A famous Chinese saying is “The spring sets the tone for the year, and your morning sets the tone for the day.” An energizing and structured morning routine can help you become more productive while clearing your mind. Previous research shows that consistent morning routines can help with stress reduction and productivity levels. While I am not a morning person, these are just a few tactics I use to make my morning routine flow when I have things to do in the morning (which is most days).?
- Get up at your alarm. Pressing the snooze button for those extra five minutes is tempting, but it only makes getting out of bed harder. To trick myself into getting up at my alarm, I set two alarms: one for at least 30 minutes before I need to be up and my actual alarm. That way, when I snooze my first alarm, I get to trick myself into thinking I’m sleeping in, when I’m getting up on time.?
- Don’t scroll first thing in the morning. I know it’s hard, and it’s a terrible habit of mine. However, I find bright screens first thing in the morning very jarring and overwhelming and try to give myself at least a few minutes of no screens before checking any notifications.?
- Make your bed. It can be a pain, but as someone who works from home several days a week, I often fall victim to the afternoon slump and getting back into bed when I should be working. Making my bed makes me much less inclined to get into bed or stay there for long periods. Even if you aren’t working from home, coming home to a made bed is so satisfying!?
- Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. It’s good to stay hydrated no matter the time of day, but having water first thing in the morning is refreshing and sometimes reduces my need for caffeinated drinks like coffee or energy drinks.?
- Write a to-do list. A list of what I need to accomplish during the day helps me create more structured workflows and set my expectations. By having something to reference, I don’t have to worry about remembering what needs to be done; I can focus on the task at hand. Niura makes planning out my short and long-term goals even easier by providing me with real-time feedback on my focus and stress levels while working on my in-app to-do list.?
Whether you love your mornings or are a total night owl, these strategies will set you up for success when conquering the day!
