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5 Morning Routines to Reduce Stress

Start your day with these mindful exercises

Everyone experiences stress at times. You may feel stress due to health concerns, global events, or daily life. Stress can hurt your physical health and your quality of life. Mindfulness is an effective way to reduce stress and improve your Whole Health. Whole Health is an approach to your well-being that focuses on what matters to you. It combines your physical health with other areas of life, like mental health and community.

Mindfulness exercises help you focus on the present and what’s most important to you. With a little practice, you can manage your stress and improve your well-being. Mornings are a good time for mindfulness, before you’ve had time to focus on the worries of the day. We have 5 tips for you to practice mindfulness and reduce stress each morning:

5 practices for a mindful morning

1. Breathing exercise: Take a few minutes to sit in a comfortable position and do a breathing exercise. Get started with this guided breathing video.

2. Body scan: Take deep breaths and mentally scan your body. Notice how each part of your body feels, starting with your toes and moving slowly up to your head. Try this guided body scan audio recording for an easy way to relax.

3. Yoga: Set aside time to gently stretch or do yoga. Yoga gets your body moving and calms your mind. Try the videos in this Gentle Yoga for Veterans series.

4. Progressive muscle relaxation: Take deep breaths and relax your muscles one at a time, from your feet to your face. This practice helps you begin your day with calm. You can start with this guided relaxation video.

5. Imagery exercise: Sit or lie in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Take deep breaths, and picture relaxing imagery in your mind. You might imagine, for example, a beach with gentle waves that flow with your breath. This video will guide you through a relaxing vacation.

Starting your mindfulness routine

Try these practices in the morning to help calm your mind at the start of your day. It may take a while to get used to. Be patient with yourself. Check out different options to see what works best for you. Over time, you’ll notice how being mindful supports your well-being and Whole Health.

Talk to your doctor

Talk to your doctor about managing your stress. Send a Secure Message or set up an appointment to learn more from your health care team. You can track your mindfulness practices and which ones work best in your health journal on My HealtheVet.

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