Moment 72 - Why You Need to Care About Your Morning Routine: Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Aug 26, 2022 17m 23s 11 insights
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee explains how morning routines reduce 'micro stress doses' and build resilience. He details his 'Three M's' framework (Mindfulness, Movement, Mindset) and offers actionable behavior change principles to create sustainable, easy-to-follow habits.
Actionable Insights

1. Reduce Morning Micro Stress Doses

Actively reduce exposure to micro stress doses (e.g., checking emails, social media, hitting snooze) first thing in the morning to increase your resilience and capacity to handle daily challenges.

2. Make Desired Behaviors Effortlessly Easy

Design your desired habits to be as easy as possible by removing all friction and decision-making, as ease is a primary driver of consistent action and adherence.

3. Anchor New Habits to Existing Triggers

Attach new behaviors to an already established habit (e.g., exercising while coffee brews) or make triggers highly visible (e.g., leaving weights out) to significantly increase the likelihood of consistent action.

4. Structure Morning with Three M’s

Build a complete morning routine around the ‘Three M’s’: Mindfulness (e.g., breathwork), Movement (e.g., bodyweight exercise), and Mindset (e.g., positive reading or affirmations) to foster overall well-being.

5. Plan for Low Motivation Periods

Recognize that motivation fluctuates; design your habits and routines to be achievable even when motivation is low, rather than relying on high motivation to sustain them long-term.

6. Practice Self-Compassion for Success

Cultivate self-compassion and treat yourself with respect, as research indicates that being kind to yourself leads to better health, happiness, and success, debunking the myth that self-criticism is necessary for achievement.

7. Implement a 5-Minute Morning Routine

Even a short 5-minute routine (e.g., 1 minute of 3-4-5 breathing, 2 minutes of yoga, 2 minutes of affirmations) can significantly reduce stress, build resilience, and create a positive ripple effect for other healthy behaviors throughout the day.

8. Integrate Easy Morning Movement

Perform a short, easy bodyweight or kettlebell workout in your pajamas while waiting for coffee or during another existing habit, making it effortless to consistently engage in physical activity.

9. Start with Mindfulness Practice

Begin your morning with a mindfulness practice like breath work (e.g., 3-4-5 breathing: inhale 3, hold 4, exhale 5) or meditation to lower your body’s stress response and gain perspective.

10. Cultivate Positive Morning Mindset

After movement, engage in a positive mindset practice such as reading uplifting material or doing affirmations (e.g., ‘I’m happy, I’m calm, I’m stress-free’) to program your mind positively for the day.

11. Embrace Routine Interruptions Compassionately

If your morning routine is interrupted (e.g., by family), embrace it with compassion rather than frustration, using it as an opportunity to model healthy habits and adapt to life’s realities.