10 Steps To Boost Your Morning Productivity

Getting up in the morning can be tricky, especially if you’ve got a long day ahead of you and a late night behind you. Here are 10 top tips to get you leaping out of bed and into a productive mindset.

1. A substantial breakfast

Gorging on larger dinners and skipping breakfast will leave you feeling sluggish and lethargic throughout the day, reaching for the coffee and the pro-plus. As you’ve likely heard many times before – breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Aim to achieve a balance of food groups, most importantly including protein to kick start your day. Move away from sugary cereals that will kick-start sugar cravings and leave you unsatisfied and consider instead the benefits of porridge. Oats provide a source of soluble fibre, which is easy to digest and provides a brilliant source of slow-release energy.

2. Get outside

Aim to spend at least a small part of your morning in the great outdoors. Whether you incorporate this into a regular exercise routine or simply get into the habit of drinking your morning coffee outside whilst reading the paper, spending time outside is proven to increase our happiness and productivity.

3. Plan ahead

Having a clear plan for the day ahead can have a huge impact on your mental outlook and the way you view the work that needs to be done. Whether you establish a habit of writing a formal list or dedicate 20 minutes on your morning tube journey to mentally evaluating and organizing the day’s schedule, knowing what you have to do and how long it will realistically take can be a huge reliever of stress and worry.

4. Hydrate

Whilst many of us are in the unfortunate position of needing coffee to get up in the morning, kicking this habit can have huge benefits both on your productivity and your health. The first step is to acknowledge your caffeine addiction; no, it’s not serious, but yes, it does exist. Trade out the coffee hit for something with less caffeine (you don’t need to eliminate it entirely) and make sure that you drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and get your brain functioning at top speed. Green tea is particularly renowned for its rejuvenating effects.

5. The early bird gets the worm

Getting to work just 15 minutes earlier isn’t going to have a huge impact on your morning routine; it’s not like you’re getting up obscenely early to go to the gym or having to alter what you have for breakfast. What it will impact, however, is your whole outlook at work. An extra 15 minutes at the office to settle into your work, look through emails and plan the day ahead will leave you in a more relaxed, calm state when 9 am hits and your colleagues are just frantically running through the door, spilling coffee everywhere.

6. Exercise

It has been proven time and time again that the endorphins released by exercise leave you full of positive energy, ready to tackle anything. A morning workout will boost your levels of energy and positivity; if you’ve already achieved the usually insurmountable task of visiting the gym before 9 am, the world is your oyster and you have the whole day ahead of you to continue this streak of productivity.

7. Pack your lunch

This step can take place as part of your morning routine or can alternatively be done the night before. Taking a pack lunch to work can save you a huge amount of money whilst also allowing your creativity to shine in an area outside of work. Focusing on putting together a really delicious lunch first thing in the morning will get your brain cells working on an enjoyable task, rather than worrying about the millions of things that need to be done that day.

8. Rise early to gain precious morning hours

Welcome in morning light and rise with the sun, gaining precious hours of productivity. Many of the most successful men and women, such as Richard Branson, cite early mornings as integral to their success and ongoing productivity of mindset.

9. Take a minute to tidy up

The maxim that a tidy desk leads to a tidy mind is very much true in the workplace. The few extra minutes it takes in the morning to tidy and order your place of work will lead to a boost in your levels of productivity. Try color coding your calendar or diary, using a bullet journal or buying a desk tidy if you find it difficult to keep things orderly.

10. Learn something new

Spending 10 minutes in the morning reading through an informative, interesting article or watching an inspiring TED Talk will not only boost your motivation, it’ll also have you accumulating knowledge and skills in no time. Being able to quote interesting, business-relevant information will not only make you seem more competent to you colleagues, it will also build your own sense of self-confidence.

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