Connie Britton likes to keep her morning routine as simple and peaceful as possible. That means waking up with her 6-year-old son, indulging in a healthy and delicious breakfast , and taking a little time to focus on herself. The Nashville actress and Friday Night Lights alum tells SELF that since she has such a jam-packed schedule, she relies on those quiet A.M. hours to set the tone for her whole day.

My mornings are really about bringing things in that are going to be truly nourishing, she tells SELF. Thats not to say that the first part of her day is glamorous. Rather, she makes sure to practice self-care while also taking care of businessthat means feeding the dogs, her son, and herself, and fitting in a workout when she can.

While promoting her partnership with Quaker for American Heart Month , Britton spoke to SELF about the little things she does in the morning to make sure she feels energized and focused all day long.

Britton has been meditating for years20, to be exact. [Meditating] is something that Ive found to be really effective for so many different things, she says, but certainly for my health, stress levels, mental clarity, and general well-being.

Between working and taking care of her son, Britton doesnt have much time in the morning to meditate these days, especially if she and her son wake up at the same time. But shes found that since she has been meditating almost daily for 30 minutes or an hour through the years, she feels the effects even when she cant practice as regularly as she used to. A lot of times I think that young women think that [meditating] is not something to worry about, but if you start taking care of yourself at a young age, youll feel the effects of it as you get older, she explains.

Most of us dont have time to dedicate a full 30 minutes (let alone an hour) each day to meditation. But experts say doing it for just 5 to 10 minutes can be beneficial .

I think part of eating healthily for yourself is eating things you like, Britton says, and Ive loved oatmeal my whole life. Aside from the fact that she cant resist a good bowl of oats (topped with maple syrup, almond milk, and coconut oil), this breakfast is one of her favorites because her son loves it, too. I feed my son in the morning, and then I have some, and then boom, were both taken care of.

One thing Britton and her son differ on when it comes to oatmeal? Every now and then my son will go for raisins, she says, but Im not a raisin girl.

For Britton, finding time to sweat in the A.M. can be tough. Thats one thing thats tricky as a single mom, because any workout I do has to be at my house before my son wakes up. Thats why she saves the majority of her morning workouts for her days off. If I have a day where I take him to school and Im not working, I try to work out right after I drop him off, she says.

Because Britton loves being outside, she tries to exercise outdoors as often as possible. My favorite workout is any time I can get outside and go on a long walk or a hike.

Like most other meditation fans, Britton is big on yoga specifically the hot variety. I did yoga for years and loved it, but I actually injured myself so now I go with the hot yoga because it feels very healing, she explains.

Thirty minutes to an hour before she exercises, Britton fuels up with oatmeal. That protein- and carb-packed breakfast fave gives her the energy she needs to slay her workout, and leaving a little time to digest afterward keeps her from getting an upset stomach. After shes finished sweating, she reaches for a green smoothie to rehydrate. Thats a pre- and post-workout breakfast routine we can get behind.

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Connie Britton on Why Everyone Should Start Meditating Daily - SELF