When you wake up before getting out of bed, do a 5-minute meditation and focus on how you are feeling in the moment. A popular psychological exercise is the countdown method.

o 5 things you can see: Your hands, the sky, a plant on your colleague’s desk

o 4 things you can physically feel: Your feet on the ground, a ball, your friend’s hand

o 3 things you can hear: The wind blowing, children’s laughter, your breath

o 2 things you can smell: Fresh-cut grass, coffee, soap

o 1 thing you can taste: A mint, gum

This step will put you in the moment. This will help you keep your mind in enjoying your morning prep and not worry about the activities you will be doing later on.

“Stretching first thing in the morning can relieve any tension or pain from sleeping the night before. It also helps increase your blood flow and prepares your body for the day ahead. Stretching before bed relaxes your muscles and helps prevent you from waking up with more pain.” – Hope Kleine “Benefits of Stretching (sdstate.edu)”

Here are some basic stretches to do after getting out of bed.

1. Cobra Pose

2. Extended Puppy Pose

3. Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend

4. Seated forward Bend

All of these are easily searchable in Google.

Remember you’re literally "breaking fasting" when eating breakfast. Your body isn’t eating for 8 hours and a good balanced meal should give your body the nutrients and energy it needs to get on with your day. Some great energy boosters that you can include in your diet:

1. Eggs

2. Greek Yogurt

3. Coffee

4. Oatmeal

5. Chia Seeds

6. Berries

7. Nuts

8. Green Tea

One of the most underrated advice is having good gut health. Your Gut is how you get energy from what we eat and drink! Surprisingly, your gut health has a big influence on your mood as well.

“In a 30-day study, healthy volunteers with no previous depressive symptoms were given either probiotics or antidepressants. Those given probiotics showed reduced cortisol levels and improved self-reported psychological effects to a similar degree as participants administered Diazepam, a commonly used anti-anxiety medication. Analogous studies found that probiotic therapy reduced depressive symptoms and improved HPA-axis functionality as well as Citalopram and Diazepam”

Figgs Kombucha is my go-to for my probiotic needs. It’s deliciously fruity and tangy! Because kombucha is made from fermented tea, it also has a little bit of caffeine in it. It doesn’t just provide a healthy dose of healthy bacteria, but also a pick-me-up in the morning.