I don’t know about you but I find that there is so much truth in the whole concept of start your day right. Sometimes it’s not so easy, I know but there are times when your mind is not supporting you in your hearts desire to have that epic day, right? I have spent a long time working this out so I present this post to you with scars on my back and having tried and tested a million and one things with blood, sweat and tears but I think I now know the secrets to an epic morning routine. Certainly, it has been working for me and works for those that I recommend it to. If you are unsure or you get to the end of the blog and you think ‘Gosh, Saiyyidah, this is all too much hard work’ then I have an idea for you – pick one, start with one thing and aim to do just that every morning. Let’s see where that takes you. Ok, let’s get to it.

Start the night before.

Before I start preparing for bed I take a pen and paper and write all the things that I know I need to get done the next day. It’s not written in stone but its all out of my mind and helps me to relax a bit more before bed, but also, I don’t forget anything important the next day.

Get enough sleep.

Do you know those people who remind you how incredible they are and what a failure you are because they crush it in the world with just four hours sleep? They are killing themselves slowly. Don’t do it. Make sure you get between seven and eight hours sleep. Sleep deprivation is as big a global health issue as obesity and heart disease. Pay attention to this one because I didn’t and a good friend of mine didn’t until they got diagnosed with high blood pressure. Your body needs seven to eight hours sleep. Make your mind support you with this.

Hydrate as soon as you wake up.

Drink at least 16oz of water within the first five minutes of waking up. Don’t take my word for it – try it for a week and let’s see how much more energy you have and how much more focused you are. I set this as a challenge to you – this is one that everyone can do.

Wake up before dawn or at dawn.

There are so many reasons for waking up before dawn (I need to write a whole post on that soon). I find that waking up at this time enables you to spiritually nourish yourself – you have time to pray, connect with God, pray, reflect/meditate and really think about your purpose here. I use the 8 Questions for a Perfect Day – you can get it here.

Make your bed.

Look, I’ve been there… you are in such a rush that all you want to do is get out of bed and get on with the day. Thing is, research shows that if you actually take those few seconds to make your bed then you are setting yourself up psychologically to support you throughout the day to get stuff done. When I first heard this I did not believe it, but then I looked at the research and couldn’t deny the truth. I tested it out and now I make my bed every single day. It really feels good in so many ways. I get my kids to do it too and they tend to achieve more when they listen!

Exercise.

Yes, I know you know this one has to be in here somewhere. I find that when you exercise in the morning you tend to have a better day. Research shows that when you exercise in the morning your body uses the stress hormone cortisol (that you naturally release) in a way that supports your body. Dopamine is also released which makes you happy – and it lasts all day. I am certainly not saying you need to go out for a run or go to the gym – that’s awesome if you can, but I know as a working mum it’s not always possible. What I am saying is think strategically – what do you need to do to fit the exercise into your life? I do HIT training when I can’t get out of the house first thing, or I’m in a rush. It takes 10 minutes and is incredible!

Prepare for the day by asking yourself the right questions.

To me, questions are something so important in life. I always say that the only stupid question is the one not asked. I can be a right pain sometimes, but here’s the thing, when I ask a question everyone benefits. So think about the questions that you can ask and how you can benefit everyone by asking. Now, I’m going to encourage you to start with yourself. Ask yourself the right questions in the morning and you can totally transform your day. For me there is a power question ‘are you living your truth?’ When I first asked myself this the hairs on the back of my neck stood up! It was powerful. There are 8 questions to ask every morning (or a few times throughout the day) and you can get them here.

That’s it, those are the 7 secrets to an epic morning. When you do all of these (or even some of them!) you will have an incredible morning and day. Do them day after day and watch how you start living life on your terms and how you start to do so much more, have more fun and be more grounded.

Over to you, which one will you choose to start with?