Morning habits for a more productive day

When I started to work from home, I had no idea how to structure my day as productively as possible. I skipped major things that were vital for my focus, concentration and motivation.

Over the years, I have sought to improve my daily productivity by using research as my guide, but also by noticing the things that work best for me.

Some research suggests that self-control and energy levels can be closely linked, and that both may become depleted as the day goes by.

It seems that energy and self-control can feel like muscles tiring throughout the day, making it harder to focus on tasks. This suggests that, for some people, the morning hours may be the best time for challenging work, as energy and self-control can be higher at this time.

To make the most of the day and retain our energy levels as best we can, there are things we can do in the mornings to help steer ourselves into a productive day.

Morning habits for a more productive day

Sleep

I believe that, to get the best results, these “muscles” need rest, so having enough sleep is a good way to start the day.

Now, I know we live in a busy world that throws demands at us endlessly. However, we do have some say in what we decide to adhere to.

Arianna Huffington, a busy lady herself, writes in her book Thrive about the importance of making sleep an appointment in itself. So, take out your diary and make that appointment for the night. Once we give sleep the importance of any deadline or meeting, we may start to see results.

Affirmations

Affirmations are a great way to set the day’s tone in the morning. When we feed our sleepy mind with kind and affirming thoughts, we can interrupt the negative flow of thoughts that may arise in the early hours of the day when the brain is still disoriented and sleepy.

This helps to centre us and tackle any situations that arise with a calmer mind.

Lemon juice

Hot lemon juice is the latest addition to my family of morning routines. Many people enjoy it as a simple way to start the day and hydrate before breakfast.

Take half a lemon and mix it with warm or hot water. You may wish to drink this 15 to 30 minutes before you eat anything.

Exercise in the morning

I used to think that I wasn’t a morning exercise person, and I guess I am still not completely there. I expect that I will do my morning yoga stretches religiously and cycle for 30 minutes, three times a week in the morning.

What I have noticed is this: I feel more centred, energised, focused and positive after exercising, but also better able to deal with rude or difficult emails or situations. I just don’t get so involved and sucked into them.

Even a short walk during the working day can help create space, reduce stress and support focus. So imagine what positive effect exercising each day could have for you.

No devices

My rule of thumb is no devices before my morning routine has been completed, the day has been planned, and I am at my desk at home or on the train.

When you read texts, emails or social media this early, you are sucked into the whirlwind of the world and the demands of others. This can leave us feeling overwhelmed and may increase stress levels as we feel that we have so much to do and achieve.

A great way to distract yourself from devices is to meditate, do mindfulness exercises, do yoga stretches, exercise or just look at nature out of your window. These can calm and centre you, connecting you to yourself and your flow, which in turn focuses on what you want and choose to achieve in the day.

Planning the day

Plan your day the night before with goals that specifically tell you how you will action them and in what realistic timeframe.

This helps your brain move to the next task after a set time without using energy to plan, and enables more tasks to be done. Your motivation may also go up as you see yourself achieving.

Do the hardest thing in the morning

Revise your plan in the morning and focus on the priorities that take more mental energy, or that do not excite you, and tackle them first.

This helps you use your energy and self-motivation wisely, especially as it may tire as the day goes by. You can then focus on smaller, less demanding tasks later when less energy is left over.

Eat breakfast

Eating a healthy breakfast gives us the energy we need to start the day. Especially in the winter, I love my porridge with nuts, seeds and fruit, popped into the microwave while I prepare my packed lunch.

Making your own lunch also helps you know what you are eating throughout the day. If planned in the morning, it may save you money too.

Tidy your desk

I tidy my desk in the evening, ready for the morning. This gives me a feeling of a fresh day, a new start, and doesn’t draw me into the battles of yesterday.

Decluttering and organising our office space, as much as our living spaces, can be good for our mental wellbeing.

Learn to say no

Prioritisation is vital. If we want to achieve our goals, learning to prioritise is so important.

When we know our plan and what we want, we can also see what is most important to do. From there, we can say no to demands that would take us away from achieving our most important goals.

A great question to ask is: will this action or decision take me closer to the things I aspire to?

Don’t multitask and stick to your plan

The old chestnut: is multitasking better than not? I have come across so much research about this and, for me, it is a definite no to multitasking.

When I have my plan for the day ready, I move from one task to the other. Having it written down is so helpful, as the brain does not have to work out mid-flow what to do next. The priority order is already spelt out in black and white.

This moves us forward more easily in our tasks and does not demotivate us, even when a task is not finished. We can still feel we have achieved more as we have tackled multiple areas, one at a time.

Anything we do in a given day is preparation for what we will be doing in the future, so make the things you do today as relevant, pleasurable and worthwhile as they can be.

Exercise today creates the health for your future. Taking that small step towards your goal will pave the way for you to achieve it in the future.

If your day is filled with things you do not want to do too many days in a row, then start making plans to make it a more enjoyable “now”, since now is the only moment we have to make a change.