As your body gets more efficient with regular workouts and better food choices, it’s common to feel better energy throughout the day, and to enjoy better sleep at night. The downside is that once you understand what it feels like to function in an optimized state, you’ll really notice it when you’re not ‘on point’.

We get a lot of questions from our regular clients about how to get consistently good starts to the day, so we’ve pulled together a quick list of habits that we’ve found to work well. Of course, there’s no need to try all of them at once, and no guarantee that all eight will work for you.

Best to include one at a time, and feel how it impacts you over a week before including another. If you like it, keep it, and if you feel nothing, drop it and move on to the next. If you’ve got questions, talk to a coach – this is the sort of thing we love to geek out on! Also, don’t get too ambitious – some of these will require you to wake up a little earlier than usual, which is always a tough ask!

1) Drink a veggie smoothie or greens drink.

Who knows what you’re going to get at lunch, and whether you’re going to get your veggies at dinner later. Cover your bases and squeeze in all the vegetables you can at the start of the day. It seems like a huge amount of effort, but it’s quite enjoyable to blend up veggies, a little fruit, and some protein in the morning.

If you’re having trouble with recipes, take a look at the menu at the fuel bar and talk to us! If the idea of vegetables in the morning seems gross to you, perhaps you can chug a greens drink (they come in powder form – just mix with water or coconut water). We sell some at the fuel bar, but there are many high quality brands out there – just make sure it isn’t laced with sugar. It might not look too appetizing, but it’s a great boost of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

2) Have a not-too-high-carb breakfast.

We don’t preach low-carb eating, but the carb crash after a carb-heavy meal is real. To prevent yourself from getting sleepy early in the day, stick to things that are higher in protein and/or fat. Eggs are always a fantastic option. So is avocado. Mmm… eggs and avocado.

3) Stretch and breathe.

Some people can drag themselves to yoga in the morning, but if you don’t have the time, a few minutes of the lizard stretch, pigeon stretch and downward dog will go a long way. Pair the movements with deep breaths and you’ve got yourself a quick way to wake up, increase circulation, and feel alive.

4) Go for a long, easy walk or a short brisk walk.

Kick start your morning with a little activity to increase circulation and oxygen intake. In an ideal world, I’d recommend 45 minutes in the morning, but practically speaking, getting off the train one stop early and brisk walking to the office will do just fine.

5) Book your Ritual session.

Set your workout time for the day to give yourself something to look forward to. Automatically you’ll be thinking about consuming things that won’t affect your session, and it’ll help break up a day that feels monotonous.

6) Squeeze in a Ritual session in the morning.

This would be the ideal, although it’s not an easy habit to develop. Our regular clients who come in the mornings before work love it because they leave feeling energized, and leave satisfied knowing that they’ve done their exercise for the day, which is one thing checked off the list of things to accomplish today.

7) Water and coffee, not just coffee.

Coffee is great, but don’t forget to hydrate, too. You’ve just gone 8 hours or so with no water, so make sure you get a couple of glasses in before heading to the office. The body functions most efficiently when it’s well hydrated.

8) Coffee or tea, not sugar.

A lot of people like to get a caffeine boost in the mornings, and that’s fine. Just make sure you’re getting the boost from coffee or tea, not a sugary drink like an energy drink. Sugar-filled drinks may perk you up for a bit, but they are likely to also bring a crash sometime before lunch.

So there you have it, our 8 simple tips to make your mornings even better. Do you have some morning rituals that help you start right? Leave a comment and share your thoughts, we’d love to hear about it!