It is 7 am in the morning and there is a great rush to get ready and head out for school, college or work. In between, you have to catch up on breakfast (or miss it completely in the wave of morning chores). The phone does not stop distracting, tempting us to check all the notifications since last night.

Without us realizing it, the day has started and for the rest of the day, clock and phone will be our masters, besides the ones at school or office and we are constantly running, rushing to meet deadlines, follow routines and in between, check our phone. Life appears to be a non-forgiving, maddening chase.

Did you realize who is in control of you the whole day? It is definitely not you! You are driven by timelines, deadlines, phone notifications and the clock. Just like this, the day goes by and you end up like deadwood in your bed, overpowered by fatigue, not sleep. The sleep is not relaxing either because the mind has not switched off, yet!

The 12-Minute Morning Routine

All this could change, provided you are ready to change yourself! It does not take much to regain control of your life, 12 minutes, to be exact. All you have to do is to allocate the first 12 minutes of your life everyday, immediately after you wake up, to this routine and you will notice the difference in the quality of your life from the day one.

Wake Up Slowly – Don’t just jump out of your bed the moment you open your eyes. Our heart, after a night of subdued activity, needs some time to come up to speed. Just like your car engine can get damaged if you push it without letting it warm up, your heart too needs some time to reach its full potential. Slowly here means spending a few more minutes in the bed after you wake up, getting up slowly and walking to fetch a glass of water. Time elapsed – 02 Minutes.
Relish a Glass of Water – I purposely wrote ‘relish’ and not ‘drink’ because there is a difference. Drinking means mindless gulping of water and relishing means taking time to appreciate the freshness of water and the good it does to your body, slowly rehydrating your body after a night of dehydration. Take one sip at a time while trying to not do anything and yes, sit down and drink. Total Time elapsed – 04 Minutes.
Look at Sky and Far – Just take a couple of minutes to look at the sky or in the distance aimlessly, without trying to focus on anything. Give your vision a perspective, let your eyes calibrate for the day ahead. Total Time elapsed – 07 Minutes
Do Nothing – Confused? Well this is the most important part of this routine. Just sit somewhere, without your phone and preferably even without music or prayers yet. Sit absolutely idle for 5 minutes and let thoughts come and go. No meditation, no forced conditioning of mind. Just let your mind do its own thing and allow it to think whatever it wants to. This is a proven method of resetting and de-cluttering the mind to prepare it to function at its full capacity during the day. Total Time elapsed – 12 Minutes.

Follow Up Routine

Have spent these 12 heavenly minutes, giving time to your mind, eyes and body, to sort themselves for the day ahead, you can now move on with your daily routine as you wish. However, if you have 15 more minutes, do some stretches while listening to light music and end it up with your favorite morning time beverage, be it tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Do not indulge in a cold or chilled beverage no matter what time of the year it may be. Your body needs the warmth of a hot beverage to flush out toxins in the toilet.

I have suggested two routines, the first one lasting 12 minutes which is non-negotiable and another one (preferred) for 15 minutes, totally lasting for about half an hour. If you invest this time for yourself, everyday, you will see your life change from the day one.

So go ahead and reclaim your life with this ‘no-investment’ 12-Minute Morning Routine for a Supercharged Day.

Vineet Gupta

Vineet Gupta is the Founder and Managing Editor of PuneNow, where he oversees local news delivery and explores mindful living, parenting, and personal growth. An alumnus of the University of Wales, Vineet has travelled extensively and worked across hospitality, finance, and academia. Now based in Pune, his diverse global background informs his hyper-local perspective, helping the community find meaning, balance, and connection in everyday life.