights and temperature around your home a few hours before bedtime. Make sure your room is dark at night and exposed to light in the morning. 

• Eat your largest meal at lunch and your smallest at dinner, about 3 hours before bed. This will allow your stomach proper time to digest and focus on preparing for sleep.

• Do something relaxing to help you wind down. I like reading fiction or listening to music.

• Put your phone on airplane mode to reduce your risk of EMF and ideally, keep it outside of your bedroom. This will also have the dual benefit of keeping you from checking it first thing in the morning, which will straight up wreck your routine.

Once your nighttime is optimized, you can concentrate on your morning. The ideal morning routine is different for everyone, but it should always benefit these 4 areas: 

• Your mind
• Your body
• Your soul
• Your wellbeing

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The 8-step routine below can be done in less than an hour. I like to do it in this order, but you can do yours any way that works best for you:

• Hydrate. Immediately upon waking, drink an 8-ounce glass of water, with or without lemon. This will improve your mental performance, flush out toxins and kickstart your metabolism right from the jump.

• Breathe. I love the 4-7-8 breathing technique developed by famed integrative medicine doctor, Andrew Weil. It’s super easy. Just inhale through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold your breath for 7. Exhale from your mouth for 8. Repeat 4 times. (Note: I like to do this twice/day: in the morning when I wake up, and in the evening before sleep.)

• Meditate. Just 10 minutes will reduce stress levels and help you start your day with total peace of mind. While guided meditation apps aren’t necessary, I’ve found them to be very helpful and there are a ton of good ones out there.

• Thank. Keeping a daily gratitude journal and tracking what you’re grateful for is like a cheat code for increasing positivity and improving overall wellbeing.

• Exercise. Only 15 minutes of HIIT bodyweight exercises (high intensity interval training, i.e. running, burpees, air squats, pushups, crunches, etc.) will get the blood flowing and help keep you fit. But for this to be effective in such a short time, you need to go all out.

• Read. While you cool down, read a chapter or 20 pages (whichever you prefer) of your book of choice. I prefer non-fiction in the morning, but that’s up to you. Learn something new and think about where you can apply this knowledge into your life.

• Chill. It’s definitely not fun, but a cold shower will fully activate your body and mind, and provide long and short-term health benefits like increased circulation, reduced muscle soreness, boosted mood and even a strengthened immune system.

• Drink. I save the best part of my morning for last. PlantRise SuperGreens72 is a tasty greens superfood blend with 72 vitamins, minerals and whole food-sourced ingredients. One scoop daily has the antioxidant equivalent of 12 servings of raw vegetables and fruits and will give you increased energy, supported digestion + gut health, and the nutritional boost you need to operate at full capacity all day. I stir it into 12 oz cold water but many people like to add it to their morning smoothie.

The power of a healthy personal morning routine is hard to underestimate. Your routine can legitimately turbocharge your day and give you a sense of control before all the emails, Zoom calls and responsibilities take over. It can boost your mood, improve your energy and transform your performance throughout the entire rest of the day.

I’m wishing you a lifetime of incredible mornings and even better days.

Doug Blacker

CEO, PlantRise

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To get 20% off PlantRise - use code: 'STASIS20'

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About PlantRise

PlantRise is a holistic plant-based nutrition brand that manufactures high quality supplement products in the U.S.A. Their inaugural flagship product is SuperGreens72, an all-in-one daily superfood blend with 72 vitamins, minerals + whole food sourced ingredients for increased energy + focus, and supported digestion, gut health + immunity. The brand believes healthy daily habits are the stepping stones to progressing body + mind, so their mission is to help people grow into the optimal version of themselves, one day — and one habit — at a time.

About Doug Blacker

Doug Blacker is the co-founder + CEO of PlantRise, a holistic plant-based nutrition brand that manufactures high quality supplements and promotes effective + efficient daily habits. After spending nearly seven years as a corporate lawyer and raising two young children, Doug understands the importance and struggle of incorporating healthy, sustainable habits into a busy schedule. He holds a JD from Brooklyn Law School and a BS in finance from The Pennsylvania State University.