 It's been said time and time again. Morning routines are very important. Whether it's our parents telling us how vital a hearty breakfast is, or various online articles that talk about the best morning routines, the idea that efficiency is crucial when we start our day is a much echoed one. The real question, though, is whether or not there is any scientific evidence to back these claims. What's happening to our brains when we first wake up? How does that affect our morning routines? These questions will be answered in this detailed video. It is genetic. It's important to understand that morning routines are often out of our control. How? Well, many psychologists share the theory that genetics determine whether you're a morning person or a night owl. That means that no amount of organization, planning, or getting up early is going to make your morning routines easier to handle if you're a night owl. So instead of fighting against your genetics, you should be working with them. Till Rohnberg, who wrote a book on the subject called Internal Time, Chronotypes, Social Jetlag, and Why You're So Tired, shares this premise. He and other psychological writers have popularized the belief that each person is better at certain tasks at different times of the day, and so it's up to you to learn about yourself and organize your day accordingly. The Night Before Your morning routines should start the night before. This is especially true if you know that you're more effective in the evening as opposed to the morning, although it can be used to your advantage even if you're a morning person. If you don't function well in the mornings, you can save yourself a lot of stress and more importantly, time by setting things up the night before. This could include setting out your outfit for the day, packing your lunch, or making sure you have everything you need in your bag ready to go. You should also allow yourself to relax in the evenings. Don't work until the moment you decide to go to sleep. Leaving some relaxation time before bed will leave you feeling more well rested, allowing you to function better in the morning. Consider setting a regular bedtime for yourself too. A study published by Cardiff University in 2017 showed that sleeping at the same time you tonight reduces stress in teens. Choose Your Meal Carefully Your parents were right about one thing. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Having a good breakfast in the morning will not only aid your body during the day, but also your mind. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed the importance of eggs in a good diet. They studied more than 1,400 men and women and those who consumed choline, which is vitamin B in eggs, performed better in memory and verbal tests. Blueberries are another great option for a strong breakfast, as are almonds. The American Journal of Epidemiology released a study that shows that vitamin E, which almonds have in abundance, can help with reducing cognitive decline, especially with elderly people. European Journal of Nutrition also released a study that showed that men and women who ate almonds early in the day were less likely to feel hungry later in the day. Eating almonds are excellent at satisfying your appetite. Get Your Stressful Tasks Done in the Morning There are actually three different types of people when it comes to their preference for the time of day. The first is the standard type, people who work equally well during the night and the morning and have no preference for when they work and function well. These people's circadian rhythms are normal. The second type, the so-called morning person, functions well in the morning and they fit in perfectly with the typical workday of 9-5. The last type are the night owls, who function best at night, meaning they're fighting a constant battle against society's norm of getting up early and finishing work before the evening. These people are more likely to develop stress and emotional instability. The only type of job that would lead to less stress for a night owl is one that involves starting work late and working even later, the so-called graveyard shift. Despite all these differences, these distinct personalities might have more in common than previously thought. A German study done by the University of Würzburg showed that although night owls had poorer sleep quality and were generally less healthy, both night owls and morning people could not handle stress very well in the evening and were much better equipped to deal with it in the morning. So whether you're a morning person, a night owl, or anything in between, try to get your stressful tasks done during the morning. According to studies, this will be a lot easier than trying to do it at night. Be creative in the morning. Recent studies have called into question the logic of rushing and being as efficient as possible during our morning routines. These studies have shown that organizing your mornings down to the most minute details can actually be detrimental to your creativity. In the Psychological Journal, Thinking and Reasoning, researchers Mariek Wieth and Rose Zaks presented evidence that creative thoughts are most likely to occur when we're groggy, unfocused, and tired. In other words, you're most likely to come up with the new ideas when you first wake up. Maybe we should stop putting so much focus on waking ourselves up in the morning. Maybe we should stop placing so much emphasis on increasing our focus levels right after we wake up by doing exercises and getting ourselves in the zone. If you really want to be creative in the morning, take your time, and don't be afraid to zone out for a few minutes. Meditation Seriously consider adding meditation each morning to your early morning routine if you want to help your functionality during the day. This isn't just some New Age nonsense, as the power of meditation is backed up by science. Many studies have shown the incredible effect that meditation can have on the brain. One study by William Margent was released in 2014 called Neural Mechanisms of Mindfulness and Meditation. The study showed that meditation stimulated the medial cortex, default mode network, insula, amygdala, lateral frontal regions, and basal ganglia, all areas involved with higher brain function. We hope you've enjoyed the six pointers we've discussed to help you function at your best. So, are you a morning person or a night owl? What adjustments are going to make your morning routine more productive for your overall day? Share your views in the comments section below, and don't forget to subscribe!