Wanting to be more productive in the morning is a buzz term on everyone’s lips, because research is revealing that having a productive day starts with the habits you implore at the start of your day. If mornings are not your forte, don’t be alarmed, productivity is something a lot people struggle with. The morning is a hectic time for women, but especially if you’re a mom or busy professional, and have people in your home needing you to help them prepare for the day (making school lunches, helping a spouse get ready for a big day, or just making sure everyone gets a good breakfast!).
Everyone wants to become productive every morning. The majority of research tells us that a productive day all begins with good morning habits. If you’re not a morning person, don’t worry. You’re not alone. For instance, morning tends to be more hectic for women – most particularly working moms, or those who have a busy professional career. Some of them need to get the kids and their spouse ready in the morning for school and work, while providing them a nice healthy breakfast, or sometimes, even get some hood cleaning done.
My idea of the perfect morning was different way back then, but it started to change during my teenage years when I realized that it was only during the mornings that I get to do everything I wanted to do before my chemo treatments began. It was the only time of the day to make sure that I get my priorities done to make sure that my mind and body are ready during the chemotherapy. I need to set my intentions straight, my head and heart right – with all of the supplies I needed in my backpack! This includes all inspirational magazines and books to feed my mind, alongside some snacks that could make me feel better throughout the day. It was then that I realized that productive mornings can help me become a better version of myself by having a positive and motivated mindset while I’m staying in the hospital.
My second realization then hit me when I was at an Indian made me realize those mornings aren’t to be dreaded for – but they are beautiful! We should start treating it more than a wake-up time, but it is also a time for our ambitions, dreams, and aspirations to wake up as well. New mornings mean that you get to start your day with a clean mental slate. Take note, however, that morning productivity needs preparation, and just any other kind of habit, you need to keep doing it and make it a part of your daily routine.
6 Different Ways To Make Your Mornings More Productive (And Lead To A New Day!)
- Avoid Snoozing
It’s tempting to hit the snooze button, but according to the Sleed Disorder Centers’ medical director, it just doesn’t help and makes you feel groggier throughout the day. Snoozing forces your brain to go into a new sleep cycle – one that you won’t be able to complete. This means, no matter how hard it may seem – wake up and get up. If you find yourself constantly exhausted during mornings, try going to bed at an earlier schedule promotes a better quality of sleep.
2. Set Your Intentions
If you’re having difficulties getting up, start your day with an intention. When you hear your alarm, immediately think of your intention. It can be anything, but ideally better if it is a one-word intention. It doesn’t have to be something big, or an end result – you can go for one word which you want to achieve such as an emotion. Some examples of intention may include openness, abundance, gratitude, peace, or detachment. This can be any word that will allow you to have the right mindset for the day. If you can, write your intention on a notepad or post-it, and stick it on your front door. This way, you’ll be putting your word in this one place that you see most as you begin your day.
3. Meditate To Start Your Day
Many people meditate to find their center – it clears their head and promotes room for practicing the attitude of gratitude. If this is your first time meditating, you may listen to our audio guide found on Podomatic and iTunes! Here are some beginner tips as well: Meditation plays a crucial role in helping your mornings become productive by promoting a cool and ambitious mindset.
4. Eat a Banana
Maybe a granola bar or some healthy oats. Or an apple. Bring any quick and healthy snacks that you can munch on at 11 AM when you start to feel sluggish in the office. Did you know that your morning coffee might actually cost you your productive morning? First of all, instant coffee drinks and those that you get from popular coffee stores usually get you pumped up, but also makes you crash faster. This is because your body needs real food, and coffee can’t replace the nutrition that you get from food. You need to feel energized because your body gets the right nutrition it needs. So do yourself a favor and focus on bringing with you healthy snacks instead of indulging in expensive lattes and instant coffee drinks.
5. Avoid Stressors
Do you have stressors in the morning? If you’ve identified what causes your morning stresses, take it out of your way. For example, if you’re spending too much time in front of the mirror trying to figure out which outfit to wear, do it before you go to bed instead. Or if you’re starting to feel agitated as your morning coffee starts to brew, find a way to brew it and make sure that it’s done once you wake up. If you have children who’ve been looking around the house all morning for school supplies before going to school, make sure that you establish a night routine to make sure that all things they need to bring for school are prepared before bedtime. Here’s important: you have to be in charge of what happens during the morning, and not the other way around. If you know any activity will make you feel stressed in the morning, get rid of it.
6. A Contrast Shower Will Help
By definition, fitness coaches and professionals use the term contrast shower in the morning when you take a hot shower with cold water showers in between. This is done to help soothe muscle aches and soreness. It also helps promote better blood flow – which you surely need for a morning boost. The interval of hot and cold shower really depends on your personal preference, but I like a minute of a hot shower, followed by a burst of 10 seconds of a cold shower. During the cold shower, make sure that you keep your breathing at pace – this way, you can forget the cold. This is a great way to practice mindfulness. This also helps you be in control of your emotions while staying calm.
If you wish, you can also give our mantra meditation a try. It doesn’t take more than 10 minutes per day – and you can perfectly do this to kickstart your morning routines!