When you go to bed, you probably think of dozens of things you’d like to do the next day. When you wake up the next day though, you feel sleepy, unmotivated, and unproductive. You try to make yourself do at least something and get stressed or disappointed when you fail to do it. Luckily, there are some simple yet effective morning hacks that will help you improve your productivity:
1. Move your body
Wake up 5 minutes earlier to do some stretches. If you don’t feel like running in the morning or heading to the gym before work, it’s not a big problem. The key is to move your body first thing in the morning to provide it with energy and help yourself wake up. Besides stretches, do some easy exercises like squats, jogging in one place, or jumping. When you move your body, you’re improving blood flow supplied to your brain. This helps to enhance your awareness and alertness, as well as help you get ready to accomplish your most difficult tasks or your next big project.
2. Have your breakfast
It may sound banal, but eating breakfast is critically important to your body and your productivity level. What you put in your body in the morning can determine how energized and productive you’ll be during the day. If your breakfast consists of unhealthy food, you’re more likely to feel sluggish and hungry even before your lunch begins. A healthy breakfast will help you beat a mid-day slump and keep you feeling productive and energized for hours.
3. Meditate
Before you scroll this point, give it a few seconds of your attention. Meditation doesn’t mean sitting an hour in Lotus position and pronouncing om all the time. Meditation is about clearing your mind and preparing it for a busy day. When your mind is overbrimming with thousand thoughts per minute, you’re less likely to be productive. You can have trouble focusing on your project and thus tend to procrastinate.
There are plenty of quick, morning meditation guides on YouTube that you can listen to, albeit you can also create your own meditation session. Just sit for a few minutes without anyone distracting you and get rid of all the negativity in your head. You’ll feel a deep relief instantly.
4. Plan out your day
It’s not about writing your endless to-do lists. When you plan out your day step by step, you know what you should accomplish today to feel happy about yourself in the evening. Feeling happy about yourself at the end of the day aids in enhancing productivity and positivity. Be sure your plan for the day isn’t too big. Evaluate the time needed for each task or errand and leave enough space for short breaks and meals. Try to plan your day early in the morning to get started on your tasks instantly the moment you enter the office.
5. Start with the hardest tasks
When you check your plan for the day, the last thing you want to do is to tackle that complicated task or project the moment your workday starts. In reality, when you begin your day with the hardest tasks, you can be more relaxed in the afternoon when we experience a mid-day slump. When you lack confidence and productivity, accomplishing your hardest task right away in the morning will give you both feelings.
6. Get rid of distractions
In today’s world, distractions are everywhere, including the biggest one that you’re probably holding in your hand right now – your smartphone. A decade ago, gossiping was the biggest problem in the office that negatively affected the productivity levels of employees. Nowadays, the Internet is the biggest distraction.
If you have a long to-do list and you’re serious about completing it, eliminate all the distractions around yourself. This means switching off your phone or maybe the Internet and letting others know that you’re too busy to gossip with them. It’s impossible to stay productive, when you’re distracted all the time.
7. Set deadlines for yourself
Who’s not afraid of the word “deadline?” When you have a deadline, you don’t have a choice – whether you want to be productive or not. If your boss doesn’t set deadlines for you, do this job for them. By setting deadlines for yourself, you’ll increase your focus and be able to complete more tasks on time. This technique is also known as Parkinson’s Law. When you know that you have limited time for every task or project, you have no choice but get them done efficiently. As soon as you create your plan for the day, check it out once again and set a deadline for each task.
8. Practice gratitude
Before you leave your house and head to the office, take a few minutes to practice gratitude. The feeling of gratitude will evoke positivity that will eventually turn into productivity. Plus, the gratitude attitude will help you commute with less stress and perceive negative people with a smile on your face. In the morning, most people tend to be stressed, overwhelmed, and angry, which is why we often get to the office feeling stressed and not being able to do anything.
Each morning get into a habit of naming at least 3 things you’re grateful for. They don’t have to be materialistic. For instance, you can be grateful for having a home, a family, or a job. You should be grateful for being able to wake up and walk while some people are struggling to live another second of their lives. Life is too short to be unproductive, after all.
Start your morning right and your day will be amazingly productive. Ensure you get enough sleep so that you could do the tiny rituals mentioned above. Also, try to wake up earlier and go to bed before 11 pm. Deep sleep that we usually get between 11 pm and 2 am will increase your focus, boost your energy levels, and therefore, you’ll stay alert and productive all day long.