How to have your most productive morning
When it comes to the morning, most people are like extras from The Walking Dead — Zombie-like and half-awake, yearning for a coffee or a cold brew. How do people manage to make the most of their mornings and actually get things done?
Figure out what you need to do
Set some time aside to think about what you need to do in the mornings — Wake the kids? Wash up? Plan the day and tackle emails? Whatever it is, write it down along with an estimate of how long it’ll take and allocate it its own slice of time in the morning. Make sure to include the time you need to leave or start working.
Get a good night’s sleep
Once you’ve figured out what you need to do in the morning, and how long it will take, set a reasonable time to wake up. For example, I wake up at 6 which allows me time to have a quick breakfast, a walk, and have some time for both learning and writing. I also use the time to tackle the inbox.
Once you know what time to get up, set a time to go to bed and a time to go to sleep, allowing yourself at least 7–8 hours of sleep and 1 hour to wind down. Winding down allows your body time to slow down and relax, whilst putting your mind to bed so you aren’t plagued by the thoughts and stresses of your day.
Most importantly, don’t give up
Getting into a new routine can be harder than bending a pound coin. It will, most likely, be extremely hard to start with.
However, you’ll very quickly find that the routine will set in and you’ll be doing more things in the morning than you thought possible. It can even have some feel-good benefits, as you feel accomplished whilst you tick those tasks off your morning to-dos.
Bonus tip: Get those curtains open!
When you wake up, make sure to open your curtains. Exposure to sunlight can help you feel good, be calmer and increase your productivity. Just… Make sure you’re not in your birthday suit first.
