Do you feel like each day is a whirlwind, leaving you constantly playing a game of “catch up” both in your personal and professional life? Many people dismiss the impact their mornings have on their health, well-being and performance. If you’re always feeling behind throughout the week, focusing on how you prepare and spend your mornings can have a major influence on the trajectory of your days, and ultimately, your success in life. And, while there’s no secret formula to a perfect day, there are changes you can make to restructure your time and energy.
Here are three tips to ramp up your morning routine:
Plan your day before it starts.
As the old saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail! Organizing your to-do list and creating a plan of action before your day begins is critical for keeping yourself on track for maximum productivity. Some of the best practices for this include making a list of action items the night before; reviewing your calendar; and blocking off time for your most important tasks or projects. From there, you can make adjustments to your schedule as needed and prioritize your most pressing commitments. Going through this process every evening will help you wake up every morning feeling prepared to conquer the day and perform at your greatest potential.
Focus on your energy levels.
Everybody experiences varying energy levels during different parts of the day. You can maximize your morning by first focusing on how you feel. Are you groggy and sluggish or do you feel refreshed and alert? By evaluating how you feel, you can determine the best allocation of your time. For example, if you feel your best during the early hours, consider making morning the time you do work that requires the most mental energy and concentration. Or, if you find you’re more energized in the afternoons, you may opt to do less mentally taxing activities in the mornings, such as light chores or exercise.
Establish a sleep routine – and stick to it.
Failing to set a regular sleep routine is a surefire way to derail your mornings and set yourself up for some major unproductivity. Research shows that missing sleep can negatively affect your physical and mental health in many ways, from weight gain to poor concentration. If you find yourself constantly fatigued, consider restructuring your habits and implementing a more “sleep-friendly” lifestyle. This may involve reducing caffeine intake, shutting down electronics before bed and making sure to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. Even just small adjustments can make a huge difference in your energy levels!
As you can see, the way you prepare for and spend your mornings can affect your quality of life for better – or worse. Making meaningful changes to improve your mornings will put you on a better path to achieving your goals and improve your quality of life!
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