Especially in today’s fast (and getting faster) paced world, everyone seems to be looking for ways to be more productive as they go through their day. There’s always one more thing to do, one more person we should have called, and one more deadline slowly but steadily creeping up.
If you ask any highly productive individual how they do it, most will tell you that everything starts with their morning routine. The routines may vary slightly from person to person, but they’ll all tell you they have a daily ritual of some kind that helps set the mood and the attitude that propels them through their day.
If you’d like to boost your own productivity (and who wouldn’t?), here are five of my favorite tips for starting the day off with good vibes, healthy energy and a positive attitude that practically guarantees higher productivity and more success.
You Snooze You Lose
Even though those ten extra minutes under the soft warm covers can feel so good, using the snooze button on your alarm clock is actually bad for you. When your alarm goes off in the morning it’s pulling you out of REM sleep, which is why most people feel so disoriented and irritated when they first wake up. If you hit the snooze button and do actually go back to sleep, it’s going to happen again. If you’re a serial snoozer, this can have a very bad effect on your mind and body.
By waking up and falling back to sleep one or more times in the morning, you throw off your body’s natural rhythm. You’ll find you actually wake up faster, think more clearly and maintain a more productive attitude throughout the day if you just get up when the alarm goes off the first time.
A Moment Of Thanks
A big part of being productive is being positive. If you think about it, you’ll surely find that your hardest days are the ones where you go through the day with some kind of negative emotion like anger or sadness.
Take a moment when you wake up to think of ten things you are grateful for. They can be something big like your family or something small like the pizza you had for dinner. The point is just to start your day with some positive thoughts and get into the habit of thinking that no matter what happens, there’s always something good to be grateful for.
Choose Protein Over Carbs and Sugar
Cereal and milk is probably the most popular breakfast food in the US, but it’s not necessarily the best for you. Like the caffeine in coffee, the carbs in cereal may give you a quick boost of energy, but cereal alone doesn’t give you the long term fuel that will get you through the day.
By eating things like eggs, meats and other foods high in protein in the morning, you’ll give your body a long lasting fuel source that will keep your energy levels more consistent throughout the day. The end result will be more productivity without the ups and downs caused by an overdose of caffeine and sugar.
Stretch And Exercise
Exactly how much exercise you do is up to you, but studies have shown that people who exercise regularly in the morning tend to have more consistent energy, a more positive overall attitude, and get more done during the day.
Exercise not only helps keep your body healthy, but it can be a great way to focus the mind and ease stress. Even just 5 to 10 minutes of the most basic movements can make a difference.
Plan Your Day The Night Before
This one is not exactly something to do in the morning, but if you follow this bit of advice it can definitely help improve your morning routine. Take a few minutes at night to make a to-do list or fill in your calendar for the next day. This will allow you to wake up focused, knowing that you have a plan for the day, instead of being disoriented and feeling like you have to scramble to figure out how you’ll get everything done.
By removing that bit of stress from your morning routine, you’ll start your day off with a better attitude that will carry you through the entire day. With everything already mapped out, you’ll also be able to focus more on the actual tasks you need to complete instead of wasting time thinking about when and how everything needs to be completed.