To start her morning, Marilyn Monroe cracked two raw eggs into a cup of warm milk and drank it while getting dressed. While your morning routine may not be as…unique, how you start your day affects not only your productivity, but also how you respond to your coworkers, your clients, and your friends throughout the day.
Unfortunately, being a “morning person” is not everyone’s natural inclination. Instead, you may find yourself hitting the snooze button ten times and spending the first few hours of the day in a zombie-like trance. If this sounds like you, don’t worry—we’ve generated a few tips that will help you start each day with more energy and enthusiasm. While we can’t guarantee that you’ll love waking up every morning, you’ll be able to establish a routine that maximizes your productivity and keeps you from crashing in the afternoon. Morning people, this post is for you too— you’ll be able to get some fresh ideas to shake up your morning routine and get your brain ready for the day.
Wake up
Whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, everyone has those mornings they’d rather be sleeping. That’s why it’s important to have a morning routine— it’s a way to give your brain the cues it needs to move from one task to the next. The best morning routines start with the night before, and with a full night’s rest. Although you may not realize it, the amount of sleep you get each night not only directly affects your mood, it also influences your ability to focus on tasks.
In the article “Sleep Deficit: the Performance Killer,” author Bronwyn Fryer writes that having enough sleep is not only positive, but essential to brain function. The article states “If [a person] average four hours of sleep a night for four or five days, they develop the same level of cognitive impairment as if they’d been awake for 24 hours—equivalent to legal drunkenness…This greatly lengthens reaction time, impedes judgment, and interferes with problem solving.” If you have trouble getting the right amount of sleep every night, try setting out your clothes the night before, turning off electronics 90 minutes before bed, or just going to bed at an earlier time each night. You’ll wake up more refreshed, and with more energy to take on the day.
Breakfast
Although it may be tempting to skip breakfast or grab an energy bar on your way out the door, physically sitting down for breakfast can actually be a great use of your time in the mornings. You can use breakfast time to think through the tasks you need to accomplish, which will put you in a motivated frame of mind for the rest of the day. If you’re the kind of person who can’t resist working, sitting down for breakfast can be the perfect opportunity to catch up on the news (we’re obsessed with the Skimm, which delivers major news in bite-sized pieces), or read a few pages of that novel you’ve been meaning to start.
For your actual breakfast, make sure to choose something with protein— it will give you lasting energy throughout the day. Eggs, avocado, or yogurt with granola are all great options, and if you feel like you don’t have enough time to fix an elaborate breakfast in the morning, check out these handy mug breakfasts. All you need to do is mix the ingredients and heat… you’ll have the perfect gourmet breakfast in half the time.
Get Ready
One of the best ways to feel more alert in the morning is to get moving. Doing a quick workout will get your blood flowing and give you more energy for your day, whether it’s running a mile, doing a few jumping jacks, or stretching. If the idea of a morning workout makes you want to bury your head under the covers, try listening to music or a podcast in the morning. It will help your brain to focus and will elevate your mood before you head to work.
Go to work
So you’ve woken up, you’ve had a great breakfast, and you’ve got a fresh mug of coffee to start the day. When you get to work, keep your momentum going by focusing on the most important tasks first. It can be easy to get sucked into checking and responding to emails, but instead you should try to answer the ones that need immediate attention— you’ll be able to focus on the other emails when you need a break in the afternoon. Mornings are also a great time to brainstorm for upcoming projects, draft proposals, or generate new ideas. When your brain is fresh, it’s the perfect time to get creative.
This year, make your resolution to get more from your day. A work day that begins with a great morning will set the tone for the rest of the week, and you’ll be able to tackle your workload with more energy and enthusiasm.