9 morning mistakes that guarantee you'll have a bad day - most people make at least 3

You know that feeling when your alarm goes off and within minutes, you already sense the day spiraling out of control? Maybe you hit snooze one too many times, skip breakfast, or immediately dive into your phone, and suddenly you're playing catch-up before you've even left the house.

I've been there. For years, I thought mornings were just something to survive until I could get to my "real" day. But after experiencing burnout at 36 that led me to therapy and a complete re-evaluation of what success meant, I discovered something powerful: those first hours after waking set the tone for everything that follows.

The truth is, most of us are sabotaging our days before they even begin. And we don't even realize it.

1) Hitting snooze repeatedly

That snooze button feels like your best friend at 6 AM, doesn't it? Just nine more minutes of blissful sleep. What could it hurt?

Here's what I learned the hard way: every time you hit snooze, you're starting a new sleep cycle your body can't finish. This leaves you groggier than if you'd just gotten up with the first alarm. Scientists call it sleep inertia, and it can last for hours.

I used to be a chronic snoozer until I realized I was literally programming my brain to start each day with procrastination. Now I wake at 5:30 AM for my trail runs, and I put my alarm across the room. Once I'm up, I'm up. The difference in my energy levels? Night and day.

2) Checking your phone immediately

Be honest: is your phone the first thing you reach for when you open your eyes?

When you immediately dive into emails, social media, or news, you're handing over control of your mental state to everyone else's agenda. Those work emails trigger stress. That news article sparks anxiety. Even those Instagram posts can leave you feeling inadequate before you've had your coffee.

I keep my phone on airplane mode until after my morning run and 20-minute meditation. This simple boundary means I start each day from my own center, not reacting to the chaos of the world.

3) Skipping breakfast (or eating junk)

"I'm just not a breakfast person," I used to say while grabbing a sugary pastry and calling it good. Then I'd wonder why I crashed hard by 10 AM.

Your body has been fasting all night. When you skip breakfast or load up on processed sugar, you're setting yourself up for energy crashes, mood swings, and poor decision-making all day. Your brain needs steady fuel to function optimally.

As someone who's vegan, I've found that a protein-rich breakfast with whole grains keeps my energy stable. Think overnight oats with nuts and seeds, not that donut calling your name.

4) Starting the day without intention

Do you wake up and immediately start reacting to whatever demands your attention first?

I discovered journaling at 36 and have since filled 47 notebooks with reflections and observations. Those morning pages help me set intentions before the world rushes in. Without this practice, I found myself living everyone else's priorities instead of my own.

You don't need to journal for an hour. Even five minutes of asking yourself "What do I want from today?" can transform how you move through the hours ahead.

5) Rushing through your morning

Remember when I mentioned burnout? A huge part of that was believing that rest was laziness and productivity was virtue. I'd rocket out of bed and rush through my morning like I was being chased.

When you rush, your body floods with cortisol, the stress hormone. You're literally starting your day in fight-or-flight mode. Is it any wonder the smallest inconvenience feels overwhelming when you're already maxed out before 8 AM?

Build in buffer time. Wake up 15 minutes earlier if you need to. That sense of spaciousness in your morning creates resilience for whatever comes next.

6) Neglecting movement

Your body has been still all night. When you go straight from bed to car to desk, you're keeping it in a state of stagnation.

Those trail runs I do before sunrise? They're not just about fitness. Movement wakes up your brain, boosts your mood, and gives you energy that coffee alone never could. You don't need to run trails like me. Even five minutes of stretching or a walk around the block shifts your entire physiology.

I recently read Rudá Iandê's new book "Laughing in the Face of Chaos," and one insight really struck me: "Your body is not just a vessel, but a sacred universe unto itself, a microcosm of the vast intelligence and creativity that permeates all of existence." When we ignore our body's need for movement, we're cutting ourselves off from this intelligence.

7) Starting with negativity

What's the first thing you say to yourself when you wake up? "Ugh, I don't want to go to work"? "I'm so tired"? "Today's going to suck"?

These morning mantras become self-fulfilling prophecies. Your brain starts scanning for evidence to support whatever story you tell it. Tell it the day will be hard, and suddenly every small challenge feels insurmountable.

I'm not saying fake positivity. But try neutral curiosity instead: "I wonder what today will bring" or "Let me see what's possible today."

8) Ignoring your emotional state

How often do you wake up anxious or frustrated and just push through, hoping those feelings will disappear?

Rudá Iandê's insights about emotions being messengers really resonated with me. When I wake up anxious, instead of drowning it in coffee and distraction, I sit with it during my meditation. What is this anxiety trying to tell me? Often it's pointing to something I need to address or a boundary I need to set.

Pushing down morning emotions doesn't make them go away. They just go underground and sabotage your day in sneakier ways.

9) Forgetting to hydrate

You've been without water for 7-8 hours. Your brain is literally dehydrated, which affects everything from your mood to your ability to focus.

Before coffee, before breakfast, before anything else, I drink a full glass of water. Sometimes I add lemon, sometimes just plain. This simple act jumpstarts my metabolism and clears the mental fog faster than any amount of caffeine.

Final thoughts

How many of these mistakes did you recognize in your own morning? If you counted three or more, you're not alone. Most of us have inherited these patterns without questioning whether they actually serve us.

The good news? Tomorrow morning is a fresh start. You don't need to overhaul everything at once. Pick one habit to shift. Maybe you move your phone charger to another room. Maybe you set your alarm five minutes earlier to avoid rushing. Small changes compound.

Remember, mornings aren't about perfection. They're about setting yourself up to handle whatever the day throws at you with more grace and less stress. After years of treating mornings like an obstacle course, I've learned they can be a foundation for resilience instead.

What will you do differently tomorrow morning?