Some of the healthiest, most successful people in the world have morning routines. It is a way to take charge of your morning and set the framework for your day, helping you save your energy and avoid mental fatigue.

Below are three important ingredients for a morning routine to help set you up for success, to ensure you’re in charge of the day ahead.

Drink a 16 oz. glass of water

You just went 5-10 hours without any liquids going through your body, so it’s important to rehydrate first thing. Even if your body isn’t telling you it’s thirsty, it is. Also, drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning has been proven to fire up your metabolism.

Stretch

Have you ever seen a cat or a dog wake up from a long nap? The first thing they do is stretch. That is exactly what we should be doing too. Stretching has many benefits when done first thing in the morning: it can reduce stress, promote a faster recovery from injuries, and even help prevent injuries. It’s important to remember to breathe while you stress to so you can optimize the calming effects it has on your body.

Practice Gratitude

You can either do this by focusing on the things you are thankful for, or writing them down in a notebook. One thing that a lot of people do is take a monthly calendar and take 10-15 minutes in the morning to write down three things they are thankful for that morning on that day, and then they do it everyday. It is nice to be able to look back after a month or so and be able to appreciate all of the little things (and the big things) that took place during that month that you were thankful for. It is also a way to be able to find the good parts of even the really bad days.