This article was last updated on April 18, 2022
We are always trying to come up with strategies on how to be more productive. But would you believe that your morning routine greatly impacts the rest of your day? If there is one thing that successful people share, that is a set of positive morning habits. If you find yourself waking up on the wrong side of the bed and not getting a lot of stuff done for the day, here are 7 small yet effective habits to jump start your day and boost your productivity. Read on.
7 Habits To Start Your Day With That Will Tremendously Increase Your Productivity
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Wake up early.
This may sound redundant, but yes – waking up early has always been (and will always be) a great habit to increase your performance. Hitting snooze may be tempting, yet it can only delay and take away the opportunity to exercise, prepare a healthy breakfast, plan your to-do list, and meditate. Also, it’s rewarding knowing you’ve spent time doing something good for yourself before everyone else in the world wakes up. Quiet mornings are simply the best times to get more things done. Imagine yourself not having to always hurry off to work and dealing less with distractions because you chose to be an early riser.
To get used to waking up early, establish the routine of sleeping at the same time each day so you get quality sleep. Use an alarm to help you wake up at your desired time every morning. I know that it takes a lot of self-discipline and willpower to be an early riser. Make sure that you set your mind to it to decrease your resistance. You’ll feel grumpy at first, but it’ll get easier over time.
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Eat a healthy breakfast.
Here’s one mistake that a lot of people make: Skipping a healthy breakfast. Your first meal in the morning sets the tone for the day. After your body fasts the entire night as you sleep, you need to fill it with nutrients so you can move, think right, and feel great. Isn’t it that whenever you skip breakfast, you feel hunger pangs at work, headache, and easily lose focus?
Skipping breakfast has several health disadvantages that could affect your performance at work. It has been found out that women who don’t take breakfast regularly are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Weight gain and a decrease in cognitive function can also occur. Not missing out on breakfast isn’t the only thing that matters. What you eat is also more important. Make sure that you fill yourself up with high-protein, high-fiber foods to keep you fuller longer at work and improve your focus at the same time.
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Make a realistic “to-do” list.
Taking time to sit down and make a list of your activities for the day allows you to have a greater sense of accountability and orderliness. The mere act of writing things down helps you remember them better and come up with an initial plan to tackle them. Moreover, creating a to-do list allows you to decide which tasks require your immediate attention and are more important.
Remember that no matter how much you want to handle everything yourself, you won’t be able to do so without asking for a little help. With that, you should identify responsibilities you could delegate to someone. If you own a business, you can outsource projects that are repetitive and take up too much of your time. It’s important that you focus more on tasks that have a greater impact on your organization. Keep your to-do list as simple and as specific as possible.
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Meditate
Everywhere, we read articles that discuss the tremendous effects of daily meditation on a person’s productivity and success. Yes, meditation can actually boost your performance in life and help you accomplish more by tuning out all kinds of distractions of daily life – personal or work-related
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Burn some calories.
Yes, you’ve guessed it right. Exercise. I know, it’s not so easy to get up earlier than your usual waking time to get sweaty. In fact, a lot of people hit the snooze button even after making a commitment to stick to a morning exercise habit. To increase your motivation to move early in the day, you need to put in mind the many benefits that exercise can bring to your mind and body. A morning exercise enhances your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories even when you’re sitting at your office desk for hours. If your goal is to lose weight and stay fit, you’ll definitely win by working out. Also, since exercising is a positive habit, you’ll be more likely to practice good habits throughout your day.
No one can deny that deliberate physical activity in the morning is tough. However, you need to put in mind that the best efforts always yield maximum results. You don’t have to engage in a strenuous workout to get results. A 15-minute jog or some jumping jacks to get your heart racing can already do wonders. Everywhere, we read articles that discuss the tremendous effects of daily meditation on a person’s productivity and success. Yes, meditation can actually boost your performance in life and help you accomplish more by tuning out all kinds of distractions of daily life – personal or work-related.
By clearing your mind through meditation, you’ll be able to enhance your focus so that you don’t have to worry about multiple things at once which hampers your productivity. If you find yourself often bothered about problems that slow down your performance, meditation will help you achieve a greater sense of peace. Are you a newbie to meditation? Spend at least 2 minutes first thing after waking up to sit down comfortably on your bed or chair. Close your eyes as you focus your attention on positive, loving thoughts. You can even listen to guided meditation sessions which you can download online to help you get started.
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Tidy up your desk.
If you work from home, you might neglect keeping your work space clutter-free. After all, there’s no boss who checks up on you, right? A clean desk isn’t just for showing off, it’s for you to experience the psychological benefits of a chaos-free space which again, impacts your day’s performance. Admit it, there’s nothing more irritating than the sight of stray adhesive notes, crumpled pieces of paper, and unfilled folders. A chaotic work desk can make it difficult for you to locate important items that you need. You’ll be wasting a lot of time trying to find something important.
Before you start your day’s work, make it a habit to de-clutter your area. Have a bin nearby so that you can instantly get rid of trash while you work. Instead of keeping paper, why not store digital files? If possible, use drawers to help you organize your supplies. Lastly, label your folders or items for easy access.
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Connect with your loved ones.
Last but not the least, you should never miss the morning habit of spending time (even a few minutes) conversing with the people who are dear to you. Whether these are your kids and spouse, relatives, or best buddies who are near or far, connecting with special people in your life gives you happy feelings. Instead of preoccupying yourself with work-related emails as you wake up, send a morning greeting to a loved one from the other side of the world. Have a healthy breakfast with your family and talk about the beautiful things that could transpire during the day.
The positive energy you’ll create by being and communicating with special people makes you more capable of tackling the day’s challenges and working harder. This boost in productivity brings you closer to success.
