Having the best productivity tools in the world can only do so much. The path to having a successful, constructive day begins as soon as you wake up! Start applying these five habits today and watch your productivity soar.
WAKE UP EARLY
Early birds can check this one off easily. But for the rest of us, getting up early is a battle every time.
It takes a lot of mental fortitude to push yourself out of bed when all you want to do is sleep for 3 more hours, but getting into this habit is the first step towards a more productive day.
There are a few steps you can take to make this process easier:
- Don’t hit snooze! While getting that extra 5 minutes feels like heaven at the time, it actually works against you and will make you more tired than if you got out of bed on the first alarm.
- Get an app to help. There are loads of sleep assistants in the app stores. They can track your sleep cycles to help you get up at the time you’ll feel most refreshed, gently wake you with increasing alarm volumes, and even track movement to give you insight into your sleep patterns.
- Deep sleeper? If you constantly miss your alarm or fall back asleep immediately, you may want to invest in a different kind of clock. Alarms that shake the bed, make you workout, and brighten the room are just a few options.
- Practice helpful bedtime habits to assist in dozing off faster and sleeping more fully through the night. This can include no electronics 30 minutes to an hour before bed, reading a book, stretching, using candles or aromatherapy, and sticking to a sleep schedule.
EAT BREAKFAST
Having a healthy breakfast will give you the boost of energy needed to start the day off right. Note the word healthy! Grabbing a doughnut or scarfing down a pound of bacon will only make you sluggish and may irritate your stomach.
Oatmeal, granola, fruit, eggs and toast, yogurt, and smoothies are all delicious options that won’t weigh you down. Grab some of these unique recipes from healthambition.com for inspiration.
WORKOUT/STRETCH
It may be difficult to start a morning workout routine, but you’ll feel a million times better when you do.
Light exercise or stretching gets your blood flowing and your heart rate up which combats morning grogginess. It will also promote healthier eating choices. After spending 15-20 minutes working out or stretching, you won’t want to undo all that effort and are more likely to choose better meal options throughout the day.
Better yet, exercising before eating may help the body burn fat more efficiently. You don’t even have to leave the house to start! Anyone can create their perfect morning workout from these 10 simple exercises.
PLAN YOUR DAY
Ever sit down at your desk and spend 5 minutes staring at the screen wondering where to start? Your morning is the perfect time to decide on a plan for the day.
While you’re working out, eating your healthy breakfast, taking a shower, or driving to work, figure out what you want to do and how you want to do it. This sets you up for productivity and helps eliminate wasted time.
Pay attention to time management as well. Don’t over-schedule, over-commit, or even under-plan! You’ll have less stress and feel much more accomplished at the end of the day.
LEAVE 20 MINUTES EARLY
Racing against the clock to work or an appointment creates unneeded stress and in turn sets the tone for the rest of the day.
Sometimes we can’t help running late. But when possible, leave 15-20 minutes earlier than normal. You’ll avoid the anxiety that comes with running behind schedule, fighting traffic and road rage, and trying to find parking before you’re late.
Arriving early to work looks good and gives you time to get some coffee, read an article, or set your plan of attack in motion for the day.
Once you have these five productivity habits down, let us handle the rest! Our suite of streamlined communication and productivity solutions will help you get more done than ever before.
