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People should first pray to God, and only afterward take care of their own needs. Accordingly, they should not eat or drink before reciting Shaĥarit. However, they may drink water, as well as coffee if they need it to increase their alertness before praying. People should not take care of their “to do” lists or deal with work before praying. However, minor activities are allowed, and people may exercise to increase their alertness before praying. A woman too busy with her children to recite the Amida in the morning should make a point of following these rules until she recites the morning blessings (section 9 above).
One should purify oneself for prayer by washing hands, preferably using a cup. (See section 2 above for the handwashing ritual.) Even if someone knows their hands are clean, it is appropriate to wash them before prayer, but it is not necessary for one to make great efforts to do so. In the morning, the handwashing upon waking up can serve as the handwashing for prayer, as long as one does not need to go to the bathroom and makes sure not to touch anywhere dirty between washing and praying.
It is appropriate to wear respectable clothing for prayer. “Respectable” is determined by the local norms. Where the norm is to walk around in a suit, one should wear a suit for prayer; where working clothes are the norm, one may pray in them. Children and teens used to wearing shorts may pray in them. What may not be worn for prayer is disgraceful clothing (again as determined by local norms). Similarly, a person should not pray in pajamas. Someone who is sick in bed though, may pray in pajamas, as these are one's clothes while one is sick. For reciting blessings, it is enough to cover the parts of one’s body that are normally covered.
While praying the Amida, distractions should be avoided. For example, we should not hold anything in our hands other than a prayerbook. A cellphone should be switched to silent mode or turned off. If one has a runny nose or phlegm in his throat, one should blow one's nose or clear one's throat before praying. When praying at home, one should face a wall rather than something distracting like a picture or a mirror. Babies and children too young to pray should not be brought to the synagogue, as they are liable to disturb the worshipers.
Women should designate a place for prayer in the home. Men should have a regular synagogue and designate a place for prayer within it. The Sages tell us that designating a place for prayer strengthens people’s connection to the Source of life. God responds by coming to their aid and helping them overcome adversity.
