I feel like this would definitely still apply if I didn't struggle with depression and anxiety, but especially since I do struggle with these things, I find that it's incredibly beneficial to make sure I do everything in my power to start each day off on the right foot. I hate to be cliche, but it truly does make such a difference.

If I start the day off and I'm rushing, upset, feeling off, etc, that fuels how the rest of my day is going to go, at least to some extent.

To combat this, I've sort of created a "morning routine" for myself that I loosely follow. I use the word loosely because of course there are days where things won't go as planned, days I have to get up at different times for things, etc.

Also, I'm not a robot and I can't follow a strict schedule all the time. As much as I wish I were perfect, I'm not.

I strongly encourage you to take some time to figure out a morning routine that works for you. I have some of these habits and activities that work really well for me, and everyone's different, so it might not be exactly what works for you, and that's OK.

For me, I make sure to set my alarm about ten minutes earlier than I need to get up. This way, I can silence my alarm, and take my time waking up. I can lay in bed, stretch, sit up, whatever.

But, as silly as it sounds, I find that not jumping out of bed right away and rushing around helps so much! This small difference makes a huge difference.

I also make sure to drink a glass of water each morning. For obvious reasons, but I feel like I definitely start my day off on the right foot when I make sure I'm hydrated.

Something else that's super beneficial when it comes to a morning routine is journaling. I personally take this time to read the Bible, do some journaling, and reflect on my thoughts. This, of course, is going to be different for everyone.

The last major thing I really try to incorporate into my morning routine is making my bed. I know it sounds like a super practical thing, but I really believe that taking the extra two minutes in the morning to make my bed makes a huge difference.

One, because I just feel sort of accomplished, and two, because I get to come home to a clean room later in the day, and that always makes me feel better and less stressed.

Morning routines sound cliche, but they're definitely helpful.