Some days feel heavy before they’ve even started.
You wake up already behind. Your mind’s racing, your inbox is flooded, and the to-do list has no mercy. By 3 p.m., you’re drained—and it’s not even the end of the workday.
But I’ve found that when I do a few small things before noon, the day doesn’t just feel easier—it flows. It’s like putting down invisible anchors that keep you steady as the rest of the world speeds up.
Here are seven things you can do before noon that will make everything else—work, stress, errands, relationships—feel a bit more manageable.
1. Move your body—even just a little
This doesn’t have to be a full-on gym session or a five-mile run. A ten-minute stretch, a short walk around the block, or even dancing around your living room while you brush your teeth can work wonders.
The goal isn’t fitness. It’s activation.
Physical movement gets blood flowing, boosts dopamine and serotonin, and resets your nervous system. It shifts you from groggy to grounded.
According to Dr. Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist at Stanford and author of The Joy of Movement, movement is “a powerful antidepressant, a source of joy, and a way to connect.”
She’s right. When I skip moving in the morning, I feel more reactive all day. Everything becomes a little more annoying than it should be.
You don’t have to break a sweat. Just break the pattern of stillness. Even ten jumping jacks or three minutes of yoga can be enough to signal to your brain, Hey, we’re awake now.
2. Decide on just three priorities
Most people start the day by looking at their inbox or scrolling through a task list that’s longer than their grocery receipt. And right away, their attention is hijacked.
I used to do this too. But here’s what changed everything: I started writing down three things—just three—that, if done, would make me feel like the day mattered.
These are not always the most urgent things. They’re the ones that mentally free you up.
Think:
- The call you’ve been avoiding
- The small but nagging chore
- The idea you’ve had in your head but haven’t acted on
If your list is longer than three, fine—write it elsewhere. But highlight your top three and protect them like you would a doctor’s appointment.
Anything else you get done is a bonus. But getting those three handled gives your day structure and a quiet sense of accomplishment that makes everything else feel optional.
3. Eat something grounding—not just quick
There’s a big difference between being fed and being nourished.
When I worked from cafés a lot, I’d often grab whatever was quick and nearby—usually something carby and sweet. Tasty, sure. But by midmorning, my brain was foggy and I’d be reaching for more coffee just to focus.
Now, I take a little more time with breakfast. Sometimes it’s as simple as a protein smoothie with spinach and chia. Other times, I make scrambled tofu with toast or oats with cinnamon, flax, and a drizzle of almond butter.
None of these meals are complicated. They just stabilize me.
When you eat something that actually fuels you—rather than just giving a sugar spike—you get more stable energy, better focus, and a calmer mood. That one choice can change how you feel for the next four to six hours.
Your brain runs on what you feed it. Give it something that says, We’re not in survival mode today.
4. Do a mental dump
You know that feeling when your brain has 20 tabs open and keeps freezing? That’s what happens when you try to hold too much in your head at once.
A mental dump is like hitting refresh.
Just grab a notepad or a blank note on your phone and write everything that’s bouncing around in your mind. To-dos, ideas, worries, half-finished thoughts. No organizing. No editing. Just dump.
The simple act of writing these things down tells your brain, You don’t have to keep reminding me. I’ve got it here.
As productivity expert David Allen put it, “Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”
This one habit helps me feel more in control than any app I’ve ever downloaded. Especially if I do it early in the day—before the whirlwind of tasks and people pull my attention elsewhere.
5. Do one thing without multitasking
I know, this sounds weird. We’re taught that multitasking makes us efficient. But that’s rarely how it plays out.
What usually happens is: we try to do too many things at once and end up doing none of them well.
Science backs this up. Studies have shown that multitasking can reduce productivity by up to 40%. That’s not a small dent—it’s a different workday entirely.
So here’s the challenge: pick one thing—anything—and do it without distractions.
Reply to one email with your full attention. Make your coffee without checking your phone. Fold laundry while only folding laundry.
It sounds almost laughably simple, but it creates a ripple effect. Your brain gets the message: We can focus. We can finish.
As Dr. Amishi Jha, a neuroscientist and author of Peak Mind, explains: “Attention is the fuel for performance. When we train attention, we gain a mental edge.”
Doing one thing fully before noon can change how you show up for everything after.
6. Get a sunlight hit
If you only take one thing from this list, make it this: get some sunlight on your skin and into your eyes (safely) early in the day.
Natural light cues your circadian rhythm. It helps regulate cortisol levels, tells your body to stay alert, and sets you up for better sleep that night.
As noted by Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist at Stanford, “Getting sunlight in your eyes in the morning triggers the timed release of cortisol, which boosts alertness and sets the body’s biological clock.”
It doesn’t have to be sunny. Even a cloudy morning offers more light than your indoor lamp. Stand on your balcony. Sit near a window. Walk outside with your coffee.
I live in a city where summer sun is intense, so I do this in short bursts. Five to ten minutes is enough.
It’s a small, almost effortless act—but the payoff is huge.
7. Practice one small act of mental hygiene
You wouldn’t go three days without brushing your teeth, right?
So why do so many of us go days (or weeks) without checking in on our thoughts?
I like to think of mental hygiene the same way I think of flossing—annoying at first, then weirdly satisfying, and always worth doing.
It can be as quick as:
- Writing one thing you’re grateful for
- Reframing a negative thought
- Naming your current emotion without judging it
- Saying a quiet mantra like “I am grounded” or “Today is a new page”
- Taking three deep breaths with your hand on your chest
The trick is not to aim for a breakthrough. Just do something small that gets you back in your body and out of your spiral.
One of my go-to’s? I tell myself, You can’t control everything, but you can control the tone of this hour. That usually helps me recalibrate.
You don’t need to wait until you’re spiraling to tend to your mind. Make it part of your routine, and it starts to feel like armor.
The bottom line
The first few hours of the day aren’t just about getting ahead. They’re about creating a foundation that the rest of the day builds on.
When you move your body, clarify your priorities, ground yourself with food, get sunlight, clear your mind, focus your attention, and tend to your thoughts—even in small ways—you change how the rest of the day feels.
You don’t have to be a morning person to make your mornings count.
Pick one or two of these tomorrow. Try them out. Tweak them if needed.
The point isn’t perfection. It’s momentum.
And sometimes, a little momentum is all it takes to make the rest of the day feel lighter.
