Mornings are the most important time of the day to jumpstart your productivity. What you do from the moment you wake up until the moment you leave your house for work will have a huge impact on the rest of your day—so make sure you’re doing things right. Here are 7 things you should always do before you go to work to set the tone for a great day.
1.Take some quiet time for yourself, no matter how briefly
Sometimes, when we’re in a big rush to get out the door, taking a few minutes to pray or meditate can seem like the most counterintuitive thing we could do to help ourselves. Yet, they have been known to orient your being towards good energy and a positive outlook—which may actually be even more valuable while feeling frenetically stressed. If you take some time in the morning to ground yourself before you get caught up in the rush of the day, all the stresses you feel may become significantly less weighty.
2. Have breakfast
One big mistake many of us make is to skimp on breakfast, or skip it altogether. Be sure to make breakfast a permanent part of your morning ritual. And, while it might be easy to grab the nearest sugary carbohydrate in the morning, a bit of protein (such as eggs or meat or cheese) will carry you much farther. It’ll properly keep you full until lunch—so you don’t eat unhealthy office snacks—and also give you more long-term energy.
3. Indulge in soothing mental activity
Some people love listening to music in the mornings, when they first wake up. Others prefer to scroll through the latest online news articles, or watch TV or listen to the radio. No matter the activity that brings you a bit of peace and headspace, make it a habit to do it before work each day. The ritual will ground you, and get your day off to a relaxing start.
4. Try a cold bath or shower
Some of us choose to shower or bathe at night, and some in the morning. And while most of us like our showers and baths warm—or even steaming hot—it’s been found that cold-water immersion can have lasting benefits to almost every part of our physical well-being. In fact, in a previously published study, it’s also been shown that cold water releases certain chemicals in our brains responsible for making us feel happy. So, improve your mood and your health by turning on the cold-water faucet first thing in the morning.
5. Exercise
While many of us prefer to exercise during our lunch break, or after work, studies show that engaging in physical activity in the morning—before we go to work—is actually best for our minds and bodies. It warms up our muscles for the day while allowing us to start our workday with a burst of happy and inspiring endorphins.
6. Wake up feeling well-rested
Naturally, this is something that can only come with having enough sleep. Get at least seven hours a of sleep every night to ward off fatigue, while feeling increased motivation, concentration, and happiness.
7. Think about your long-term goals
Funny enough, so many of us get caught up in short-term, day-to-day activities that we end up losing sight of the bigger picture. Remind yourself every single day why you’re doing the small things—that is, after all, the only way you’ll end up achieving the big ones.
