It’s not always easy to get into a morning routine, but the benefits of doing so are priceless. From salespeople to corporate executives, many professionals say they wouldn’t be where they are today if they hadn’t disciplined themselves to create morning habits and a routine.
While the outcome of the day ahead isn’t always predictable or controllable, the habits people choose to nurture can be. A routine or lack thereof can set the tone for the day and have a domino effect on the rest of the week.
Below are four tips to help win the morning and get the work day off to a solid start.
Wake Up Early to Avoid the Rush
It’s always tempting to hit the snooze alarm, but the benefits of an early start to the day far outweigh a few extra minutes of sleep. Waking up early gives people the time they need to prepare for the day. It also leaves plenty of time for exercise, prayer or meditation, and eating a healthy breakfast, all of which can put workers in the right frame of mind to face the challenges of the day ahead.
Read Something Uplifting Before Anything Else
Waking up to a lot of emails and possible text messages is part of the territory with some jobs. However, that doesn’t mean that people need to start the day by reading them. This is especially true if the messages are likely to be some type of complaint or a problem the employee needs to solve. Reading something positive instead, such as a chapter of a motivational book, is a better idea. It provides a calm and positive mindset that can help to counter the potential onslaught of negative things the employee must deal with at the start of the workday.
Engage in Physical Activity
Running, yoga, walking, lifting weights, or engaging in another type of physical exercise before starting work helps to keep the mind sharp and the body strong. This is important for everyone, but especially those who sit most of the day or who are on the go and don’t even have time to eat a good meal. Changing things up every few weeks can help to keep the motivation going. Many people who develop a morning exercise routine admit that they miss it if something in their schedule prevents them from working out one day.
Take the Time to Prepare a Healthy Breakfast
A donut or a bowl of cereal may be a quick breakfast, but they don’t provide adequate nutrition nor do they leave a person full for very long. To get the most mileage out of breakfast, workers should ensure that the meal contains healthy fats, lean protein, and whole grains. The benefits of eating a nutritious breakfast include more energy, feeling less hungry throughout the day, and the ability to focus better on work tasks. It’s also worth noting that people who skip breakfast tend to be overweight more often than those who always eat breakfast.
It can take some trial and error for people to find the morning routine that works best for them. The important thing is not to give up until the activities feel just right.