I think we all know by now the importance of a good morning routine. Starting your morning in a healthy & positive way sets you up properly for the day ahead, lifting you into that high frequency you need to have a productive & fulfilling day. So here are my top 10 morning habits to start your day right.

1. Hydrate - We all know this one already but I had to include it as so many of us are still chronically dehydrated, particularly in the mornings as we've gone the entire night without a drink. Water & herbal tea are my "go to" when it comes to re-hydrating first thing. I know a lot of you will be coffee lovers & that will be the thing you reach for first but try placing an empty glass by the kettle each night before going to bed to remind you to drink a glass of water in the morning before that first cup of coffee!

2. Set your alarm a little earlier - I know this one probably doesn't sound too appealing but getting up a little earlier to give yourself even just an extra 15 minutes can be extremely valuable. It may be the difference between being able to drink that cup of tea in peace rather than with kids running about or the difference between having time to meditate that day or not.

3. Get outside (or at least near a window) - This helps on several levels. Firstly getting some daylight into your eyes (obviously don't look directly at the sun) helps to reduce melatonin in your brain which will help wake you up quicker, this then helps regulate your circadian rhythm which means when it comes to night time you should find you get a more restful night's sleep. If it's warm enough for you go fully outside, getting the sunshine onto exposed skin will also give you a boost of Vitamin D. (Please always take necessary safety precautions when out in direct sunlight)

4. Exercise - Some people love to workout in the evening & if that's you & it's working for you by all means continue. But if you're someone who struggles to get motivated to workout later in the day I would really recommend giving morning workouts a go. Not only does this mean it's done & out the way early so you don't have to think about it for the rest of the day but exercising first thing can also mean you feel MORE energised for the day ahead!

5. Yoga/ Stretch - If a full on workout first thing sounds like a little too much, try adding in just 10-20 mins of stretching or yoga instead. This still gets the blood pumping & the body moving but in a more calm & gentle manner. I also find this is a great way of getting out of my head & into my body, giving me those extra precious minutes where thoughts of the day ahead are put on pause & I can simply b e .

6. Meditate/ Breath work - Taking time to sit with yourself, quietly first thing, helps to bring a sense of calm & mindfulness to your day. If you're new to meditation or find it difficult to just sit on your own, try guided meditation apps such as Smiling Mind, Insight Timer, Synctuition or YouTube videos to help get you started. If (like me) even with guides you struggle to meditate, I highly recommend giving breath work a go. Put simply breath work is breathing more mindfully & with purpose in order to change your mental, physical & emotional state. It can be extremely powerful, working as a form of meditation in itself with the added benefits of calming the central nervous system or energising your body depending on which type of breathing practice you do.

7. Write down 1-3 things you want to achieve that day- It can be tempting to write huge 'to-do' lists a page & a half long but realistically you'll probably only ever tick off a fraction of them & then end up feeling like a failure by dinner time. By picking just 1-3 things to prioritise that day you won't be over committing, meaning less stress & more mini wins, yay! If you don't like writing lists why not try setting an intention for your day instead, something simple like "drink more water" or "move with ease" or "be more mindful" are all good examples.

8. Avoid social media - The majority of us spend a worrying amount of our waking hours on social media, whether it's for work or simply leisure time. The simplest way to reduce some of this screen time is to set yourself a number of hours each day that are completely tech-free. I find first thing in the morning (& last thing at night) is the easiest time to implement this as well as the most beneficial. It means you can wake up mindfully without being bombarded with the news & what strangers on the other side of the world are doing whilst you're eating your breakfast.

9. Journal - Stream of consciousness has become one of my morning non-negotiables. I find this a really simple yet effective way of getting out any noise from my mind, clearing space in my head for things that are truly important that day. Simply get a pen & paper & write whatever it is that comes to mind. It may be dreams, 'to-do lists' or general thoughts & feelings, it doesn't actually matter. The point is you're freeing up space for the things that do & hopefully feeling calmer & clearer for doing so.

10. Eat a nourishing breakfast (mindfully) - Ensuring you have enough time to prepare & eat a proper breakfast is extremely important. It is so bad for your digestion as well as your mental state to eat on the go & often means you make poorer food choices when rushing around. If you're really not a breakfast person then try prepping something like a chia pudding or overnight oats the night before so you can grab that from the fridge before you head to work & once at the office, when you start feeling hungry you still have a healthy meal to eat. Saying this, always try to eat mindfully, away from screens/ work wherever possible, this will help with digestion as well as allowing you to know when you are full & to truly enjoy your food.

Now, you definitely don't need to do all 10 of these habits every morning as I can totally understand how that could seemed quite overwhelming, that's why it's so great that even implementing one or two on a regular basis will improve the quality of your day. Saying this, each of these practices does bring something a little different to the table so I do encourage you to try them all, even if it's just a few at a time. Keep the ones that resonate, leave the ones that don't & enjoy the process, these things are meant to bring ease, energy & joy into your life, if they don't serve you in that way it's perfectly ok not to do them. I would also love to hear in the comments your favourite morning habits!