4 Tips to Jump Start Your Morning Routine and Prepare for a Productive Day

Are you a little sluggish in the mornings? If so, you’re not alone. For many of us the strength to summon enough energy to take on another busy day can be a monumental task. Luckily, getting a better start to your day may be as easy as adding a few steps to your morning routine.

Avoid the snooze button
Hitting the snooze button to get just a few more precious minutes of quality time with your bed may only be making your eventual rise and shine harder on yourself. Because we sleep in cycles, when you wake up and hit the snooze button, your brain starts a new cycle when you go back to sleep. When the alarm goes off again 10-15 minutes later, you’re likely in an earlier, deeper stage of the sleep cycle, which only makes it even harder to fully wake and drag yourself out of bed.

Start a consistent morning exercise routine
The time you gain from not hitting the snooze button helps encourage the next tip – exercise.  A quick, 30-minute workout in the morning will jumpstart your metabolism and help you feel energized and ready to start the day. You’ll also feel more focused. When you work out, your brain’s dopamine and serotonin levels increase making you feel happier and calm – which helps you think more clearly and focus your attention on important tasks throughout the day.

Make your bed
This one is simple. Making your bed each morning doesn’t take much time and can help give you an early “victory” to start your day on the right foot. It also helps keep your bedroom from feeling cluttered, which can have a big mental impact when you come home after a long, tiring day at the office. Think about when you’re staying at a hotel and how nice it feels to come back to a clean and tidy room each day. The same concept can apply to your home – and it only takes a few extra minutes in the morning before you head out the door.

Plan your day
Just as a football coach wouldn’t send the team on the field without a series of plays to run, you shouldn’t try to tackle your day without a plan. The workday can get out of control without warning and many of the tasks you need to accomplish can easily fall by the wayside. Taking a few minutes in the morning to outline the most important things that must be done each day not only helps you stay organized and productive, but also gives you a goal to work toward.

What are some of the most important steps in your morning routine? How do they help set you up for success each day? Let us know in the comments section below.

Refresh Leadership is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

No comments yet.

Leave a Reply