As corporate counsel, we are constantly asked to spend time for others in the company. When you arrive at the office in the morning, emails and documents have already piled up on your desk overnight, and there is already a line of people at the door. The only thing you can think of is to grab a coffee and whittle down the list so you can get a breather. But once you do get a moment, “ding.” Another email asking you to put out a fire interrupts your lunch plans.

By the end of the day, you have no idea how the time has passed, and the priority is to go home and have some time for yourself and your family. Cooking for dinner or going to the gym are out of the question.

Where is the time for yourself?

This is where a morning routine comes in. In his book, “Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams,” Matthew Walker shares that coffee is only a temporary block to the adenosine that builds up, otherwise known as sleep pressure. By the time caffeine wears off, more adenosine has accumulated in your body, hitting the adenosine receptors all at once to tell your body that it is tired. This is the crash that we experience in the afternoon or later. Caffeine also increases cortisol levels, and our sensitivity to it decreases to it through daily consumption. It increases our stress levels, and its effect on our alertness decreases with time.

To create a more sustainable morning routine that works toward your personal goals and increases energy levels, consider the following steps, whether you decide to make it 30 minutes or two hours or somewhere in between.

• Nurture the belief that you can go to sleep earlier and that you can wake up earlier. In his book “You'll See It When You Believe It,” Wayne Dyer talks about setting the course of your life by believing in it, saying that “every man-made creation starts with a thought, an idea, a vision, a mental image.” In order to create your own life, imagine what a perfect day looks like for you. Design your ideal life. Ask whether squeezing in some minutes before you get to work is going to further that design. If the answer is yes, then a morning routine may be the right fit for you.
• When you wake up at the designated time, do not hit the snooze button. Laura Vanderkam, a time management expert, says that having a good morning is key to having a good rest of the day. Not only does trying to sleep for an additional 10 to 30 minutes not going to give you the rest you need, but also that battling with the snooze button could make you feel behind for the rest of the day. Instead, make a decision on when you are going to wake up and wake up exactly at that time. By doing this, you are starting your day with a decisive action that will make you feel ahead and in control.
• Take the very first minute of the day getting a full glass or two of water in your system. Drinking water first before you do anything will help you feel more awake and alert because it is hard to go back to sleep with all that fluid in an empty stomach. Water also regulates body temperature, and boosts your metabolism to help you get moving. Feeling the benefits of drinking water first thing will help you to drink water regularly throughout the day.
• Stay away from your phone for the first 30 minutes of waking up. According to a recent poll, 61 percent of people check their phones within five minutes of waking up. Checking your phone first thing in the morning may mean that you are starting your day on someone else's terms and what they need from you. Instead, capitalize on the early morning minutes by remaining centered on what will make you happy.
• Take a chunk of time moving your body, whether it is running, yoga, strength training or just stretching. The length of time depends on your exercise history. If this is the first time in months or ever exercising in the morning, start with just five minutes and work your way up. Listen to your body here, because overworking your body at the beginning will leave a negative impression on exercise on your mind, which will likely want you to stay away from exercise.
• Spend a chunk of time only for yourself and your personal goal. What is your personal goal? It could be catching up with friends living far away, reading a book, cooking breakfast, journaling, running a business, writing a play for the local theater or purely expanding your knowledge in the industry of your career.
• Capitalize on your commute by feeding your mind and spirit. The average commute of an American in 2017 was 26.9 minutes, and it continues to grow. Spend those minutes doing whatever you want to do, given restrictive circumstances without Wi-Fi on a subway or without free hands if you are driving. The goal is to create a sense of choice and freedom to minimize the anxiety that may be associated with a commute. So if you don't want to listen to a podcast, nothing is stopping you from just listening to Spotify or even nothing at all.

No one is saying you have to do all of them or that it has to be in order. The sole purpose of a morning routine is to protect your time so that you can design your life on your own terms. When you protect your time, you can focus better and perform more effectively at work. By the time the work day begins, you may find it easier to give your time to others because you will have already given time to yourself.

Angela Han is a health care lawyer, a certified plant-based personal trainer, and a yoga instructor. She works with corporate lawyers who want to transform their health, maximizing their ability to reach their goals in life and career. Learn more about her at www.angela-han.com.