1. Avoid The Snooze.
Most mornings we’d do anything to get an extra 5 minutes of sleep in the morning. Or 10. Or 15. The snooze button may feel like your best friend, but beware. Snoozing often leads to a rushed morning routine. First you’re sacrificing ironing your shirt to get some more shut-eye, then your breakfast, then your shower. It’s a slippery slope that leads to a disgruntled and flustered start to your work day. Instead of snoozing indefinitely, train yourself to get up right when your alarm goes off. If you have a hard time waking up, set your alarm 10 minutes earlier than usual, and spend that time waking up over a cup of coffee in the kitchen or on your porch. Snoozing may feeling great in the moment, but the sooner you’re up and at ‘em, the more time you have to relax into your day.
(Photo credit: John Christian Fjellestad)
Whether via paper, internet, TV, or radio, the morning is an excellent time to catch up on current events. Even if you merely skim a few articles over your bowl of oatmeal, it’s important to get your news in before your work tasks and errands suck up your extra time. Disney CEO Bob Iger gets up at 4:30 AM to read the paper. General Electric GE +0.29% CEO Jeff Immelt gets up at 5:30 to watch CNBC. Use your morning time to stay up-to-date and informed.
3. Clean Your Workspace.
At the end of the work day, the last thing you want to do is straighten up. This often means sitting down to a cluttered, dirty desk come 8 AM the next morning. Before starting in on your emails, take a minute to clear your space (and your mind). Throw out old papers, throw away yesterday’s lunch wrappers, file documents you don’t need right away. Keep only the necessities on your desk, and keep them as orderly as possible. A clean desk will help you to focus better and see your tasks more clearly. It will also make you look more put together and professional. After all, it’s your workplace, not your bedroom.
4. Shower.
While it
may seem fairly straight forward, showering in the morning is key to a
productive day. Yes, a nice hot shower can relax you before hitting the
hay, but a morning time shower can have several benefits. For starters, a
shower is the perfect way to wake yourself quickly. Instead of
floundering about rubbing your eyes, a shower can energize you instantly
so that you have more pre-work time for other things. Washing in the
morning can help you at work, as well. Being freshly groomed helps you
to feel prepared and ready for the day, and allows you to focus more
easily on tasks at hand. Oh, and it might even impress your boss.
5. Practice Gratitude.
Waking up can be a particularly negative time for some. It’s easy to
dwell on your tiredness or the busy day ahead of you. Instead of
starting out your day on a pessimistic note, try practicing gratitude
first thing after opening your eyes. The quietness and peacefulness of
the morning lend themselves well to this activity. Take a minute to list
five things you are grateful for. It can be little things like a sunny
day, or something bigger like the love of your partner or children.
While you get ready for your day, reflect on the things on your list. It
will boost your mood, while allowing you to think about something
besides your to-do list.
