I truly believe that how you start your day determines how the rest of it will go. And why would it not? If you wake up late, you’re running around to get out of the house, skip breakfast and are late to work…well, you’re probably not going to have a good day right? Before you even leave the house to start your day, you have already sent the tone for the day and your mood goes right along with it.

So, let’s talk about how you can get your day started off on the right foot. First off, what I will be discussing is my normal morning routine. But there are days where I don’t have anywhere to be so I take my morning more slow. A morning routine does not need to be followed through to a T, but knowing what needs to be done in the morning and making sure you have time to get it all done WITHOUT stress, will make a huge impact on your day.

My Morning Routine Do’s & Don’t’s:

Do: Set multiple alarms if the first one will not get you right out of bed.

I usually set at least three alarms within ten minute intervals of each other. The first alarm is my “ok you have a few more minutes to snooze” alarm, the second is my “ok it’s time to open your eyes for real” alarm and the last is my “now its actually time to get out of bed alarm.” I am not one of those people who hopes right of bed, ready to go so this gives me about 30 minutes to prepare myself to get out go my cozy bed.

Don’t: Snooze your alarm.

When I snooze my alarm I really have no idea how long it is going to snooze for. You can set the amount of time but for some reason this still throws me off. I lose count of how many snoozes and then I lose track of time.

Do: Get some music going.

I am ALWAYS playing music. It keeps me in a good mood. So of course when I get out of bed in the morning I put on some tunes. I dance around. I really start to set the tone for my day here.

Don’t: Start looking through texts, social media, etc.

There are a thousand reasons why you should not be on your phone in the morning. Not only is it easy to lose track of time while scrolling through instagram or twitter, but we all know how social media tends to make us compare ourselves to others or wish we were doing something else in the moment that someone else is doing..this is not the way to start your day. So put the phone down first thing in the morning.

Do: A few stretches or simple exercises.

I probably do at least ten handstands before I even leave my room in the morning. I also make sure to do some forward folds, maybe a backbend or two and sometimes work on other inversions like my headstand or forearm stand. Get your body moving in the morning. Do some squats, some simple stretches. If you have time you can through in a full work out in the morning.

Don’t: Lay around in bed.

I already mentioned staying off your phone in the morning, but there are some other things we can do in the morning that may seem productive such as reading, checking emails, making phone calls that need to be mad. But do not do these while you are still in bed. Get up and get active. You can add these things in when you take a minute to sit down and have a glass of water.

Do: Drink water.

Yes, this brings me to morning beverages. One of the first things you do in the morning should be having a glass of water. You just went hours without hydrating your body so now is the time. It’s actually incredible how much water in the morning can change your day. Dehydration can lead to headaches and fatigue and if you start the day off with water you are bound to drink more throughout the day and eliminate tiredness and headaches. Follow up your glass of water with some hot water with the juice from half of a lemon OR try a Golden Elixir. Simply mix a up of hot water with juice from half of a lemon, 1/2 tbs of apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp turmeric, a pinch of black pepper and honey (optional).

Don’t: Drink coffee.

I went there. I know. It’s easier said than done. But coffee is a big NO for the morning. (Personally, coffee is always a big no for me.) Relying on caffeine in the morning just means that you will continue to rely on it throughout the day. That’s why when noon hits you need another cup or you turn into one of those people from the Snicker’s commercial, except this time for coffee. Starting off your day with water instead while hydrate you and therefore wake you up.

Do: Have a light breakfast.

If you start the morning off with a heavy breakfast, you are starting your body off with a lot of work to do. Your body needs to use most of it’s energy to digest all that food. This means that your body has less energy to use to keep you awake and ready for the day. I start my body off with a green smoothie made up of spinach, lettuce, celery, apple, pear, banana and lemon. Blending fruits and veggies helps to start the digestive process by breaking down the foods. This allows your body to use its energy to get you through the day.

Don’t: Have a heavy breakfast.

We all know what a food coma is like and we definitely do not want one in the morning. It will drag us down for the rest of the day. So let’s keep that energy to keep us going throughout the day.

Other tips for starting the morning off right:

• Create a mantra to say to yourself in the morning. It can be the same mantra every morning or you can change it to fit your goals for the day. Verbally assuring yourself that you are ready to conquer whatever the day brings your way, instead of thinking “I hope I don’t have to deal with x today,” will help you start the day off on a positive note.
• Prepare as much as you can the night before. I like to pick my outfit out at night. I also shower at night, especially if I need to wash my hair. This allows me to take my morning slow and not feel the need to rush. If I know I have to be somewhere early I prepare my smoothie at night. It makes the morning hassle free.
• Smile. Smile throughout the morning. Put on music that makes you happy. Sing, smile, dance.
• Throughout the morning say “Good Morning” to everyone you see, with a smile on. Not only with this help set the tone for your day, but it can help someone else out as well.

“Everyday is a new beginning. Take a deep breath. Smile. And start again.”