So, how does your morning routine look? Do you hit the snooze button more often than you should? Do you drag yourself out of bed, not wanting to open your eyes? Are you already stressed out when it’s time to leave for work?

If so, then it’s time to give your morning routine a drastic makeover.

Mornings are by far the most important part of your days. They set the tone for your entire day, determine whether you’ll be happy, stay healthy, be productive and at peace.

With these 7 killer ideas your mornings will never ruin your days again. 

Ready? Let’s go.

1. Get up early

I’m a sleepyhead and I love to sleep in. It’s in my genes. My dad’s the same way and so is my grandma. My inner clock has always worked differently and, in fact, I produce the most work at night. But getting up early and giving yourself time for your morning routine is vital for your physical and emotional health. The less stress you have in the morning the better and the more confirmed you’ll go about your day.

Set your alarm clock 15 to 20 minutes earlier than usual. Try it a few days in a row and see for yourself how much more amazing your day will be. Be sure to get in your 7 hours of sleep though as this is the most important part of all.

2. Stay away from the Online World

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when crafting your morning routine is to go online right after you’ve opened your eyes. Not only does the stream of information that’ll come your way work entirely against the peaceful nature of the mornings, but it’ll clutter your mind with unnecessary and rarely important chatter.

The online world can wait a bit. Make yourself a priority in the mornings and start your morning routine with the next step.

3. Affirm yourself

I’m sure you’ve heard of positive affirmations before, but there’s nothing better than opening your eyes and, before any bad thoughts can enter your mind, tell yourself that you’re enough, no matter what’ll happen during that day.

Positive affirmations are more powerful than anything else I’ve used when it comes to self-empowerment and self-care. By regularly feeding your mind awesome and positive messages about yourself and the world, you’ll force your mind to believe it and the transformation that you’ll be able to take is enormous.

Just imagine how amazing it would be to know, to just know, that you’re beautiful, strong, smart and enough. Just imagine how you could change your life if only you thought of yourself as worthy of all the luck, happiness and success you want? Just imagine how free you’ll be if all those self-doubts destroying your self-confidence would fly out the window, forever lost in the wind. Just imagine…

Well, you don’t have to imagine because by affirming yourself every single morning, you can make it a reality. Tell yourself you’re proud of who you are, you’re deserving of love, you’re worthy and you have the power to make the best of your day.

Here are my top 15 affirmations:

• I choose to be me.
• I love the woman that I am.
• I am proud of the woman that I am.
• I am attracting an abundance of love into my life.
• What I give is what I get back.
• I am safe.
• I belong.
• I alone am whole.
• I’m ready to take on the world.
• I love how healthy and energized I am.
• I love to move my body.
• I love to give myself what I need.
• I am deserving of love, happiness and success.
• I am a gift to this world.
• I believe in me. 

With these messages of self-empowerment, you’ll never get out of bed with the wrong foot again….

4. Meditate

Once you’ve gotten up, sitting down and meditating or just being with yourself gives you a lot of inner peace and calm. It grounds you and gives you the necessary inner strength to make it through your day in the most relaxed and productive way.

It may take some patience to practice meditation, so it’s important that you’re kind to yourself, show yourself compassion and practice radical self-love. There’s no wrong or right way to meditate. Just relax, breathe deeply and try to not hold on to any thoughts. Let your mind wander and focus on your breathing.

The benefits of 15 minutes of daily meditation are plenty and they’ll help you to empower your life in all the areas that you are striving for.

 5. Reflect

Another wonderful habit to have is daily journaling. You’ll be amazed at what your inner dialogue is revealing to you. You don’t have to be a writer, you don’t even have to have anything to write about.

Just give yourself a few minutes, listen to your thoughts and feelings and then put your pen to paper. Write the first thing that comes to your mind and then just let it flow freely. On some days, you’ll have more to say than on others, but, believe me, you’ll always find something to write about.

You won’t know until you try though.

Still not sure what to write about? Here are a few journal prompts for you:

• How do I feel this morning?
• What have I learned yesterday?
• What are my intentions for the day?
• What’s one thing that I’d love to do today?
• Which dreams do I want to live?
• What is making me feel bad? Can I change this fact?
• What would I like to get rid of in my life?
• What am I happy about right now?
• What is standing in the way between myself and showing myself love?
• What do I love about the people in my life?

 6. Move Your Body

Most people won’t give their body the exercise it yearns for unless they do it at the beginning of the day. I’ve recently started to run before dawn and it’s one of the most wonderful experiences I’ve ever had. The peace in the streets, the wistful promises of the day ahead, the infinite opportunities that lie in the air and the knowledge that you just have to reach out your arm and grab your one for yourself is incredible.

I’m fortunate enough to be able to run around Lake Zurich, which is a blessing in and of itself, and it makes those mornings even sweeter than they already are. Seeing the sunrise over the lake is awe-inspiring. But you don’t have to run by a lake to feel this way. The exercise itself will give you enough of a high to make those early workouts worth it.

Whatever exercise you choose to do is great. It’ll not only clear your mind even further, but you’ll feel energized, empowered and ready to take on the world.

7. Eat Healthily and Nutritiously

Breakfast is the most important meal of your day. You’ve probably heard about that, haven’t you? For the longest time, I didn’t eat breakfast and thought it was no big deal. Well, the truth is that it was and is. If you skip breakfast, you’ll be more likely to overeat during the day. At the same time, if you want to function on your best level, eating breakfast is what your body needs and wants to kick into its highest gear.

I’m no nutritionist, but I have learned a lot about healthy eating in the past. Have some fresh yoghurt with fruits or berries and some granola. Make yourself a scrambled egg with green peppers and fresh herbs or have a protein shake with extras. Have two slices of whole wheat bread with peanut butter or a bowl of delicious fresh fruit. Make it fun and delicious and you’ll never want to go without your breakfast again.

With this morning routine, you’ll not only be a force to be reckoned with! Give it a try and tell me about your thoughts.

Do you have more powerful tips to make the best out of your morning? Which habits do you cultivate to start your day the most positive way possible?