The Secret to All-Day Energy? Jump Start Your Morning Routine

You snooze, you lose--literally. Our panel of SELF editors and health pros share their favorite AM habits.
by Devin Tomb

Here's the thing: your comforter doesn't want you to have more energy during the day. It wants you to sleep in and warm up, and if it keeps you super cozy too, you can call it a seriously overachieving blanket. And while we fully believe in getting a good night's rest, here at SELF, mornings are our jam. Seriously! Productive early hours always seem to start us off on the right foot, and help us power through whatever we have going on that day. And we're not the only early birds; in the super-buzzy book, "What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast," Laura Vanderkam finds out what it's like to be a person who ignores the snooze button. We liked this concept so much that we grilled a panel of morning people (a.k.a. SELF editors and health experts) on their tried-and-true AM routines. (Spoiler alert: almost everyone starts the day off with a glass -- or 2! -- of water). Try out these tips and you'll be saying "Hello, Sunshine," in no time.

SWEAT IT OUT "Before breakfast I kickbox, swing kettlebells and battle ropes, lift, jump, spin, and sweat at the gym. A hard workout helps me feel on top of my game all day. Boxing in particular is a great outlet for any stress I might be feeling after a busy week!"
--Erin Hobday, SELF's managing editor

READ UP "We like to catch up on the news online. If we give ourselves a guilt-free 10- to 15-minute window to scope out the news, then it's easier for us not to have FOMO the rest of the morning and really focus on work."
--Willow Jarosh, R.D., and Stephanie Clarke, R.D., SELF's contributing nutrition editors

GIVE A LITTLE THANKS "My morning routine starts with gratitude. Before I get out of bed, I think of three specific things for which I'm grateful. This practice gives my mind a positive focus and helps me see opportunities throughout the day where others may see problems. It also just puts me in an awesome mood!"
--Adam Rosante, fitness trainer and healthy living expert

DOUBLE UP "I try to use double-duty beauty products to get out the door faster. My go-tos are an in-shower moisturizer and a Beachwaver curling iron that literally curls my hair for me. These simple steps help me feel gorgeous in a hurry and start my day strong!"
--Rachel Jacoby, SELF's web features editor

HYDRATE UP! "I'm not a morning person, but I do walk for about 15 minutes, eat some fruit and drink a lot of water (since everyone wakes up dehydrated). I find this small step makes a dramatic difference in my energy level over the next 4 hours!"
--Henry S. Lodge, M.D., SELF's health expert

GET YOUR BLOOD PUMPING "I need to get my blood pumping, even for 20 minutes, on my in-house elliptical prior to truly beginning my day. I don't consider this my workout for the day, but a way to say 'good morning' to the best piece of equipment we all have, our own bodies. I also make sure I leave 10-15 minutes for what I call a 'Stoked Core Circuit'--planks, c-curves, glider work, etc. Your core is the powerhouse of your body. If you set the tone with a few core-focused exercises, it will [help you to] attack your day with maximum energy."
--Kira Stokes, celebrity trainer and creator of "The Stoked Method" and "Stoked Series" classes

ROCK OUT! "I try to play 5 or 10 minutes of guitar. It helps reinforce things that I'm trying to learn and it makes me happy!"
--Marjorie Korn, SELF's associate nutrition editor

GET IN SOME FAMILY TIME "My morning routine has changed pretty dramatically since having my two-year-old boy, Hudson. I used to bounce out of bed, go for a run then cool off by jumping into the pool. These days, I still bounce out of bed but now I head straight to Hud's nursery, pick him up out of his cot and change his nappy. Some people may think this is a pretty stinky sort of morning (literally!), but I actually cherish these one-on-one moments with my boy. I need this special time before a long day on the line in my restaurant, Maude. Once we've taken care of business, we go out to our veggie garden to pick beautiful, fresh fruits and veggies for morning juices. It's a dad's life and I've got to tell you, I'm loving every minute of it."
--Curtis Stone, celebrity chef

SPREAD THE LOVE "The very first thing I do every day is say good morning to my wife!"
--Errick McAdams, CPT

See more: Slim Down in 14 Days!

GET THINGS OUT THE DOOR, OUT OF MIND "I have a routine: check-in with my husband about the day ahead, shower and get dressed, help my kids make breakfast and make it out the door to school, run through any e-mails from night before, return a phone call (or two), walk to work and then have breakfast at my desk before seeing my first patient at 8:00 or 8:30 AM. I like to get all of that accomplished so I can start the day with a clean slate; [it allows me to] focus on my patients and not have anything outstanding hanging over my head."
--Catherine Birndorf, MD, SELF's mental health expert

RUN IT OUT "I like to go for a 20 minute run outside. And by run, I mean sprint intervals! If it's extremely cold or snowing out, I will do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for 20 minutes in the living room. The purpose of this is not to count this as my workout, but to force my mind to focus on the intensity and then eventually the day. As soon as I get back, I hop in a pretty cold shower to again stimulate my mind and shock my system."
--Ben Hart, tier 3 trainer at Equinox and founder of Qinetic.com

SIP AND STRETCH "The thing I do every single morning before breakfast is drink one liter of water while I'm getting ready (I always have a big Nalgene on my nightstand). Then I do a 5-minute series of yoga poses to reset my body, work out some of the kinks from sleep, and get the blood flowing."
--Stephanie Miller, SELF's social media editor

RINSE THE STRESS AWAY "I exfoliate, tone, and use a serum and facial oil that help me to feel fresh and renewed. Then I take a look in the mirror and embrace the day."
--Suki Kramer, founder, formulator, and president of suki® skincare

See more: 5 Simple Steps to Cellulite-Free Skin

H20 + COFFEE = GO, GO, GO! "I try to drink two full glasses of water before I leave my house in the morning (which is sometimes pre-CrossFit at 6 AM). I completely buy into the idea that you should hydrate before you caffeinate, and I caffeinate a LOT."
--Marissa Stephenson, SELF's fitness editor

ACT LIKE A KID! "I get up at 5 AM to cheat the day and sneak in my workout before my family is up. I'm home before 7 AM and manage to have a quiet cup of coffee before the gang wakes up minutes later. I give them sweaty hugs and we do something special, like bake muffins and throw a tea party with the special glass tea set or put together a giant zoo themed puzzle and crawl around the floor like the animals (a great functional workout, by the way!). Then it's a mad dash to shower, throw on clothes, and run for the train to work. Hectic, but that time with my three kids helps me keep work stress in perspective. Mom is definitely my most important role."
--Meaghan Murphy, SELF's deputy editor

GO ZEN "For the longest time, I desperately wanted (and needed!) to become a morning person, but I just couldn't make it happen. I tried everything from waking up to the sound of a whirring automatic coffee pot, to using a special light that 'mimics' the sunrise. Nothing worked until I tried meditation using this app called Calm. It guides you through a bunch of possible exercises--from anxiety release to energy-and is such an easy transition out of bed because you can basically do it half-asleep. Now I'm up and at 'em by 5:30 AM, and I love settling into work feeling like I've already had a full morning of 'me' time, and knowing that I can add random happy hour drinks to my schedule after work without freaking out about getting to the gym."
--Devin Tomb, SELF's associate lifestyle editor (and author…of this post)

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