Many people have trouble deciding on how to start their day. It's a difficult question, but an important one nonetheless. The way you start your day can affect your productivity for the rest of it and set the mood for what you accomplish throughout that day.

Here are 5 tips to help get your morning started on the right foot!

Wake up early to get a jump start on the day

Every day, we have the opportunity to make a choice that will affect how successful our day is. Do you want your morning routine to set the tone for what you accomplish throughout the rest of it? If so, wake up early and take advantage of those first hours before most people are awake. You'll be able to get in some quality time with yourself—which can help improve mood and productivity—and then work on things like making breakfast or taking care of other necessary tasks without feeling rushed by everyone else's schedule. And if all goes well, waking up early enough could even earn you more free time later in the evening!

As a mom, waking up before anyone else is amazing. I take this time to plan my day, have quiet time before the chaos, and all the "Mom...." questions start.

Eat breakfast! This is important!

Studies show that the majority of people eat breakfast every day. If you're one of those people, then congratulations! Keep up with your healthy habit by eating a nutritious morning meal to help set yourself up for success in all areas of life. If you don't have time to make a full breakfast or cooking isn't your thing, try out some high-protein options like eggs and bacon or yogurt parfaits with fruit on top. You can also easily add protein powder to oatmeal or pancakes, which will give them an extra boost when it comes to their nutritional content.

And be sure not to skip the coffee! It's been shown that drinking coffee first thing helps increase alertness and energy levels throughout the rest of the day—not just. Woohoo, because I love me some coffee.

I love to make smoothies for breakfast. I pop some fruit, yogurt, and protein powder in the blender, and BAM, I have breakfast. Plus, the kids love smoothies too, and shhh, don't tell them I put kale or spinach in there to get more veggies in their diet.

Start the morning with meditation.

Meditation, as it turns out, is actually pretty awesome to do first thing in the morning. For one, you're waking up and getting a chance for some "me" time before the craziness of the day begins. And then, after meditating, your mood and productivity levels are better than they were before—which seems like a bonus! In addition to that, there's evidence that meditation can help lower stress levels and make you happier, so how could you not want to get started with that first thing in the morning?

Mediating is my favorite thing to do in the morning. I love this time to get my thoughts together and make sure I am calm. Sometimes we wake up with crappy thoughts from the day before, but this is a good time to let that go and start a NEW DAY! After I meditate, I do a brain dump in my journal.

Make your bed

It's important to make your bed in the morning because it will help you start on a good foot. In addition to that, studies are showing that just by making your bed every day for two weeks straight, people had more energy levels than usual (and felt less stressed). And if that's not enough, there are also reports suggesting that people who make their beds in the morning end up making better decisions throughout the day.

I've made my bed for the last 30 years; my grandma was the one who taught me that making your bed will help set the tone of the day. But, it's a habit, and if my bed doesn't get done, I feel my day is out of whack. The only reason why my bed won't be made is if my husband is lazy and I leave before he gets up. He doesn't care if the bed is made or not.

Get some exercise!

Taking care of yourself is important on so many levels. If you're able to, morning exercise can not only help wake up your body but also get the blood flowing and increase cognitive function. Morning exercise can help wake up your body and get the blood flowing and increase cognitive function. Plus, it will give you a boost of energy, which is perfect for when you need that extra push to make progress on a project or task at work before lunchtime.

And let's be honest: who doesn't feel better after working out? It releases endorphins into our system—which are hormones that act as natural painkillers—and makes us more alert and happier overall! All these reasons are why starting your day with an energizing workout session.

Exercising is probably the hardest thing for me to do, so I try to take a walk around the block. Or stretches after meditation. I do notice a difference when I don't do any physical activity, so I make sure I exercise daily. It really does help.

A successful morning routine is all about having a good start to your day. Some people prefer waking up early and doing meditation before eating breakfast, while others like to exercise first thing in the morning. No matter what works for you, you must do something productive each morning so that you can set yourself up for success throughout the rest of your day!

What are some things that YOU do every morning? Let us know below or on our social media pages! We want to hear from you. 🙂