Early morning when the world is still soft with sleep, a moment shared with loved ones, slowly waking up. Sounds great, doesn’t it? In reality, though, we spend so much time perfecting our wind-down routines – no screens before bed, a spritz of sleep spray – but often overlook what happens at the other end of the day. How to wake up well and make the most of our time in those precious early moments.

One of the biggest things to avoid first thing in the morning is the same one we should be avoiding before going to sleep: our phones. When we wake, our bodies need time to come around naturally, adjusting hormone levels, regulating blood pressure and preparing for the day ahead. By reaching for our phones straight away, we’re skipping this phase and going straight into ‘awake’ mode, stimulating our minds and senses. On top of this, reading or seeing something negative can trigger your stress response and affect your overall mood before the day has even properly begun. Try to remove temptation by using a separate alarm – a sunrise alarm clock has the added benefit of replicating natural light to help you rise and shine – and leaving your phone out of arm’s reach.

So, if you’re not checking your phone first thing, what should you be doing? That’s really up to you. Just try to ease your way into the day. It could be with a gentle stretch, or 10 minutes of yoga, maybe it’s with a warming mug of something, writing in a journal or meditating. Think of the aim of the morning as enjoying the time you have, rather than rushing through it. It’s also a great time to reconnect: with the little ones still woozy with sleep waiting for a cuddle, with partners over a proper sit-down breakfast chatting about what’s to come, or even just with yourself thinking about what you’d like to achieve today. It’s also an opportunity to get outside. Whether that’s a potter around the back yard taking in the spring shoots, or a short walk around the neighborhood, the boost of natural light early on triggers our circadian rhythm and suppresses the sleep hormone, melatonin, readying us for the day.

All of this sounds great in theory, but we all know the practicality of finding time to do this can be tricky as we balance busy schedules. The good news is: spring is the ideal opportunity to try a new routine. As days get lighter, getting up that tiny bit earlier can make all the difference when it comes to relieving the rush. We’re also not saying you have to do all of the above. Even rising an extra 10–20 minutes earlier will give you more time to adjust to the day at a gentler pace and incorporate one of these practices into your routine. That said, if maximizing your sleep is always going to be your priority, don’t force yourself out of bed any earlier. Instead, streamline your start by planning ahead. Something as simple as deciding what to wear the night before or preparing a ready-to-go breakfast, like overnight oats, in advance can help save time in the morning. After all, it’s not always about adding more hours, but making sure you make the most of the ones you have.