If there’s one habit throughout history that successful people can mostly all agree on, it’s this: a healthy morning routine is a must.

As well all know, success normally doesn’t happen on its own. You need to be putting in work and setting up a routine to stay on track, and establishing healthy habits in the morning can do just that by spelling out success for the rest of your day.

Instead of winging it on the hope that you’ll be able to pull everything together later on in the day, getting into a steady morning routine will help you consistently move towards your goals.

Even if you’re not exactly a morning rise-and-grinder, you’ll still want to follow a healthy morning routine so you know you’re always waking up on the right side of the bed. Making it a habit to start your day off on the right foot sets the tone and can lead to you achieving consistent results – it all starts as soon as you open your eyes in the morning.

Here are 6 healthy morning habits that you can incorporate into your morning routine to help you make the most out of the rest of the day.

1. Wake up at a consistent time every morning.

According to the Harvard Business Review, studies have shown that people who are consistent early risers tend to be more proactive than their night-owl counterparts, which gives them higher outlooks for achieving goals and success [*].

Now, you don’t have to get up at 5:30 am every morning in order to be accomplished. If you find that you’re more productive later in the day and your schedule allows for it, by all means, get up later in the day – but still commit to setting an alarm clock and getting up at the same time every morning. Just this act of developing the discipline to get up at the same time every day and be proactive can produce major results.

Since sticking to a regular sleeping schedule is key to staying productive during the day, your healthy morning habits will actually start the night before. To prime your body for sleep and optimize your circadian rhythms, or biological clock that tells your body when to sleep and wake, try the following:

• Limit screen time to one hour before bed. The blue light disrupts your biological clock and interrupts sleep.
• Go to bed at roughly the same time every night.
• Turn off any and all lights in your bedroom (this also disrupts your circadian rhythms).

2. Stay off your social media for a while.

Speaking of screen time …

Our phones have become almost an extension of us, so it’s no wonder that we often reach for them first thing in the morning. Even though it might be really tempting to grab your phone and start scrolling through social as soon as you open your eyes, consider this: how can you focus on what you need to do when you’re comparing yourself to everyone else and absorbing everyone else’s thoughts before you formulate your own?

Instead, try something different. Many successful people (Tim Ferris, Oprah, etc…) speak of meditating before starting the day.

Meditation can mean a lot of different things for different people, but the basic idea of meditating in the morning means setting aside a couple of minutes to reflect on how you’re feeling, what your goals for the day are, and maybe giving a little gratitude for all the things you have and all the things to come.

You don’t have to be an expert to add meditation into your healthy morning habits. Just give yourself a couple of distraction-free minutes – maybe before you even open your eyes – to reflect and examine yourself. Incorporating this into your morning routine every day can help you to stay calm and mindful even if things get crazy later on in the day.

3. Eat a healthy breakfast.

This one may seem obvious, but if you’re going to eat breakfast, make sure it’s healthy. Eating a ton of processed carbs or sugars (bagels, fruit juices, granola bars, cereal) is setting yourself up for a mid-morning sugar crash.

Instead, focus on whole foods that minimize blood sugar spikes and provide a ton more nutrients. Think:

• Eggs and avocado
• Green juice or smoothie (easy on the fruit)
• Egg and sweet potato hash
• Veggies omelete
• Grain-free granola

4. Meditate.

Your mental and emotional health is just as important as your physical health, so give yourself some time to meditate in the morning. Meditation can mean a lot of different things for different people, but the basic idea of meditating in the morning means setting aside a couple of minutes to reflect on how you’re feeling, what your goals for the day are, and maybe giving a little gratitude for all the things you have and all the things to come.

You don’t have to be an expert to add meditation into your healthy morning habits. Just give yourself a couple of distraction-free minutes – maybe before you even open your eyes – to reflect and examine yourself. Incorporating this into your morning routine every day can help you to stay calm and mindful even if things get crazy later on in the day.

4. Start your day off with a workout.

Getting your blood flowing first thing in the morning can wake you up and give you the energy you need to tackle the tasks on your to-do list.

(As a bonus, if you do your workout early in the morning you won’t have to fight the crowds at your gym during the after-work rush.)

If you don’t have time for a full-blown workout (although this is another good reason to get up early), you can commit 10 minutes to stretching, walking the pup around the block, or doing a quick yoga flow. Any movement to clear the cobwebs and get you going will work.

5. Plan out your schedule for the day.

Staying disciplined is critical for success, and there’s no better way to stay disciplined than to set some kind of schedule for your day.

This can look different for everyone. If you love using planners and productivity apps to section off your day, go for it!  On the other hand, it doesn’t have to be super complex if you’re more of a go-with-the-flow kind of person, but you should still start off the day having some idea of what you’re trying to accomplish.

Studies have shown that even journaling or free writing can improve success, improving your brain’s intake, processing, and retaining power. [*]

If you get into the habits of following these six simple steps as soon as you open your eyes, you’ll be well on your way to reaching the goals you’re striving to achieve. Take it day by day, trust the process, and rise and grind!