If you’re a morning person like me, waking up early and getting things done is an essential part of every day. Getting up a little earlier gives you more time to get yourself ready and can eliminate the stress of having no time to gather yourself before the day begins. But what are some ways to be productive in the morning?
I typically start every day off by doing a quick workout and making my bed. Making your bed first thing in the morning is the first task you accomplish in the day and can even encourage you to complete more tasks going forward. In an article written by The Spruce, they say that making your bed in the morning actually leads to more productivity
Just like making your bed after you wake up, having a productive morning routine sets the tone for the rest of your day. Daily micro habits help you to be on top of your game. Break free of that strictly snooze relationship with your alarm clock. Here are a few tips to help elevate your morning routine.
9 Ways to be Productive in the Morning
1. Plan your day the night before.
Planning your day means something different to everyone. But a few prime suggestions are to pick out your outfit before you go to bed, prep your meals and make a to-do list of things you want to accomplish. By doing this it eliminates “getting ready” time and allows for more “getting work done” time.
2. Take a morning shower.
This wakes you up, gets you moving and helps to start the day off feeling fresh. If you’re daring enough, taking a cold shower is especially beneficial. Furthermore, a morning shower has been shown to boost immunity, prompting our bodies to create new white blood cells.
3. Cleanse your body.
Drinking lemon water in the morning spikes your energy levels both physically and mentally. But make sure to drink it first thing in the morning so your body can properly absorb the nutrients and give you the best results. If you don’t care for lemons, you could substitute some cucumbers or limes!
4. Exercise or stretch.
This doesn’t strictly mean following a workout routine (but feel free to pump iron). Going for a walk, doing some stretches or even playing with your dog gets your blood pumping. More importantly, it gives your body the opportunity to move and wake up.
5. Identify your priorities.
Make sure to complete the most important tasks of your day, first. You know, the ones you’re especially dreading. Basically, do the hard stuff before the easy stuff, that way you’ll have completed whatever it is that’s hanging over your head and won’t need to worry about it for the rest of the day.
6. Eliminate distractions.
Being on your phone is a distraction and minimizing screen time is definitely key to a productive morning. This doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to look at your phone at all. Try not to make it the first thing you reach for once you roll over in bed.
7. Track your work.
Buy an agenda or planner to track what you’ve completed throughout the day and check it off as you go. This helps to schedule out your day and delegate an efficient amount of time to your work. I personally like to use a whiteboard calendar to write out my tasks for each day and cross them off when I’ve finished. This way I have my entire week scheduled out and can refer back to it before making other plans and getting overwhelmed.
8. Organize your workspace.
Regardless of if you’re working from home or in an office building, cleaning your workspace in the morning not only keeps you organized, but also allows your brain to concentrate. You should try as best as you can to keep your desk or office space as neat as possible. Working in a messy environment has been proven to disrupt efficiency. In fact, it can even have the same effects as multitasking—which we’ll get into next!
9. Stop multitasking.
When waking up early, it may seem easy to do multiple things at once with extra time. Trying to multitask in the morning can actually set you back. Your brain can only focus on one thing at a time. When you try to complete two different tasks at once, your efficiency is reduced. If you feel like you have to multitask in order to get everything done, it may be time to set that alarm clock an hour earlier.
About the Author/s
Senior journalism major at Rider University and iced coffee connoisseur.
5 comments
Hi Madison!
Thank you for posting this article…it was amazing…so very helpful! I’ve been working 30+ years & until March always worked in an office environment. Now I’m WFH…find myself easily distracted and not as productive. Love the start your day with a game plan the night before..brilliant! Also, a little exercise & lemon water gets the brain cells working…love it. Again, thank you!! Awesome tips!!
WFH-GAME PLAN ON!
Diane
is there a 10th way
Great article Madison . Got my game plan starting tomorrow. Crazy how I thought multitasking was being “productive “ . May have to set that alarm clock an hour earlier ! Looking forward to reading more articles.
This is a great article and has inspired me to plan ahead, organize, drink lemon water and much more. Thanks for the great topic and ways to be productive it will help me stay focused. Keep writing more articles they are very well written and fun to read.
Paul
Hello Madison,
Well I must say I was extremely impressed at 2:45am!!! I need ALL the help I can get at this time in my life!! You gave us so many good pointers to follow and so well written. It takes a lot to keep me focused and you had me completely engaged!! HUGE COMPLIMENT!!! We need to be reminded of what we can do throughout our lives to make the most of our journey. Thank you for sharing with ALL of us and making our world and us SHINE A LOT BRIGHTER!!!
A. Mickey