As 2025 draws to a close in the blink of an eye, let's take a moment to thank ourselves for pushing through, no matter how the year has been! Soon, we'll step into 2026, and I'm sure many of us are eager to build new good habits at the start of the new year. You don't need grand goals—small, everyday actions are enough to make life better little by little. As the saying goes, "The morning hours set the tone for the whole day." Let's start the new year right from the moment we wake up in the morning. Below, I'll share some simple morning habits to fill your day with energy and anticipation from the get-go.

Wake Up by the "333 Rule"

When your alarm goes off in the morning, never jolt out of bed suddenly. This seemingly harmless move actually hides health risks. While we sleep, the cerebral cortex is in a dormant, inhibited state; all bodily functions slow down, metabolism drops, heart rate eases, and blood pressure lowers… This "sleep inertia" lingers for a short while after we wake up. If you jump out of bed immediately, it can cause insufficient blood supply to the brain, potentially leading to accidents like strokes or sudden cardiac death.

Try the 333 Wake-Up Rule to give your body a gentle buffer: when you first wake up, open your eyes and lie in bed for 30 seconds; then sit up against the headboard for another 30 seconds; shift to the edge of the bed and sit for 30 seconds to feel the support of your legs before standing up steadily. This brief minute and a half is a tender wake-up call for your body, easing you from sleep into alertness.

Drink a Glass of Warm Water

After a night's sleep, your body is in a dehydrated state. Sipping a glass of warm water at this moment is the perfect instant hydration your body needs.

Medical research shows that slowly drinking 300ml of warm water on an empty stomach in the morning can thin the blood, reduce the risk of blood clots, and positively help prevent strokes. However, avoid two mistakes here: first, don't drink sugary beverages on an empty stomach—too much sugar causes blood sugar to spike and crash like a rollercoaster, disrupting your metabolism for the day. Second, skip light salt water: excessive sodium intake can raise blood pressure and burden the kidneys. So, a glass of warm plain water is the most comforting morning drink—it kickstarts gut peristalsis and fires up your metabolism.

Meditate

When you first wake up, your brain is often still foggy with sleep. Spend 5-10 minutes on morning meditation at this time.
When you first start practicing, your mind may wander after just a few seconds of focus. That's okay—simply bring your attention back to your breath, unwrinkle your brows, and let your body and mind relax slowly.

Are you like me—a highly sensitive person who's easily affected by external things or comments, with anxiety and overthinking as your constant companions? Over the years, I've tried many things: reading psychology books, talking to therapists, yet always felt I was missing something to truly reconcile with my emotions. Then I started morning meditation, and gradually learned to observe myself from a third-person perspective. I can now clearly see my emotions and the unmet needs behind them—like the disappointment from craving recognition, or the anxiety from fearing loss of control. Now, I lose my temper far less often, and my emotions are much more stable.
If you want to become more self-aware and emotionally steady, start with meditation. Spend 5-10 minutes each day practicing, and after a month of persistence, you'll definitely feel a shift in your inner self.

Stretch Your Body

After meditating, there's no need for intense exercise—simple stretches are enough to wake up your stiff body. For example, interlace your hands, lift them above your head, and stretch upward forcefully; the stretch in your back feels amazing and instantly chases away drowsiness. Here are a few easy stretches you can do in bed or on the floor:

❶ Cat-Cow Stretch (Cat Pose): Kneel with your thighs perpendicular to the floor and the tops of your feet pressed down. Stretch your arms forward, rotate your upper arms outward to open your armpits, and lower your chin and chest to the ground. At the same time, draw in your ribs, lift your sit bones, and extend your back to release waist tension.
❷ Full-Body Stretch: Lie on your stomach, push the ground with your hands to lift your upper body and open your chest. Rotate your upper arms outward, keep your elbows close to your body, relax your shoulders downward, tuck your tailbone under, and press your pubic bone, thighs, and the tops of your feet firmly into the ground. Separate your feet hip-width apart to wake up all your muscles.
❸ Leg Stretch: Lie on your back, hug your knees with both hands, and pull your legs toward your chest. Keep your head, waist, and back flat on the ground, relax your shoulders downward, tuck your chin slightly, and press your sacrum into the floor. This relaxes your thighs and hips and prevents morning edema.
Muscles are like your body's "metabolism motors." A light stretch in the morning switches your muscles from "sleep mode" to "active mode." Even if you sit at a desk all day later, your metabolism will be 5%-8% higher than if you skipped stretching—helping you build a naturally lean body without even trying.

Positive Self-Talk

Draw the curtains, open the window, and feel the cool morning air and warm sunlight. Say "Good morning" to the world, and give yourself a little pep talk: "You're amazing." "You're the best." "I totally believe you can succeed."
This simple act is a powerful form of positive self-suggestion. Our self-perception shapes us deeply; cheering ourselves on regularly boosts confidence, increases motivation, and reduces hesitation in facing daily challenges.

Listen to a Podcast

While you're washing up, turn on your favorite podcast. I usually listen to news podcasts in the morning to catch up on what's happening around the world overnight, and sometimes I tune into interviews or educational podcasts too. The sound of someone speaking helps you focus unconsciously, easing you from a lazy morning state into a focused rhythm. By the time you finish getting ready, you'll be fully awake.
Of course, choose what you like: play upbeat music if you love it, or listen to an audiobook if you're into novels. Let your morning auditory experience be the start of a great day.

Make a Simple Breakfast

For office workers and students, mornings are always rushed. Some skip breakfast to sleep a little longer, but this habit raises the risk of stomach problems and gallstones, and may even lead to weight gain and reduced cognitive function. But making a nutritious breakfast isn't complicated—remember this formula, and you can DIY a healthy, delicious meal easily:
Healthy Breakfast Formula = High-Quality Protein + Complex Carbs + A Little Healthy Fat
Examples:

1 glass of milk + 1 egg + 2 slices of whole-wheat bread + a handful of blueberries

1 cup of coffee + 1 sandwich (skip the sauce if you're trying to lose weight) + a handful of nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, etc.)

Greek yogurt + oatmeal + half a banana

Why this works: Eating enough protein for breakfast (e.g., 1 egg + 200ml milk) keeps you full for 4-5 hours, preventing snack cravings in the morning. Complex carbs (whole grains, corn) raise blood sugar slowly, avoiding spikes and crashes, and keep your metabolism running steadily—providing sustained energy for your morning activities.

Make a To-Do List

Viktor Frankl wrote in Man's Search for Meaning: "A meaningful goal can help a person overcome all difficulties." Before starting work or study for the day, make a to-do list (no more than 10 items). Divide it into work tasks and personal tasks, and set priorities for each.

The more specific your goals, the more motivated you'll be. Writing down work challenges and small personal errands makes them clearer and easier to tackle instead of putting them off. You'll handle daily tasks more organizedly, avoiding chaos and rush.

Keep a Morning Journal

Journaling helps us understand each day more clearly and notice the little differences between them. Here's a simple morning journal template for you:
Event Log + Reflections
❶ Sleep Log: (What time did you fall asleep/wake up? How was your sleep quality?)
❷ Morning Activities: (e.g., I did cat-cow stretches, listened to a morning news podcast, made an avocado sandwich)
❸ Reflections: (How did you feel when you woke up? What was your mood while doing these things? Any small thoughts?)
I usually jot down my emotions in the reflections section, like: "I woke up before my alarm today, and getting out of bed was easy. The avocado sandwich I tried for the first time was delicious—I'm even more motivated to experiment with new recipes!" These seemingly trivial notes capture the beauty of each morning and help us understand our own state better.

2026 is just around the corner. Let's start the new year by building morning habits. You don't have to practice all of them—pick 2-3 that suit you best and stick with them. Change comes from persistence. The secret to waking up early isn't the alarm clock; it's the desire and action in your heart. In the new year, may you find your own morning rhythm and start every day in a high-energy state!