This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

The Morning Routines Of 6 Successful Aussie Women

None of them hit snooze.

There's a lot to be said for making the most of your mornings. Why, then, is it so tempting to shrug off the 'carpe diem' attitude you swore you'd adopt and hit the snooze button instead?

Whether it's a few minutes of stretching, meditation, writing in a journal or enjoying a cup of tea, what you choose to do in the early morning can really help set up the rest of your day. (Oh, yeah, and exercise. Did we mention exercise?)

As such, HuffPost Australia rounded up some of the morning routines of inspiring Aussie women to find out how they ensure they start each day on the right foot.

Kayla Itsines, personal trainer, author and fitness entrepreneur

It should come as little to no surprise that Itsines incorporates a form of exercise into her morning routine. What you might not know, however, is that she spends 15 minutes on social media first.

"I wake up every morning at 5:30 a.m. and immediately switch on my light to wake me up -- if I don't, I'll snooze all morning," she told Well+Good in January. "Once I'm awake I'll grab my phone and check everything out for about 15 minutes. A lot of of people don't think I do my own social media, but I do! And I'll spend those first few minutes scrolling through everything I missed overnight.

"I recently got a treadmill at home so my new thing is to walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes. In Australia, I'll set the speed to 6, but I just recently learned that in America that's equivalent to a 4 -- the hard way -- I just set it to a brisk walk. I sort of feel nauseous in the morning if I do my normal workout, so I usually wait until the early afternoon -- around 2 p.m. After I get off the treadmill, I hop in the shower and get ready for work -- I still have a bunch of clients that I train at my gym."

Turia Pitt, humanitarian, athlete, motivationalist and author

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Australian icon Turia Pitt starts off her day doing what most of us should do more of... expressing gratitude.

"Every morning I do a gratitude practice. I've got a gratitude playlist and I just think of three things I am really grateful for," she told HuffPost Australia in a Facebook Live Q&A.

"So this morning it was my cup of coffee, it was my partner Michael -- he's doing his helicopter licence and I thought that was really cool that he's going for what he wants to do -- and also for my mum, because she has been going through a tough time at the moment and I thought about how special she has been to me.

"When I start my day with gratitude, it sets my day off with the right intent. It's not like I was ungrateful before my accident but I just never thought about everything I had going for me. I was always focused on what wasn't working in my life, what I didn't have going for me, what awards I didn't get or what jobs I didn't get.

"I think if you can spin that around and reflect on what you do have going for you, it sets up your day really well.

Miranda Kerr, model and founder of KORA Organics

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According to an interview with Harper's Bazaar last year, Kerr likes to kick off her day with cuddles with son Flynn.

"The time I wake up depends on what my call time is for work or if I'm travelling," she told the magazine. "But Flynn will normally come in as soon as he wakes for a cuddle at around 6:30am.

"The first thing I do is open the curtains and windows so I can let the sunshine and fresh air in to my room. I then make a cup of warm water with lemon and listen to a meditation to help clear my mind, centre myself and set my intention for the day. Drinking warm water with lemon helps kick start the digestion process and cleanse your system.

"Every other day I also like to apply my Kora Organics Hydrating Mask while I'm listening to my meditation, especially after a late night, as it helps refine pores, remove dead skin cells and promotes healthy tissue rejuvenation leaving the skin feeling replenished."

Lorna Jane Clarkson, founder of Lorna Jane Activewear

Clarkson admits to naturally being a morning person (humph) and as such, she likes to fit in some sort of physical activity almost straight away.

"I like to be active first thing, either taking part in a yoga session or taking my dog for a walk," she told acuity in February.

"I usually start the day with a nourishing breakfast. That usually involves oats during the week while I enjoy smashed avocado on toast when the weekend rolls around.

"Taking time out for a ten-to-15-minute meditation session is a non negotiable."

Lisa Messenger, founder and editor of Collective Hub

Like Itsines, Messenger also makes a point of checking her social media first thing, but in doing so, she makes sure it puts her in a positive head space for the day.

"Before I even get out of bed I check in this order... Instagram, Facebook, emails and Twitter," she said in a 2015 Q&A. "What I generally do is post a positive affirmation on Instagram every single morning before I've even got out of bed.

"That positive affirmation actually serves to remind me to ground myself in whatever the thing is I am posting, as much as it is for my audience. And I think that's a really important thing to remember. They say we teach what we need to learn and that is certainly my case a lot of the time.

"So that's what I do. I then get out of bed and then generally I will go for a run with my little friend here [her dog] Benny... then I do all sorts of things. I am a great journalist. I love writing down and emptying myself of whatever is in my head in the time."

Robyn Lawley, model

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A lot of us find it difficult to get up in the morning without the help of a little caffeine and a good breakfast, and Aussie model Lawley is no exception.

"The first thing I do when I wake up is drink a glass of water, and then I have a glass of OJ with lots of pulp and my iron tablets," the model told The New Daily in 2015.

"I'll usually have a bowl of cereal with glass of OJ, or if I have a bit of time, I'll tuck into a breakfast sandwich that my partner is practically an expert at making; starting with sourdough bread from Gjusta, we add vintage cheddar, eggs, caramelized onions and avocado with usually with either a relish or mustard, and always served toasted!

"I love a classic latte when I'm back in LA, and I almost always start my day with an ice coffee when it's hot. I usually only have one a day as otherwise I tend to feel a bit dehydrated."

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