Starting your day off right is crucial if you want to be productive, stay efficient through the afternoon slump, and meet all of your daily goals. So it’s a good idea to put together and keep an excellent morning routine.
The problem? That’s easier said than done! Today, let’s take a look at some of the best morning routine productivity ideas to help maximize your initial energy and ensure you have a spring in your step when you walk out the front door.
Lay Out Clothes/Supplies the Night Before
Ironically, some of the most effective morning routine productivity tricks start the night before a big day. For example, it’s a wise idea to lay out any important clothes, supplies, and workplace gadgets you know you’ll need before you go to bed.
Why? If you have to wake up early and have a very short amount of time with which to get ready, you might accidentally forget something crucial, like your work laptop or an important paper, as you rush out the door. If you settle these things out ahead of time, however, you’ll lower the likelihood of forgetting anything important.
Plus, laying out your clothes the night before wearing them removes one more decision you have to make in the morning, when you may be groggy and still getting all of your mental gears turning.
Get Enough Sleep!
Similarly, the best way to bolster your morning productivity is to get enough sleep the night before. This is a serious tip because many Americans don't get enough shut-eye whatsoever.
In general, you need eight hours of sleep every night to maintain maximum productivity and energy throughout the following day. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try these subsidiary tips:
Don't read your phone or use an electronic gadget during the hour before bed. The blue light from the screen can trick your eyes into thinking it's morning, making it harder to snooze
Try going to bed at the same time each night. That will build up a healthy routine up to the point where your body expects to sleep at a certain time
Prepare your bedroom for sleep by turning the temperature down and making sure your bed is soft and comfortable
Getting enough sleep and having a decent ratio of working hours vs. leisure hours are core parts of ensuring work-life balance, so don’t discount it. According to a recent survey, people in most states in the USA work 2.5 hours for every hour of leisure, and sleep an average of eight hours a day.
Do NOT Snooze
When you do wake up in the morning, don’t hit the snooze button for your alarm, no matter how tempting it might be. When you hit the snooze button, you actually make it harder for yourself to wake up later on, losing precious minutes to get ready in the meantime.
Drink a Glass of Water, First Thing
As you rise, you can jumpstart productivity and get your body’s metabolism burning by drinking a full glass of water, first thing. Your body is always dehydrated when it emerges from sleep – after all, it hasn’t had any food or water for at least eight hours.
But it's easy to feel groggy, sluggish, and unfocused when you are dehydrated. Solve that with a quick glass of water, and you'll find that you can move through the rest of your morning routine more easily and with great focus.
Move Around
Speaking of moving, don’t immediately jump in the shower. Instead, move around to some degree. Getting your body physically moving will help get your brain in gear for the workday, plus lead to health benefits.
You don’t have to do an intense workout routine, of course, if you don’t want to. But a brief jog, stretching, or even a basic meditation and yoga routine will do wonders for your overall health and for your focus as the day drags on.
The way you start the day sets the tone for your body’s activity and energy levels until sunset. So if you start the day moving, is it really any surprise that your body will want to keep moving and staying productive once you get to work?
Eat a Good Breakfast
Eventually, you’ll need to eat something to provide fuel for your body’s engine. A good breakfast is the ticket to maximize morning and afternoon productivity.
Try to prioritize some vegetables, protein, and healthy carbohydrates, like whole-wheat bread. A well-rounded breakfast provides your body with the fuel it needs to get going strong, plus ensures that you won't get too hungry too quickly (lots of people don’t eat a healthy enough breakfast, so they end up feeling hungry around 10 AM, which can break their concentration and decrease productivity before traditional lunch hours).
Check Your Calendar to Organize Your Day & Supplies
The right calendar app or platform, like Zoho Calendar, can also help you jumpstart your day the right way. Check your calendar in the morning after eating breakfast or while munching on some toast to see what's on the daily agenda.
This is beneficial because it helps you organize your thoughts and prepare your ideas for upcoming challenges. For instance, if you have a big meeting on your agenda, you can immediately start thinking of talking points or make sure that you've collected all your important papers and presentation materials as you finish getting ready.
Say Some Positive Affirmations
Positive affirmations are highly important for morning productivity, too. Say positive affirmations in the mirror like:
I’m strong, capable, and powerful
I can overcome any challenge
I will get through today and appreciate the wonderful things that life brings me
I’m worthwhile and I am surrounded by people who love me
This might feel a little silly at first, but it will become more of a staple part of your routine as you practice it. More importantly, positive affirmations will help improve your mental health and give you the internal strength you need to succeed no matter what kind of challenges you’ll face in the day to come.
Do a Puzzle or Listen to an Engaging Podcast
As one last morning routine productivity tip, try to engage your brain creatively by doing a puzzle or listening to an engaging podcast.
For instance, if you have a little extra time while sipping on coffee, do the newspaper crossword puzzle. You may find that you solve workplace challenges much more capably since your brain is already in gear and ready to problem-solve!
Alternatively, if you have a morning commute in your car, listen to engaging mystery or political podcasts that help you ponder the big ideas. Again, if you start your brain out thinking about interesting ideas, you’ll find that it’s much easier to think about other interesting ideas later on during the day.
Whatever you do, don’t go on social media or watch mindless TV! There’s nothing more effective at derailing your brain right as the morning begins and preventing you from reaching your maximum productivity potential. You can also block social media sites with apps or browser extensions if you have to. Blocking unnecessary sites so you can focus on work is actually easier than you may think and a highly effective way to help ensure productivity.
Conclusion
All in all, any of these ideas can help you make the most of each morning and start your day off right. But for the best results, you’ll want to combine as many of these as possible. Good morning habits build off each other, resulting in more and more positivity and energy than you can imagine. Have a great day.
Author Bio
Gary Stevens is the CTO of Hosting Canada, a website that provides expert reviews on hosting services and helps readers build online businesses and blogs.
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