7 Simple Things to Add to Your Morning Routine to Make Your Days More Productive
Although it may not seem like a big deal, studies have shown that what you do to start your day can have a huge impact on how the rest of your day will proceed. Some things might include waking up earlier or sacrificing on your part. However, others are simple tricks of the trade that you will be bound to be doing out of habit by Monday. Can’t we all use a little help being more productive?
Wake up with the roosters.
Although not true across the board, most extremely successful people are early risers. They use this time to exercise, meditate, spend time with family, and get ready for the demanding day that awaits. If nothing else, at least you’d have a better chance of being on time for work!
Turn on the lights.
As soon as you wake up, turn on some lights, or open the blinds. This helps wake up your brain by giving it a signal to stop producing melatonin, which is what is made to help you sleep. The even make alarm clock/lamps with a light that turns on and gets brighter the closer it is to the time you want to wake up.
Hydrate.
Mornings tend to be when we are the most dehydrated since we have gone many hours without drinking anything. Marc Anidjar, a personal injury lawyer in Florida, suggests that before you have your morning coffee, try to down a tall glass of water. This will get your muscles and organs working after a night of rest. Some like to add lemon to their water for its nutritional benefits.
Eat breakfast.
Studies have shown for years that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However, studies have also shown that skipping breakfast entirely is actually worse than eating something unhealthy. I wouldn’t recommend chowing down on doughnuts every day, but even that would be better than going on an empty stomach.
Exercise.
We all know that exercise is good for us, but getting up the motivation to actually do it is another story. However, the benefits of exercise are endless. It helps boost mood, energy, motivation, productivity, and mental stamina. Not to mention, exercising in the morning helps us wake up!
Be thankful.
Practicing gratitude, or being thankful, can have a great effect on your mindset for the day. Being thankful helps keep us grounded in our surroundings, mindful of the little things, and it helps fight off feelings of fear and anger.
Practicing thankfulness can be done in a number of ways. Some people like to keep a gratitude journal. Others simply like to meditate on what they are thankful for, while others have found their own unique ways of embracing their gratefulness.
Just do it.
Whatever it is that you know you have to do during your day that you are dreading the most- do that first. We tend to focus the best in the morning when there usually isn’t as much going on around us. Checking off that dreaded task first thing gives us a great feeling of accomplishment (or sigh of relief) that will follow us through the rest of the day.
