How Do You Start Your Day?

I’m always fascinated by how differently we all begin our mornings. I love asking clients, friends and family:

How do you start your day?

And more importantly — does it truly work for you?

Because mornings set the tone. They influence your energy, productivity, blood sugar balance, stress levels and even your mindset for the next 12–16 hours.

Let me share mine — not because it’s “perfect” — but because it works for me right now. And that’s the key.

Most mornings start around 5:30–6:00am.

While the kettle is boiling, I drink a large glass of water. Hydration before caffeine. Always. After 7–8 hours without fluids, your body needs water before anything else.

Then it’s green tea with cinnamon and ginger — not syrups, but the trusty spice cupboard favourites.

Living in the cabin has made me appreciate this time even more. When it’s light early, I sit quietly looking out over the water (which is exactly why we named it Swell View). On rainy mornings like today, it’s simply the sound of rain. No TV. No scrolling. Just stillness.

But beyond the peace, there’s something even more powerful happening in those moments — light exposure.

Getting natural light into your eyes as early as possible after waking is one of the most effective ways to reset your circadian rhythm — your body’s internal 24-hour clock.

This clock regulates:

• Sleep and wake cycles

• Cortisol release

• Melatonin production

• Hunger hormones

• Body temperature

• Blood glucose regulation

When we wake and expose ourselves to natural daylight (even on cloudy mornings), light signals travel from the eyes directly to the brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus — the master clock. This helps suppress melatonin (your sleep hormone) and gently raises cortisol in a healthy, natural way.

In simple terms? Morning light tells your body: “It’s daytime. Let’s go.”

And just as importantly, it starts a countdown for later.

Because that early light exposure helps your body understand when night should fall too.

Roughly 12–14 hours after morning light exposure, melatonin begins to rise again. So the more consistent your morning light habits are, the better your sleep patterns tend to become.

Living where I can look straight out over the water means:

• No artificial light needed first thing

• No harsh phone screen glare

• Just soft, natural light

• Even rainy days still provide valuable daylight

And here’s the key — it doesn’t have to be sunshine. Even overcast daylight is significantly brighter than indoor lighting.

If you don’t have a water view (and most of us don’t!), simple changes still make a huge difference:

• Step outside with your morning drink for 5–10 minutes

• Open curtains immediately on waking

• Eat breakfast near a window

• Walk the dog without sunglasses first thing

• Swap scrolling for stepping outdoors

This is especially important if:

• You struggle to fall asleep

• You wake at 3–4am

• You feel wired at night

• You rely heavily on caffeine to get going

Morning light exposure is one of the most underused — yet completely free — tools for improving sleep quality, energy stability and metabolic health.

And when paired with no-phone time, quiet reflection and maybe a few “gap filler” squats while the kettle boils, it becomes more than a routine.

It becomes regulation. It becomes self-care. It becomes signalling safety to your nervous system.

So whether it’s sunrise over water or rain tapping against the cabin roof — that stillness, that light, that pause — it’s doing more than we realise.

How quickly do you expose yourself to natural light after waking? And could that be the missing link in your sleep and energy patterns?

This is also my most productive writing time. I am definitely a morning person.

Later, I’ll have a black coffee (again with cinnamon or ginger). On slower mornings, Craig and I enjoy a proper bean-to-cup coffee together — and that shared moment matters just as much as the drink itself.

Why These Small Habits Matter

Hydration First

Drinking water immediately:

• Supports digestion

• Helps regulate blood glucose

• Reduces cortisol spikes

• Improves cognitive function

Cinnamon

Research suggests cinnamon may:

• Help stabilise blood sugar levels

• Improve insulin sensitivity

• Reduce mid-morning energy crashes

Ginger & Turmeric

Both are powerful anti-inflammatories and may:

• Support digestion

• Reduce systemic inflammation

• Aid immune function

It’s not about “magic” ingredients — it’s about consistent small inputs that nudge your body in the right direction.

Movement: The “Gap Fillers”

I’m a huge believer in what a client once called “gap fillers.”

While the kettle boils. While coffee brews. Even while brushing my teeth.

• Single leg balance holds

• A few squats

• Gentle stretching

• Shoulder rolls

These micro-movements:

• Wake up your nervous system

• Improve balance (which becomes increasingly important in our 40s and beyond!)

• Support metabolic health

• Reduce stiffness

As mornings get lighter, I’ll bring back early walks, runs or sea swims. Nothing resets mental clarity like natural light and movement.

Intermittent Fasting & Morning Nutrition

I tend to follow an 18:6 intermittent fasting approach most of the time. At 43 (well… for another five days!), this suits my body and lifestyle really well at this point of my life.

So:

• No lemon in my water early on

• No calories until later

• Plenty of water and herbal teas (lemon & ginger, turmeric)

For me, this:

• Helps stabilise blood glucose

• Improves mental clarity

• Supports hormonal balance at this stage of life

But — and this is important — it’s not for everyone.

If You Do Eat Breakfast…

On weekends, away breaks, or when making eggs for the kids and Craig, I absolutely savour a proper breakfast.

If you’re someone who thrives on breakfast, consider:

• A protein-based savoury meal (eggs, omelette, avocado, smoked salmon)

• Avoiding high-sugar cereals or pastries

• Adding healthy fats for satiety

• Including fibre for digestion

A protein-rich breakfast can:

• Reduce blood sugar spikes

• Improve concentration

• Reduce mid-morning cravings

Other Morning Practices to Think About

You don’t need all of these. Just one or two can transform your day:

• Hot water and lemon (if not fasting)

• Gentle stretching or yoga

• Breathwork (even 3–5 minutes)

• Journaling

• Gratitude practice

• Early gym session

• Walk in natural light

• Swim in the sea or pool

• No-phone first 30 minutes

The goal?

Lower stress. Better glucose management. Improved mental clarity. More intentional living.

The Real Question…

How do you start your day?

• Is it rushed and reactive?

• Is it calm but unintentional?

• Is it working brilliantly for your current life stage?

• Could one small tweak make it better?

Your morning doesn’t need to look like mine. It doesn’t need to be 5:30am. It doesn’t need green tea or fasting.

It just needs to support:

• Your mental wellbeing

• Your metabolic health

• Your productivity

• Your self-care

And most importantly — it needs to be kind to you.

So I’ll leave you with it again:

How do you start your day?

And is there one small change you could make tomorrow that would help your health and wellbeing — physically and mentally?

Let’s keep the conversation going and get your comments or message me for any support or guidance that you may be seeking to help you in your health and wellbeing journey.

Message coaching.lkhealthandwellbeing@gmail.com 💛