In the hustle and bustle of modern life, it's easy to overlook the simple yet profound impact of our morning routines on our daily energy levels. If you find yourself constantly running on half-empty, struggling to get enough sleep, or relying on coffee to kick-start your day, it might be time to reconsider how you begin your mornings. According to top health experts, one specific morning ritual can significantly boost your energy, leading to a more vibrant mood and increased productivity. And the best part? It doesn't involve caffeine.

The #1 Habit for More Energy: Morning Sunlight

Before you reach for that coffee pot, step outside and soak in the sun. Health experts agree that exposure to morning sunlight is an easy, no-cost method to boost your energy levels. Whether or not you're exposed to light upon waking up is a key determinant of how much energy you'll have throughout your day. This is because light helps set your circadian rhythm, your "internal day versus night time clock."

Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., a board-certified internist and expert in chronic fatigue syndrome, explains, "While many factors influence this circadian rhythm, light and melatonin are the key players." Sid Khurana, M.D., DFAPA, DFAACAP, a board-certified adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist, adds that optimizing our exposure to light throughout the day is crucial for maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm.

How Morning Light Boosts Your Energy

"Keeping a healthy circadian rhythm used to be an easy feat for the body before lightbulbs, cellphones, televisions, and numerous other light-emitting devices were invented," says Teitelbaum. Bright light early in the day tells your circadian rhythm that it's morning and helps set the clock correctly for the entire day. When photons hit your eyes, this triggers your body to produce several chemicals that are responsible for boosting your energy, most notably:

1. Cortisol: Cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, is produced by the adrenal gland, and its levels are highest in the morning, triggering wakefulness. In fact, bright light exposure was shown to spike cortisol levels significantly in a small 2021 study in The International Journal on the Biology of Stress.

2. Serotonin: Sunshine is critical for the happiness molecule known as serotonin. Not getting enough daytime light can cause your serotonin levels to dip, leading to fatigue, as well as symptoms of depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

3. Melatonin: Your brain makes the hormone melatonin in response to darkness, so melatonin production is suppressed when you're exposed to light. "Exposure to the morning sun increases early release of melatonin at night and helps with sleep," says Khurana.

Tips for Maximizing Morning Sunlight

So, how quickly after waking up should you head outside, and how long should you stay out there? At the very least, try to get 15 minutes of sunlight and fresh air in the morning shortly after waking up, Khurana recommends. But "30 to 60 minutes of bright light exposure within an hour or two of waking is optimal," Teitelbaum says. And if you can swing getting sunlight before 10 a.m., that's ideal. "Morning sun has the potential of providing the sweet spot of enough exposure to produce vitamin D, but without increasing the risk of dangerous effects associated with UV exposure," Khurana notes.

But what if it's too cold or always overcast in your area? Bright artificial light can work, too. "If you can’t go [outside], there are light boxes called happy boxes for seasonal affective disorder that you can put by your computer or workstation (or wherever you spend time) in the morning," says Teitelbaum. While bright light was shown to suppress melatonin levels the most, overhead lighting of much lower-brightness fluorescent bulbs can cause significant melatonin suppression, too, a 2022 study in Neurobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms found.

The Bottom Line

Getting light in your eyes within about an hour of waking up is an easy (and free!) way to boost your energy levels. Morning light exposure triggers the production of three chemicals—cortisol, serotonin, and melatonin—that help you feel wakeful and ready to take on the day. Not only that, but viewing morning light can help you get better sleep, which also translates to better mood and energy levels the next day.

So before you start scrolling through texts or flip open your laptop, make sure to get that morning sunlight in (or, if the weather doesn't permit, turn on all the lights at home). This simple habit can set the tone for a day filled with vitality and productivity. Embrace the power of the morning sun and watch as your energy levels soar, transforming your daily routine into one that supports your well-being and success.