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Reset Mornings: A 5-Minute Routine to Reduce Stress
A 5-minute morning wellness routine grounded in behavioral science to reduce stress, restore clarity, and support your nervous system - featuring practical tools and product recommendations to start your day intentionally.
6 min read
Life doesn't need an overhaul to need better. Sometimes, it just needs a reset.
Mornings shape the tone of our days - and emerging behavioral science research demonstrates that small, consistent habits practiced early in the day can significantly improve our emotional regulation, focus, and resilience. If you often wake up feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or depleted, allow this 5-minute wellness routine to be your gentle reset.
No hustle. No pressure. Just calmly easing into your day, one step at a time...
The Reset Morning Routine (Total Time: 5 Minutes)
1. Ground with Breath (1 Minute)
What to Do: As soon as you wake up, sit up in bed or climb out of bed and onto a yoga mat and take five slow, diaphragmatic ("belly") breaths. Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds, hold it for 4 seconds, and exhale for six seconds.
Why it Works: Slow, deep breathing has been shown to stimulate the vagus nerve and reduce cortisol levels - your body's main stress hormone. One research study found that those who practiced slow-paced breathing for just a few minutes each day significantly reduced their perceived stress and increased the activity of their body's "rest-and-digest" system (i.e., the parasympathetic nervous system) (Perciavalle et al., 2017).
Supportive Suggestions + Tools: To make this first minute of the day feel even more restorative, I like to sit on a yoga bolster, or a soft cushion to allow my posture to be supported and open. Sometimes, I stay wrapped in my cozy blanket and put on a lavender-infused sleep mask to maintain a sense of stillness and sleep-to-wake transition. These simple additions gently anchor me in the moment and remind my body that I am not rushing - I am arriving on this new day.
2. Light Exposure + Movement (1 Minute)
What to Do: Open a window or step outside, if possible. Move your body gently as you awaken fully - think shoulder rolls, slow neck stretches, or standing cat-cow poses.
Why it Works: Morning sunlight helps to regulate our circadian rhythm, which is what allows our body to properly adjust to fully waking and feeling energized in the mornings. Light signals to our brains that it is time to suppress the melatonin that kept us asleep through the night and boost serotonin to help ready us for the new day - improving our mood and alertness (LeGates et al., 2024). Even low-intensity movement increases circulation and activates our "feel good" hormones (i.e., endorphins), both of which are associated with stress relief (Basso & Suzuki, 2017).
Supportive Suggestions + Tools: If natural light is limited where you live - or if you wake up before the sunrise - a sunrise alarm clock can mimic the gradual glow of the morning sun and help reset your circadian rhythm in a gentle manner. I also keep a non-slip yoga mat by my window so that stretching first thing in the day feels easy and accessible. Having a dedicated space, even a small one, makes it that much easier for you to connect to movement without overthinking it.
3. Hydrate with Intention (1 Minute)
What to Do: Drink a full glass of water (get an added boost if you add lemon, cucumber, or electrolytes!)
Why it Works: Mild dehydration has the ability to negatively impact our mood, energy, and concentration. A 2014 research study published in the journal Nutrition Reviews confirmed that our hydration level is closely linked to our cognitive performance and emotional regulation - meaning that our brains function better, and we respond more appropriately to various every day stressors when we are properly hydrated (Masento et al., 2014).
Supportive Suggestions + Tools: A motivational time-stamped water bottle is a simple way to remind yourself to hydrate throughout each day - and starting off the morning with it sets the tone! I also keep greens powder, trace mineral drops, and electrolyte packets in my kitchen so that I can enhance my water and bolster my hydration. These tiny touches help turn basic hydration into a mindful act of self-care, especially when morning energy is low.
4. Set One Clear Intention (1 Minute)
What to Do: Write down one simple word or phrase to strengthen and prepare you for the day ahead, for example: "boundaries", "clarity", "ease", "focus", "kindness", "prosperity".
Why it Works: Intention setting leverages what is known as the "implementation intention" model in behavioral psychology, which helps our brains recognize relevant cues during the day that serve to keep us aligned with our goals (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006). Even one word can shape our mindset for the day and override our brain's natural tendency towards negativity. In other words, setting an intention for our day allows us to turn away from our brain's negativity bias and see the positive and good in our lives, even on our hardest days!
Supportive Suggestions + Tools: I keep a guided journal on my nightstand for this exact purpose - it offers me the space to write without pressure. Even a single word scribbled in the margins can feel powerful. Using a smooth-writing gel pen makes the act of setting daily intentions tactile and satisfying, inviting you to return the next morning. Sometimes, making a habit stick starts with how the process feels to us - in fact, it is one of the most important components!
5. Savor Something Sensory (1 Minute)
What to Do: Engage your five senses: place your favorite essential oil into a diffuser or light a candle (smell), sip on your favorite morning beverage or make your favorite breakfast meal (taste), listen to a calming sound, playlist, or guided meditation (hear), wrap yourself in cozy, soft blanket or pet your furry friend (feel), and look outside at the sunrise or watch a calming video of your favorite peaceful place (see).
Why it Works: Sensory grounding techniques in which we engage our five senses work to increase our dopamine levels while simultaneously activating our brain's pleasure and safety centers. Therefore, we not only feel more energized and motivated from the dopamine that is released by practicing this exercise, we also increase our sense of being grounded and at peace. Research in affective neuroscience (i.e., brain science related to our emotions, moods, and attitudes) confirms that small pleasures, also known as "micro-pleasures", can build our emotional resilience over time (Kringelbach & Berridge, 2017).
Supportive Suggestions + Tools: My favorite way to engage my senses every morning is with a warm coffee in my beloved self-heating coffee mug. I also use an essential oils diffuser with either lavender or eucalyptus oil to shift the energy in my space before the noise of the day begins. When I need extra grounding, I turn to binaural beats or use a sound bowl audio track - just a few minutes can completely reset how my body and mind feel, and centers me for the day ahead.
Why 5 Minutes is Enough
According to BJ Fogg, the founder of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University, small habits lead to lasting change in our lives. His research demonstrates that when our routines are simplified and connected to positive emotion(s), they are more likely to stick (Fogg, 2020).
Additional studies support this: even short-duration morning practices - as brief as five minutes - can improve our perceived well-being and lower our stress when they are done consistently (Howell et al., 2017).
This isn't about perfection. It's about showing up for yourself, gently and consistently.
Final Thoughts
The Reset Co isn't about hustle - it's about intentionality. These five minutes each morning are for YOU: to ground you, to allow you to breathe, to invite you to begin again.
Over time, this small morning sequence can become a powerful signal to your nervous system - and to your spirit: you are safe here.
Supportive Tools Linked (Above + Below) to Support Your 5-Minute Morning Routine:
Step 1: Grounding with Breathing
Step 2: Light Exposure + Movement
Step 3: Hydrate with Intention
Motivational Time-Stamped Water Bottle
Step 4: Set One Clear Intention
Step 5: Savor Something Sensory
Cited Research
Basso, J. C., & Suzuki, W. A. (2017). The effects of acute exercise on mood, cognition, neurophysiology, and neurochemical pathways: A review. Brain Plasticity, 2(2), 127–152.
Fogg, B. J. (2020). Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta‐analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119.
Howell, A. J., Passmore, H. A., & Buro, K. (2017). Meaning in nature: Meaning in life as a mediator of the relationship between nature connectedness and well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 18(6), 1493–1507.
Kringelbach, M. L., & Berridge, K. C. (2017). The joyful mind. Scientific American, 307(2), 40–45.
LeGates, T. A., Fernandez, D. C., & Hattar, S. (2014). Light as a central modulator of circadian rhythms, sleep and affect. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 15(7), 443–454.
Masento, N. A., Golightly, M., Field, D. T., Butler, L. T., & van Reekum, C. M. (2014). Effects of hydration status on cognitive performance and mood. Nutrition Reviews, 72(10), 617–631.
Perciavalle, V., Blandini, M., Fecarotta, P., et al. (2017). The role of deep breathing on stress. Neurological Sciences, 38(3), 451–458.
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