I’ve never hit the snooze button in the mornings and wake up the same time every day, even weekends. I insist on having a sit down breakfast, and I walk to the bus and climb stairs from the subway rather than opt for cars and elevators. Hot water in the morning with a slice of lemon gets me going, and listening to nature music helps give my day a calming start – even at work.

Although I understand the details I mentioned above of how my life goes may not apply to those with small children or kids who live at home, but even then creating certain habits for yourself in the mornings keeps you in control (says me) and is the best way to start the day says this one article:

Get Up Early: The idea of getting up early can make many of us feel tired just thinking about it, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned you should never do in the morning, it’s hit the snooze button. According to a report by New YorkMagazine’s “Science of Us,” it actually makes it more difficult for our bodies to wake up and function in the morning. Besides, being an early riser will make you a better writer, science says so.

Hydrate: It’s the 30-second morning habit successful women swear by, but it turns out drinking a large glass of water or with lemon (crystal water is also a thing) is also the healthiest way to kick-start your metabolism and your day. But water isn’t the only liquid nutritionists consume each a.m. Celebrity wellness maven, birth doula, and the founder of Mama Glow, (she’s helped everyone from to Alicia Keys to Serena Williams) Latham Thomas ingests several fluids each morning to boost her energy. “I usually have lemon water, then a green juice, or an Açai and blueberry smoothie with coconut water,” she told MyDomaine. “I’ve been having miso soup and veggies in the mornings lately, which is getting me through the winter. If I have a hot drink, it’s a ‘golden mylk,’ which has turmeric, ginger, peppercorn, almond milk, and a little maple syrup.”

Breakfast: With our busy lifestyles, finding the time to prepare and eat breakfast each morning is a challenge. A 2011 study found 10% of the population (about 31 million Americans) skip the most important meal of the day, which our group of nutritionists hopes to change. While sitting down for breakfast is a challenge with her three young boys, for Shapiro, eating a protein-rich meal is important. “I am not a smoothie person, especially in the winter, as I find my body craves warm to hot food almost always, and I am not a fan of drinking my calories unless it is in the form of wine,” she says.

Exercising first thing in the morning is never easy, but getting up and moving your body is a great way to start the day. Schapiro swears by it. “I head to the gym or go for a run over the Brooklyn Bridge,” she said. “For three mornings a week, I head to the gym to do cardio-based training. On my walk, I stop to pick up a small black coffee, it’s a great motivator, and research proves it enhances your workout (bonus). My morning walk to the gym is my meditation time. Unconventional but the sound of the city in the dark is really my favorite time of day.”