Many Americans now think meditation is the key to a perfect morning, study finds

 According to a new study, coffee, exercise, and meditation now beat the news when it comes to the perfect morning ritual. 

The findings emerged in a survey of 2,000 Americans which sought to explore people's morning routines and broader lifestyles, and the way in which they wish to spend their time.

Results showed over half (52 percent) find time for coffee in the a.m. while a further two in five want to exercise first thing in the morning -- it's all about preparing for the day mentally and physically -- even before jumping into reading the news and starting their workday. 

These days, Americans celebrate the self-care movement and embrace the concept of activities such as meditation in regard to its contemplative and mood-elevating abilities - 36 percent said that they would meditate if given the freedom to design their perfect morning.

In fact, one in three now considers meditation an essential element to the perfect morning.

The research, conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Thermador, saw that exercise or some form of meditation is more essential to any perfect morning than even reading the news (31 percent) or watching it on TV (33 percent) - suggesting the desire to prepare mentally for the day, and without distractions, allowing for the possibility to better connect to oneself. 

Still, dreams of meditative contemplation or relaxing post-yoga lattes can seem distant for most respondents, and the freedom to design their own schedule elusive. Two thirds (65 percent) long for more control of their mornings and 77 percent rate their mornings as busy.

A lively one in five said they are always in a rush to even get out of the door each morning.

That said, with so much to keep track of throughout the day, being able to take a step back and enable technology to become integrated within our everyday must-dos may be the solution to enjoy life's little moments much more.

A spokesperson for Thermador said: 

"No matter your individual lifestyle, customizing your day is an indulgence we all wish we could have. This survey illustrates the need that today's Luxury Consumers share to personalize their morning experiences so that they can better achieve the ever-elusive perfect start to the day. One key to accomplishing the perfect morning lies in your appliances - so that you can live your life precisely the way you've designed it. With the Thermador Connected Experience by Home Connect™, you are at liberty to control your appliances remotely all from one single app, including starting your coffee machine while still in bed, and adjusting your oven's cooking settings, so that you can relish in reconnecting to yourself before taking on the rest of the world."

The trend toward more self-reflection time in the a.m. was also apparent in other core morning must-haves that luxury consumers would regularly indulge in if given the opportunity to design their life: yoga (24 percent) and juicing (26 percent) were among the things professionals would love to prioritize when it comes to customizing their busy schedules.

Time is such a precious commodity that even the slightest boost is welcomed - one in four respondents said simply having 10 extra minutes per day would make all the difference, while a mere 30 minutes was deemed the average response for the sample as a whole.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, three quarters (74 percent) of those surveyed agree that having more time in the mornings would be a true luxury.

So, is this dream of "extra 30 minutes per day" attainable? Well, with cooking and food preparation taking up the most time of any given day, the secret may lie in kitchen automation.

When asked to consider the latest time-saving kitchen innovations - from fully automatic coffee machines, to groundbreaking dishwashers specially designed to complete a wash cycle in just 20 minutes, to double ovens that speed up your meal prep, respondents estimated that they could save 27 minutes on average with a fully automated smart-home kitchen.

The Thermador spokesperson added: 

"With connected appliances across all product categories, Thermador is empowering consumers to maintain control over their daily routines, while at the same time providing access to culinary experiences - from recipes sent directly to the oven, to notifications that meals are ready to be enjoyed. Connecting to other smart devices - including Amazon Alexa and Fitbit - the Thermador Connected Experience by Home Connect™ makes structuring your time on your terms a seamless reality, allowing you the luxury to personalize your everyday."