How to Get the Most Out of Your Mornings
We get it, mornings are rough. We have the same passing thought of “how bad do I really need this check?” Mornings don’t have to be so dreadful. Developing habits and a morning routine has been proven to boost productivity. We are all different; therefore, it may take us each a different amount of time to find the perfect routine to fit our lives. However, the effort we put in will dictate how our mornings start to change and how different we begin to view mornings.
For those of us who work at home, it’s very difficult to create boundaries for yourself from being in “work mode” and “home mode.” There seems to be a fine line that can very easily be crossed. When we aren’t required to go into office it’s easy to stay in bed longer, stay in our pajamas, and not be as motivated to get up and be productive.
Prepare the night before
A productive morning can begin the night before. Getting organized and ready for the day can take a lot of your time away in the morning. It can be helpful to start this process the night before. It doesn’t hurt to try to make your morning easier. Are there any tasks you can prep for after you complete your work day? You’d be surprised how a few small tasks can help you to be more productive for the following morning. Simple ideas could include laying out your clothes for the next day, prepping your desk and work areas, or making sure all of your devices are charged and ready to go. You’ll be happy you did in the morning!
Sleep!
Sleep and productivity go hand and hand. Let’s be honest, we all can feel the difference throughout the whole day from a bad sleep the night before. We struggle, we’re tired, and we have trouble concentrating. Sleep is key. We want to set ourselves up for success every day, however, when we get a rough night of sleep, or aren’t prioritizing sleep, we set ourselves up for failure and a huge struggle the next day. We can start by putting our phones out of arms reach. Our phones can be very distracting, as we all tend to pick up our devices if we aren’t able to sleep. Ever get lost for 2 hours on social media before bed? Us too, don’t worry. Slide your phone under your bed, put it in your night stand, or even leave it somewhere outside of the room. Out of sight, out of mind! We are much more likely to leave our phones alone if we have to get up from our comfortable beds to get it. Sleep gives us a fresh start every day, so let’s take advantage of it!
Give yourself time every morning
We suggest you wake up early enough to have some time to yourself in the morning, but not so early that you feel like you are struggling the rest of the day. Just give yourself an extra 30 minutes each morning. The goal is to avoid waking up and having to get right to work, or grab your phone and begin checking emails. Give yourself that extra 30! Stretch, grab some coffee, sit outside! We want to set the tone for the day in order to be productive. We want to fuel our bodies in order to get the most out of ourselves to do our best every day. Moving in the morning will be a great start to your day and will help to wake up your body. Waking up your body will help with waking up your mind. Get some fresh air in the morning, or go for a walk. A little self-care never hurt anyone!
Don’t procrastinate
Dreading a task you have to do today? Do it now. Procrastination of our difficult projects can throw our whole day off. Don’t spend your whole day worrying about these difficult tasks you have to finish. It may seem a little crazy to do your most difficult task in the morning, especially if it’s a Monday morning! However, we can really get caught up, tired, distracted, or really anxious about difficult tasks we put off. So, the idea is to muscle through the difficult tasks so that it can be smooth sailing the rest of our work day. Many times, we lose momentum during our work day, so we want a fresh and clear mind when it comes to the high priority and time-sensitive tasks at hand. Producing good quality work is always a confidence boost.
Mornings can be rough, unless you are one of those rare individuals who loves the early mornings. For the rest of us, however, developing a new morning routine when we are so set in our ways can take time, adjustment, and some commitment. The payoff though, is worth it. Giving yourself time every morning to actually wake up, as opposed to grabbing your electronics and getting started with your day will show to be helpful in your overall productivity level. For those of us who work at home, get out of the house. Personally, days go by much slower when I sit at my desk all day. Take a break, go for a walk, swap out that breakfast burrito for some brain food and have a productive morning.
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