According to a study by manifestation programme DreamMaker, those with a morning routine are more likely to characterise themselves as highly productive (92 per cent) than those without one (79 per cent).

Through trial and error, Holistic Health Coach Claudia Dumond has learnt how to create a mood boosting, slow morning routine for a positive day ahead. "After months of trying out different morning routines, I realised that the only way I found success was by following a slow routine that doesn’t actually take too much time," says Dumond. Here she shares her tips...

Start with self-love 

Start with something healthy that will bring you joy–a smooth coffee, a warm brew, a smoothie, scrumptious overnight oats, a short mediation, some movement.

Light up your senses 

Find different ways to inspire yourself to feel alive: light a candle, set up aromatherapy scents, listen to calming music or a motivational podcast, give yourself a face massage.

One more minute  

Extend one of these morning rituals by just one extra minute–so just before you’re about to stop and move on to the next thing, stop yourself and hang on for just one more minute. See how this makes you feel immediately more present.

Write down daily intentions

Write down your intentions with the following statement: ‘Today I choose to [think about emotions and behaviours, not a to-do list] be kind, be present with my kids, stop in nature for 10 minutes, smile when I least feel like it, act with more compassion.' Remember this statement throughout the day to keep you grounded.

All of this doesn’t have to take long and shouldn’t require you to get up at 4.30am like Jennifer Aniston. Timings are down to you, it’s how you use the time that matters. "For me it takes about 20 minutes all in," says Dumond.

"I make my delicious morning coffee (without fail it’s the first thing I do); I head out for a walk when I can; I light a scented candle; I jump in the shower (and always extend my shower by just one more minute); I give myself a five minute face massage while listening to a short meditation on Spotify or Alo Moves; I finish by writing my daily intentions for 2-5 minutes."

If you’re still unsure how to structure your mornings, here are three ideas from Dumond:

Stack Habits

"I try to stack habits together, e.g the candle and the shower, the face massage and the meditation, so that I’m more efficient," she says. "But at the end of it all, I’ve managed to start the day with self-care and positive intentions and that goes such a long way to how I feel for the rest of the day."

Start the night before 

If you’re not sure you can get it all done, think about the things that could be prepared the night before. Your overnight oats? Laying out your yoga clothes? Setting a slightly earlier alarm to give you more time? Download a meditation ready to just press play?

Make a quick plan

When starting out it’s worth thinking about all the things you’d like to do in the mornings, then writing it down and planning it out with timings and a checklist. That way you can follow your schedule every day until it becomes routine.

It is possible, even surrounded by craziness in the mornings, not to get caught up in it! See how a slow morning routine will help you feel just that little bit more present and intentional, helping you start your day in a way that brings you joy and gives you the illusion of just that little bit more ‘me time’.