Six Hacks To Make Your Mornings More Productive

Have you ever felt those moments soon after waking in the morning, when lunch time suddenly appears without you having done anything? It’s like the whole morning just flew by without any feeling of productivity. You may not be a ‘morning person’ but that’s no reason for your mornings not to be productive!

If you wake up at 7am you still have five hours of activity before lunch. So are you getting the most out of your mornings or are you waiting until after lunch to actually get things done?I’m here to help you get the most out this crucial part of your day! It feels great when you’ve checked a couple of items off your to-do list before lunch. You look at the clock and you still have the rest of the day to enjoy!

So here they are:

1. Start the night before Yes, your new day can start the night before. List your goals for the next day before you go to bed to give you an idea on how your day will go. You can even prepare your breakfast the night before (like overnight oats) so it’s ready when you wake. Your mornings will be more productive if you’re not running around the house in a hurry.

2. Quite hitting the snooze button Did you know that hitting the snooze button is doing more harm than good to your body and its energy levels? When your alarm rings, your surroundings are telling your body it’s time to get up. When you hit the snooze button, you are confusing your body and brain. You end up with the groggy feeling of sleep inertia, which in turn, will affect your alertness and performance throughout the day. So resist the temptation to hit the snooze button. Get up and get going. Grab an afternoon power nap if you need to. 

3. Start your day with lemon and water I’ve written about the advantage of drinking lemon water in a previous blog post. Without question, this increases my energy levels throughout the day. It’s so easy to forget to drink water. Drinking warm lemon water will hydrate and oxygenate your body so make this a habit first thing in the morning. You’ll feel refreshed and revitalized after your night’s sleep. No need for sugary energy drinks or excessive caffeine!

4. Exercise I’m not saying this just because I’m a fitness coach. I doubt you’ll see a reading where exercise isn’t recommended to help make your mornings more productive. Highly successful people almost always have a morning workout routine (like running or yoga) to start their day. When we sleep, our body is in a relaxed state. Exercise tells your body it’s time to get moving! Studies have shown that regular exercise assists us with the ability to focus and improves our memory. So if your day is going to involve a lot of mental tasks this one is super important.

5. Skip the digital world What’s the first thing you check in the morning? If it’s your phone, then you might be having less productive mornings. Let’s face it, once you open your social media accounts, your email, and your messages, time flies by. You’re left with endless scrolling and replying to other people even before you’ve had your breakfast! Don’t give your mornings away. Start by focusing on yourself - exercising, eating a healthy breakfast, and having some meditation. This will set a calming and relaxed tone for the day. We tend to be more productive if we’re relaxed.

6. Eat your frog Motivational speaker and self-development author Brian Tracy says, “eating your frog first is a great cure for procrastination”. Your frog is described as your worst task. It’s based on Mark Twain’s famous saying, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” If you do this you will feel accomplished even if you are not able to finish other items on your to-do list. Accomplish this task before you check your email or go to a meeting. Such an achievement every day sets a productive tone.

Don’t forget to have a healthy breakfast to give you energy! I love my mornings because I get to workout, bond with my sons (I have two now!), and enjoy a healthy breakfast with my shake. Let me know if you have a productive morning hack!

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