Do you find mornings to be stressful, so much so that you are exhausted before you even start work?
You can start your day off well, to reduce stress and help you be more productive with a tailored morning routine.
A morning routine helps us set the tone for the day, better allowing us to control our schedules rather than our schedule controlling us. As we start each day fresh, we can better focus on what is in front of us, where to prioritise our time, and, ultimately, increase our productivity.
Here are tips you should implement to make your mornings less stressful:
Before you leave home
Reduce distractions
There are so many distractions that can impact on the flow of our morning. Social media and emails are some of the biggest distractions that can really interrupt our morning routine.
Social media can be one of the firsts things we grab for in the morning. Replace this with a quiet moment with yourself before getting up, try a daily affirmation instead. Keep social media scrolling for later in the day.
Do you have your work emails linked to your phone, so you can keep up to date with work when you are out of the office. If so, make sure you turn the notifications off so you are not tempted to look at work emails during your morning. Emails don’t need to be apart of your morning routine, they can wait until you are at work.
Journal
Spending time with your own thoughts in the morning can help to get your mind clear before the day starts. Writing down any lingering thoughts from over night takes them off your mind, allowing for a fresh start. The practice of putting a notepad by your bed can be useful and a good reminder to jot down your thoughts.
Use a checklist
Checking in with yourself in the morning using a checklist can remind you of what you’d like to accomplish. A checklist is a standard list of things you’d like to do that can be checked off once completed. You can use a pre-made template, write on a notepad each morning or use reminders/to-do’s on your phone. You can have anything you need to remind yourself to do, such as:
- Make the bed
- Drink coffee or water or smoothie
- Take medication or vitamins
- Get dressed
- Clean
- Ring someone to connect and find out how they are going
Utilising a checklist template can be beneficial as it provides structure and satisfaction when completing tasks. Likewise, incorporating daily journal pages allows for documenting and tracking progress on the checklist if you enjoy journaling.
Travelling to work
During your travel time read, listen to a podcast or an audio book. Keep your mind off work and all the things you have to do. You may have a busy day ahead, but that can wait, don’t overwhelm yourself before you get to work. Having a positive mindset can really improve your start to work.
Rituals
When crafting your morning routine think about what would work for you everyday, no matter what your diary looks like. Would you like to set an alarm and wake up at the same time everyday, would you like to meditate or do yoga or go for a run. Setting rituals for daily practices helps you craft a good routine.
Once you are at work
Your first task
Before you head into your back to back meetings or your mountain of paperwork, give yourself 10 minutes to grab a drink. Taking a few moments to yourself before you start grinding away can set your day up.
Schedule in small breaks
You can’t run at 100%, 100% of the time, you need to give yourself time to refuel.
When you are booking your meetings or tasks you need to complete, make sure you give yourself time to write notes after each session and allow yourself time to grab a drink, have a snack or other tasks before heading into your next appointment.
Have a lunch break
Frequently, I encounter people saying, "I don't have time for lunch," which is quite alarming. While our days may be hectic, skipping lunch should never be the solution. Taking a lunch break provides an opportunity to relax, refuel, and recharge for the rest of the day.
Create a morning routine that you enjoy, that you can do everyday.
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