Morning routines are the self-care trend of the moment. From sunrise yoga to affirmations or rituals that set you up for the day, it’s safe to say they’re an Instagram dream.

But it can be easy to get overwhelmed with people sharing their green tea in the sun, bending and breathing routines when you only just manage to roll out of bed just in time to grab a croissant and land at your desk. 

So for a dose of realism, who better to ask about their first-thing-must-dos than possibly the most honest person on our screens, Nadiya Hussain?

Things are slightly different for her at the moment as she’s recognising Ramadam. Last night was a two-hour sleep night, she tells me, as she was working late and then woke up for breakfast before the sun rose. You’d never know, of course. And that might be down to the fact that she’s used to an early rise, as normally her morning routine involves a (gulp) 4:30 AM wake up. 

“I have to wake up before the kids, that’s my thing,” she says. “Because if they wake me up [instead], I get up a little bit frazzled and I don’t start my day off well.”

The lark then says that she creeps downstairs for a glass of hot water and lemon. “I’ve always done it but don’t really know why. It just makes me feel really, really good and stops me from having an enormous breakfast. It just helps wake me up.”

This well-known Ayurvedic technique may have some backing behind it: it’s thought to help with digestion, skin and general well-being, not to mention features in the morning routines of a whole host of celebs, like Miranda Kerr and Jennifer Aniston.

However, there’s no celebrity-style relaxing for Nadiya. It’s straight upstairs to crack on with her day - but there’s one unexpected thing that she definitely doesn’t do in the morning: “I do not use the shower,” she says. “We’ve got a shower in our bedroom [en-suite] and I have never used it… we’ve been there for four years!”

Instead, Nadiya prefers to soak at night, and simply give her a face a scrub first thing. “And then I pray. Every morning before the sun rises, I pray.”

If a no-nonsense morning routine like this is responsible for her success, then it’s safe to say we’re inspired to set our alarms that little bit earlier. No promises we’ll make 4:30, though…

Nadiya is an ambassador for Swarvoski’s #FollowTheLight campaign. 

Image: Matthew Shave