I constantly felt drained and unmotivated in life, until I adopted these 5 morning habits

Ever hit that afternoon slump where you’re staring at your screen, completely zapped of energy, wondering where your motivation went?

That used to be my entire existence. I’d drag myself out of bed, stumble through my morning routine, and by 2 PM I was already mentally checking out. Days blended into each other—same exhaustion, same lack of drive, same feeling like I was just going through the motions.

Then I realized I was approaching this all wrong. Instead of trying to fix my energy crashes throughout the day, I needed to build momentum from the moment I woke up.

The solution wasn’t complicated, but it required some discipline. Here’s what finally broke me out of that cycle of feeling drained and unmotivated.

1. Waking up early (yes, it actually matters)

I used to be the guy who hit snooze five times and rolled out of bed at the last possible minute. Rushing through my morning, skipping breakfast, barely making it to work on time.

But here’s the thing—Sleep Junkie did a survey and found that people who get up early typically earn more money and are happier with their jobs. Maybe Benjamin Franklin when he famously said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

The magic isn’t in the early hour itself. It’s in those quiet moments before the world starts demanding your attention. When you wake up early, you’re not reactive—you’re proactive.

Start with just 15 minutes earlier than usual. Use that time for yourself, not for rushing.

2. Move my body before anything else

This one was a game-changer for me, even though I resisted it for months.

I kept telling myself I didn’t have time for morning workouts. But when I finally started doing just 20-30 minutes of exercise right after waking up, everything shifted.

And I’m not alone in this. Researchers have discovered that just 30 minutes of moderate exercise in the morning actually improved people’s thinking skills and memory for the entire day.

Health experts also point out that working out doesn’t just make you physically stronger—it also gives you more energy, puts you in a better mood, and helps your brain work better, which are basically the building blocks of success.

It doesn’t have to be intense. Push-ups, stretching, a quick jog around the block—whatever gets your blood flowing. The key is doing it before your brain has time to talk you out of it.

3. Practicing gratitude before checking my phone

This might sound cheesy, but bear with me.

I used to grab my phone the second I opened my eyes—scrolling through news, emails, social media. Starting every day by consuming other people’s problems and drama. No wonder I felt drained before I even got out of bed.

Now I spend five minutes writing down three things I’m grateful for before I touch my phone. It sounds simple, but gratitude has been linked to lower levels of stress and depression, improved sleep, and a stronger immune system.

As Arianna Huffington once said, “I love the idea of starting and ending the day with three things I’m grateful for…Because the truth is that every day is a mixture of good things and bad things”.

This habit rewires your brain to look for the positive instead of immediately diving into stress mode. Your phone will still be there in five minutes.

4. Planing my day with intention

For years, I’d stumble into my day with no clear direction. I’d react to whatever seemed urgent, jumping from task to task without any real sense of purpose.

That reactive approach left me feeling scattered and unproductive, even on busy days. I was working hard but not working smart.

Now I spend 10 minutes each morning mapping out my priorities. Not just a to-do list—but identifying the 2-3 things that would actually move the needle forward if I accomplished them.

This simple habit transformed my days from chaotic reactions into intentional actions.

5. Creating a morning ritual I actually enjoy

Here’s where most people get morning routines wrong—they make them feel like punishment.

I tried forcing myself into routines that looked good on paper but felt miserable in practice. Cold showers, meditation apps that bored me, journal prompts that felt like homework.

The breakthrough came when I stopped trying to copy someone else’s perfect morning and started building one I actually looked forward to.

Maybe that’s brewing really good coffee and savoring it in silence. Reading a few pages of a book you love. Playing your favorite music while you get ready. The specific activity matters less than how it makes you feel.

As the the folks at the World Economic Forum note, “willpower is like a muscle that becomes fatigued from overuse”. If your morning routine requires massive willpower just to stick with it, you’re setting yourself up to fail.

Build rituals that energize you, not drain you.

Final words

Looking back, I can’t believe how long I accepted feeling drained and unmotivated as my default state. I thought that’s just how adult life was supposed to feel—exhausting, reactive, always playing catch-up.

But these habits proved me wrong. They didn’t just change my mornings; they changed how I approached everything. More energy, clearer thinking, better mood—it’s like I upgraded my operating system.

The truth is, you don’t need to overhaul your entire life overnight. Start with one habit. Maybe it’s waking up 15 minutes earlier, or keeping your phone out of reach until you’ve done something for yourself first.

Small changes in the morning create ripple effects throughout your day. And those daily ripples? They add up to massive waves of change over time.