Helpful tips on how to get the day off to an ideal start

A good morning routine can set you up for the day – but where to start? finds out how the wellness pros approach it

Mornings can be rough at the best of times, but when it feels as though the days all roll into one – with no weekend plans or evenings out to break things up – it can be too easy to nudge your alarm later and later and drift through the weeks in a unproductive haze. That’s where having a strategy is helpful. Wellbeing pros say mornings are our “power hour”, when we can harness our natural energy and bring our minds to the challenges of the day. But where to start? Here, wellness experts share their tips for making the most of the start to the day. just started to catch on to, but we’ve known for quite some time that it’s key for overall good health. Foods like live yogurts and kimchi are great, too, and I think we should all be trying to add them into our diet. Not only could they have health benefits but they’re really tasty, too.”

“My mornings are my favourite time of the day during lockdown. To keep myself sane I’ve found I’ve needed to set a fairly structured routine. I get up every day at 6am and sit catching up on the news with my coffee. Once I’ve had my caffeine hit I then get ready to train (I do an hour of exercise, four days a week) and this helps me to properly wake up and ready myself for the day ahead. I then teach a live class on Instagram at 8.30am, before sitting down to breakfast and emails at 9.30am.

It might be a bit regimented for some but I feel setting time goals gives me the most motivation to be productive whilst working from home.”

“Motivating yourself first thing in the morning during a time where it’s almost impossible to have a routine or bigger purpose is incredibly hard. I’ve found what’s helped me is to set my alarm early and not allow myself to hit snooze. I set my alarm every morning for 7.15am, same as I did pre-lockdown. I make my matcha latte, walk my dog, check my emails and listen to the news. I have a call every morning with a few members of my team at 10am, when I naturally would have sat down with them to go over the day’s and week’s tasks if we were at the office. I’ve found this really simple routine helps make my mornings more productive, more purposeful and more energised.”

“I start my day off with a nutritionally balanced breakfast, which helps keep me going until lunchtime. I’m loving yogurt with nut butter, berries and oats. I have a newborn but I’m still checking in with my team; this really helps us keep our motivation high. Mid-morning, I try to get half an hour or so of exercise – post-birth I need to be careful – but I love going for a walk. The movement really does lift your mood.”