Elizabeth Berrett
If your day regularly begins with a frantic rummage for keys, caffeine, and your will to live, you’re not alone. But the way you start—your morning routine—really can nudge your energy, mood and focus in one direction or the other, long before your inbox starts throwing punches.
That’s the view from Dr Nichola Conlon, a longevity scientist and founder of Nuchido, who says the first minutes after waking aren’t just “nice to have” wellness fluff—they’re biology doing its daily handover from repair mode to performance mode.
“What is happening biologically in our bodies after waking up is why it is very important you do not overlook this part of the morning.
“To begin the day, your body will transition from repairing and restoring itself into a state where activity and performance will be key. The mitochondria, nervous system, hormonal rhythms and many other networks around your body will all play their crucial parts in completing this shift.
“You need to be giving your body the correct inputs at the right instances so that these natural processes can be supported in the best possible ways.”
In other words: your body’s running a carefully choreographed opening act—so maybe don’t heckle it with dehydration, immobility and a breakfast that looks like a confectionery aisle sponsored it.
Here are Dr Conlon’s five simple upgrades for a stronger morning routine—the kind you’ll feel today, and thank yourself for later.
1) Drink water the moment you wake up
Here’s a fun party fact for the next time you want to ruin brunch conversation: you can lose up to a pound of water overnight through breathing and sweating. So yes—many of us wake up already playing catch-up.
Dr Conlon explains: “This means that you will wake up each morning feeling at least mildly dehydrated. Therefore, it is recommended that you should drink between 300 ml and 500 ml of water as soon as you are awake.”
The easiest hack: put a glass of water by the bed. No heroics, no gadgets, no interpretive dance—just drink it before you start negotiating with the snooze button. Then keep the momentum going through the day (a steady six to eight glasses is a sensible ballpark for many people).
2) Do gentle movement—think “wake up the wiring”
Once you’ve hydrated, your next job is to get the system circulating again. You’ve been horizontal for hours; your circulation slows, blood sugar can drift, and the “housekeeping” flow of your lymphatic system isn’t exactly throwing a parade.
Dr Conlon comments: “Once you have delivered your body with that initial boost of hydration, the next step will be to get it moving. After all, your circulation will have slowed down, your blood sugar levels will have become a bit dysregulated, and your lymphatic flow will have dropped after many hours of lying down in a still manner.”
This is not the part where you punish yourself with burpees. Keep it civil: a few minutes of dynamic stretching, rolling shoulders and hips, moving the spine, loosening ankles—enough to say, “Right then, team, we’re up.”
3) Get outside for moderate exercise (and actual daylight)
If you can step outdoors—garden, street, park, wherever—you’re borrowing one of nature’s most underrated performance tools: morning light. Add a short walk and you’ve got a double win for energy and rhythm.
“Whether it is with a five-minute stroll around the backyard or up to an hour walking your dog or jogging at a gentle conversational pace with a friend, the great outdoors can do so much to your energy levels,” states Dr. Conlon.
“This is because natural light in the morning is great for regulating melatonin and giving your cortisol a boost. You are effectively pushing the reset button on your body’s internal clock in a natural way.”
You don’t need to turn into a sunrise influencer. You just need a dose of real daylight, paired with movement you can sustain. Done consistently, it’s one of the simplest anchors for a reliable morning routine.
4) Try cold water exposure (start small, stay brave)
Cold water has a way of making you feel profoundly alive—mostly because your body is briefly convinced you’ve moved to Antarctica. But there’s method behind the madness: cold exposure can flip on alertness pathways, and some research links it to improved insulin response and changes in mood-related neurotransmitters.
Dr. Conlon notes: “Cold water has been found to improve how your body responds to insulin, as well as trigger it to release endorphins and norepinephrine. You can expect to see your mood, energy and blood flow receive a boost as a result.”
No need to go full polar plunge on Day One. Try finishing a warm shower with a short cold blast. Or—if you’re easing in—splash cold water on your face when you hit the bathroom. The goal is consistency, not suffering.
5) Build breakfast around nutrients, fibre and protein
Your breakfast is either fuel… or a sugar-frosted ambush. If you want a morning that runs smoother, aim for a first meal with quality protein, fibre and nutrient density.
Useful options include:
- Beans
- Eggs
- Natural Greek yoghurt
- Oatmeal, complete with mixed nuts and seeds or berries
- Salmon
- Toast made with wholegrain bread and avocado
Dr Conlon has acknowledged that the first meal of the day is the perfect time to take NAD supplements, saying: “We know from experience that it is easier to take NAD capsules with food, as many people struggle to take supplements on an empty stomach.
So, we recommend taking our food supplement with your breakfast each day and feel the benefits of slowing biological ageing and restoring cellular health in your body.”
The “start tomorrow” checklist (no life overhaul required)
If you want a cleaner morning routine without redesigning your personality, try this:
- Water first: 300–500 ml on waking
- Move gently: 3–5 minutes of mobility
- Daylight + walk: even 5–10 minutes helps
- Cold finish: brief cold rinse or face splash
- Protein-forward breakfast: fibre + protein, less sugar
With a new year on the calendar, it’s an easy moment to tweak what happens between waking up and stepping into the day. Small, repeatable changes—hydration, movement, light, a dash of cold, and better breakfast choices—stack up quickly.
And if your mornings have felt like a wrestling match with your own biology, consider this permission to change the rules.
