When you’ve got a busy day full of plans, feeling low in energy when you first roll out of bed in the morning can be a tough start. If this sounds like you, being proactive and intentional with your actions early on can set a positive tone for what’s to come and give you that extra boost to power through.

Here are 10 tips to help establish a routine to kickstart your day with better energy.

1. It starts in the evening

Setting a great bedtime routine is king; you want to have at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Know your morning alarm wakeup time and work your way backwards from that. For example, if your alarm is set for 6.30am, you should be aiming to be already asleep by 10.30pm.

This likely means you need to be in bed by 10pm. Switch off any screens half an hour prior to that (as the light emitted by screens can affect your quality and quantity of sleep) and do whatever bedtime routine activities you need to do to fit the cutoff time you’ve allocated. This can include things like skincare, aromatherapy, reading a book etc.

2. Get stretching

When you’ve been asleep for a full night, jumping out of bed and straight into your day can be a bit harsh on the nervous system! Start with some gentle stretches or yoga (bed yoga is a great option for this) to begin waking up your physical body by slowly introducing movement into it.

3. Set intentions for the day ahead

Affirmations and intention setting can seem a bit silly if you’re not used to it, but it’s a great way of framing your mind for what’s to come (think of the last time you were angry or grumpy and how long that continued to carry through your day). It could be something like ‘today’s going to be an awesome day’, ‘I’m going to make great choices for my health and wellbeing’, ‘I’m feeling calm and in control’, or similar.

If that’s not your jam, it could be just taking a moment to acknowledge what’s in your diary for the day and taking a moment so that you not only know what to expect, but see how it makes you feel – happy? Stressed? Anxious? Overwhelmed? If it’s an unwanted emotion, actively work to reduce that through your choices as your day progresses.

4. Get hydrated

Drink a big glass of water as soon as you wake up. Not only does it help you feel fresher and more awake, it kickstarts your metabolism and helps to flush out toxins.

5. Fuel your body right

Breakfast also helps kickstart your metabolism and is your first meal of the day to carry you through until lunchtime. If you tend to get into a mid-morning slump regularly, it’s a sign your breakfast may need revising. Try to have a decent macro-balanced meal, and preferably opt for low GI carbohydrates so that you will get a longer lasting energy hit straight out of the gate.

6. Take a moment to centre yourself

This is extra important if you have a busy day ahead, as it can help alleviate feelings of overwhelm, burnout and anxiety, as well as helping to improve clarity.

Close your eyes, sit or stand tall by lengthening your spine, place your hands one on top of the other over your belly and take five deep, even breaths down into your hands. Then open your eyes, give your arms, legs and entire body a good shake out for a quick energy burst and you’re set to go!

7. Pump your favourite music

Create a playlist of music that gets you excited and energised. Listening to or dancing along with upbeat ‘amp up’ songs that lift your mood is like your entrance music to the day and can help frame your mindset just as well as intentions and affirmations can.

8. Connect with loved ones

Physical touch and face to face interaction are so important for feeling connected with the world around us. Whether it’s with your partner, kids, pets or flatmates, take the time to greet them properly at the start of the day with a hug or conversation and take this moment to touch base with them before things get busy.

9. Light up with sunlight

Exposing our eyes to sunlight without any windows, sunglasses or other filters in between helps to regulate our circadian rhythm (the body’s natural time clock) so that we feel sleepy or energised at the right times of day.

Step outside for a while and do some standing stretches, drink a cup of tea at an outdoor table, or – even better – start your first steps out the door in the morning with a brisk 30 minute walk so that you get in your minimum daylight exposure at the start of the day.

10. Avoid your phone

Avoid looking at your phone properly for the first hour of the day if you can. This helps you to focus on your own priorities and needs and those around you rather than getting lost in emails, news and social media that could be better dealt with later in the day.

Implementing even just a few of these morning rituals can transform the way you kickstart your day. You don’t have to get it perfect all the time, but creating a routine that works for you and noticing what actions impact you most will help shift your energy levels not just for a better morning, but a better day ahead.

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