Shannah Kennedy, life strategist and author of Simplify, Structure, Succeed, says the first hour is about reducing stress and creating healthy habits that work. "Get a jump start on your day and be the driver in life rather than the passenger," she says.

The timing of your first hour will also have a big impact. Kennedy explains that it's all about tapping into our circadian rhythm, our internal master clock, to make our body's natural functions work for us instead of against us. "For the majority, waking at about 6am and going to bed around 10pm will offer the best results," she says.

So what should you be doing in the first hour of your day? Kennedy says it comes down to figuring out exactly what it is that makes your day great. "For me, I'll practise some positive affirmations, then do some exercise and fill a two-litre bottle of water. It's a great feeling knowing I've set myself up for the day, rather than reacting to what the world throws at me."

Another essential on Kennedy's list is to "eat a frog" – a time-management concept coined by author Brian Tracy. Your "frog" is the hardest thing you'll have to do all day, and your first hour is the perfect time to get it out of the way. "Don't waste time thinking about it or resenting it, just do it," she says.

Her top secret to success? Organisation. Anyone struggling to get a grip on their mornings can benefit from prep work the night before. "Things like soaking muesli, chopping vegies for juice, getting clothes ready and lunch boxes out," she says. "It's a matter of making habits that serve us well, rather than having no support structure."

THE FIRST-HOUR HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE

Media personality Deborah Hutton, publisher of Balance by Deborah Hutton, starts her day with a 20-minute meditation, followed by Pilates and a walk with her dog, Billie. "I like being well organised, so my day begins almost like a ritual," she says. "That's my thinking time, and a space I've created away from my phone. The exercise also motivates and energises me for the day ahead."

Boost Juice founder Janine Allis would be lost without her morning yoga routine. "The whole way there I'm battling reasons not to go, but afterwards I feel great, and proud that I didn't listen to my noisy brain." She says that knowing how her day is going to start is the secret to her success. "If you get the first hour right, it really dictates how happy, healthy and fit you are."

"I generally wake up at 4.30am unrefreshed," says breakfast radio host and mother of three Chrissie Swan. "My two youngest children always need some sort of attention through the night, then I normally have only 15 minutes to be on the road - I'm at work by five with a strong flat white in hand!" The most important part of her first hour is eating a healthy breakfast. "If I don't, my whole day is shot, and because I'm tired, I'll gravitate toward junk food. Every Sunday I make a batch of quinoa porridge with seeds, nuts and fruit that lasts all week."

Chef and author Pete Evans wakes at 5am bursting with creative ideas. "Since I shifted my priorities to a truly healthy lifestyle three years ago, I now wake up feeling invigorated despite my busy schedule," he says. "Lethargy in the morning is a thing of the past." In his first hour, Pete rehydrates with at least one litre of water, adding lemon juice and apple cider vinegar to assist digestion. Exercise is also factored in, either on the beach or in his garage at home.

Instead of reaching for his smartphone like many of us, Heritier Lumumba, the Collingwood AFL player and author of It's Cool to Be Conscious, avoids all media in the first hour of his day. "Reading negative stories can spiral into using a negative lens for how you look at the day," he says. Meditation, positive affirmations and reading also fit into his first hour. "If I miss my meditation, I feel a huge difference in how I cope with the stresses of the day."