Universally Monday tends to be the day people dislike the most, but is it really? Well the startling truth is YES! Nobody looks forward to Monday because reality sinks in that those two days of freedom and fun are over and its time to make the transition from leisure time to work time.

But there’s always a way to get rid of those morning blues. Here are 8 morning habits I believe will help you mentally, physically, and spiritually that will provide you with a solid foundation upon which to go about having a productive, happier and healthier day:

1. Wake Up Earlier

This is the key to overhauling your morning routine. By getting up earlier you give yourself enough time to prepare you mind and body for the day. You also free yourself from the pressures of having to rush around in the morning.

2. Have a ‘”Holy Hour”

Taking a “Holy Hour” each morning. This is an hour devoted to working on your self, either mentally, psychically or/and spiritually. Grab a great book from an inspirational speaker, meditate over the Bible, your choices are endless.Do this instead of reaching for your phone to look at your social media notifications soon after you wake up (as I know many of us are guilty of doing in this modern age), trust me, you will set yourself up for a great day.

3. Meditate

Every heard “Meditation is the practice of silencing the mind?”, The morning is a good time to mediate and free your mind. Research proves that mediation has many benefits including improved concentration, better health, and increased knowledge of self.

4. Visualize the Day Ahead

Planning is crucial! Run your day, don’t let the day run you. A simple, yet extremely powerful, exercise to practice in the morning. Close your eye’s and visualise how you want the day to go. This will help give you direction as how to go about your day and help you to avoid getting distracted with unimportant tasks.

5. Eat a Nutritious Breakfast

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so it’s essential that you have a nutritious and balanced breakfast if you want to fire up your metabolism and keep yourself powered up throughout the day.

I suggest you include whole-grain, eggs, fresh fruit and a healthy smoothie when considering what to eat in the morning. Avoid carbs!

6. Exercise

There are huge benefits to exercising in the morning. First of all it raises your metabolism which helps you burn calories all day. Secondly you start the day off feeling like you can take on the day which of course is a great momentum to carry into the day.

7. Sharpen Your Brain

I always wondered why people sat on trains filling out theSudoku, Kakuro, crosswords, quizzes, and brain teasers on the back of newspapers on their commute to work in the morning. Well these are a variety of brain fitness resources to help sharpen and exercise your brain in the morning, that way you can jump straight into work when you arrive at the office no need to waste an hour trying to jumpstart your mind.

8. Take Time to Look Good

It’s a fact of life you look good you feel good! For this reason, it’s a good idea to spend a extra few minutes in the morning on your appearance, to ensure you look your best when you step out into the world.