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Your mornings offer a unique opportunity to maximize brain function for the rest of the day. What you do (or don't do) during the first 60–90 minutes after waking will influence your mood and cognitive performance over the following hours.

But the painful truth is: most people unknowingly sabotage their brains before 9 am and wonder why they're unable to concentrate or feel stressed all the time.

The following five morning habits are common, and I engaged in them myself in the past. Let's examine them from a neuroscience perspective and explore better alternatives for each.

1. Checking your phone first thing in the morning

This habit is extremely common. 84% of the US population checks their phones within the first 10 minutes of waking up:

Why it's problematic:

Within the first 30–45 minutes after waking, the Cortisol Awakening Response occurs. It's a strong increase in your cortisol levels in the morning. A healthy Cortisol Awakening Response prepares you for the day ahead.

But if you immediately grab your phone to check your social media, work-related messages, and news, you risk an excessive Cortisol Awakening Response. The response is designed to prepare your organism for anticipated daily demands, and when you introduce immediate stressors (phone content) during this sensitive window, you disrupt your natural preparation system.

What you can do instead:

Wait at least 45 minutes before checking your phone. Allow your Cortisol Awakening Response to unfold naturally.

2. Skipping morning light exposure

Most of modern life happens inside houses, apartments, and offices. Natural daylight exposure is becoming increasingly uncommon.

Why it's problematic:

The strongest influence on your internal biological clock is light exposure. The light that enters your eyes stimulates a region in your brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). This region functions as a pacemaker for your brain and body, using light cues to set daily rhythms.

When light enters your eyes in the morning, a cascade of neurochemical events starts to happen:

• It naturally boosts a healthy Cortisol Awakening Response.
• Melatonin, often called "the sleep hormone," gets suppressed. Successful morning melatonin suppression also optimizes evening melatonin production, improving sleep the following night.
• It promotes serotonin turnover in the brain. Bright daylight exposure can support mood regulation, making you feel happier and calmer.

Light exposure, especially early in the morning, is crucial for adjusting your biological clock. Insufficient morning light exposure can make you feel sluggish throughout the day and reduce sleep quality the following night.

What you can do instead:

Expose your eyes to natural sunlight as soon as possible after waking, ideally within the first 30 minutes. Aim for at least 10 minutes of natural light exposure, or 15–20 minutes on overcast days. Avoid sunglasses or looking directly at the sun.

If you can't go outside early or get up while it's dark, bright indoor lighting can help. Standard indoor lights aren't bright enough, so consider getting a lamp with a minimum of 10,000 lux. Don't use it in the evening because it could disrupt your sleep!

3. Jumping directly into complex work that requires deep focus

Some people wake up and immediately start a deep work session to use the calmness of the morning for productivity.

Why it's problematic:

You wake up in a state called sleep inertia, where your thinking and decision-making are impaired. Early in the morning, you're in a loose state of mind that can be beneficial for creative work, but not for deep focus. Your brain wakes up gradually, and you need your Cortisol Awakening Response (see above) to unfold before you can accomplish focused work.

What you can do instead:

Allow your brain and body to wake up first, and support a healthy Cortisol Awakening Response through light exposure, avoiding screens, and some movement.

4. Eating a sugary breakfast

A sweet breakfast is very common, such as bread with jam or sugary cereals.

Why it's problematic:

A high-sugar breakfast leads to a rapid blood glucose spike followed by a significant drop hours later. This glucose instability affects your brain because it runs on glucose as a fuel.

What you can do instead:

Focus on protein. A protein-rich breakfast (25–35 grams of protein) supports cognitive performance, satiety, and sustained energy throughout the day. That is, it not only improves brain function but also appetite regulation.

5. Skipping hydration

Many people are unaware that when they wake up, they're slightly dehydrated. Your body constantly loses fluid, and after many hours without any fluid intake, you're in a deficit in the morning.

Why it's problematic:

Your brain and body mainly consist of water, and they need proper hydration to function. You need to replenish fluids in the morning because even mild dehydration affects your cognitive performance and mood.

What you can do instead:

Drink water immediately upon waking. About 250–350 ml is sufficient. Keep your water bottle or glass on your nightstand so it's handy when you wake up.

These 5 habits might seem small, but they compound. Your morning routine either sets you up for success or sabotages you.

The neuroscience is clear: what you do in the first 60–90 minutes after waking affects your cognitive performance, mood, energy, and focus for the entire day, and it even influences sleep quality the following night.

Your brain deserves better than chaos. Start with small changes, and watch how your entire day transforms.

P.S.: I've spent months translating psychology and neuroscience research into a practical, sustainable morning routine system that works WITH your brain's natural biology. If you want the complete implementation system — including the exact protocols, timing strategies, habit tracking system, and troubleshooting guides — I'll soon release the Neuroscience-Optimized Morning Routine. It's a guide that helps you make the most out of your mornings and that even the busiest people can follow.

Enter your email address in this form to get notified when it's ready.

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Thank you for reading!

I'm Dr. Patricia Schmidt, a doctor of psychology and neuroscientist. My homepage: https://creatorschmidt.com

If you enjoyed this article and would like to support my work and my love for coffee ☕, you can buy me one here.

P.S.: I run a newsletter called "ATP — All Things Psychology". It brings bite-sized research pieces from Psychology & Neuroscience straight to your inbox, with one goal: To help you leverage science to improve your life. You can subscribe here.