Top 5 Tips For a More Productive Morning
Joining the 5 am club may be all the rage at the moment with the likes of Gary Vee appearing to work 25 hours a day and crushing life. But failing to get enough sleep can be a major cause of your downfall. Why? Becuase sleep is equally as important as your diet and exercise.
Dr. Breus stated that not everyone needs a full eight hours of sleep to perform at their optimum level. However, he also went on to state that as humans we all have different Chronotypes and by changing the time you conduct certain activities can greatly improve your productivity.
THE FACT IS SOME PEOPLE JUST AREN'T MORNING PEOPLE
That's all well and good if you run your own business and don't answer to a boss. However, the large majority of people are employed and trying to convince your boss that you would be more productive starting work at midday is neither practical or in reality ever going to happen. So what can you do to be more productive in the morning?
TOP 5 TIPS FOR A MORE PRODUCTIVE MORNING
1. Get up Earlier
Whether you are a morning person or not getting up earlier may sound counterintuitive but it's actually going to work in your favor. After getting used to getting up say twenty minutes earlier, it's going to allow you the opportunity to come around to your senses. Hitting snooze, racing around and running late effects at least the first half of your day. This leads to poor decision-making and bad food choices which will have a knock-on effect for the rest of the day.
2 . Plan the Night Before
Implementing a simple five minute routine of an evening can save you hours of stress and drama the following day. How? Have you ever rushed out the door and forgotten something which you have had to return for? Arrived at work to find you left your mobile at home with the vital notes you needed for a meeting? We've all been there. Ensuring you have prepared everything the night before will allow you to have a more relaxed and controlled morning the following day. Get your gym bag ready, work files etc, clothes laid out and ironed. Whatever you need to do in order for you to have seamless morning ensuring you aren't running around like a headless chicken is key.
3. Diet
The impact a good diet has on all areas of your life is huge. It also impacts how you function first thing in the morning. Sugar is one of the worst culprits. when I cut down on refined sugars in my diet I started to feel so much better in the morning and had much more energy. 'No shit sherlock' I hear you say! But the white stuff has a way of creeping back into our diet without us realising. We often talk about the effects that alcohol has on the quality of our sleep without realising that it's highly likely it's the sugar in the alcohol that is the cause of a restless nights sleep. Not to mention the poor food choices we make when having drunk a glass or two of the devil's poison. I cut out all refined sugar in the Summer and then decided on one Friday night to treat myself to a tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Not only did I have a terrible nights sleep I also woke up feeling like shit and had the worst headache ever. That my friends is what you call a sugar hangover
4. Leave your Phone Alone
I repeat......LEAVE YOUR PHONE ALONE!!!!!!
Do I really need to explain why? For the very same reason why 99% of the population's concentration is shot to shit 99% of the time. that's right mobile fucking phones, or smartphones if you live outside of the UK.
5. Drink Water and Meditate
I have stopped trying to justify the benefits of meditation. If you are a guy who still thinks meditation is for tree hugging pussies then you are a twat. I am not saying you have to sit cross-legged wearing fisherman pants and chanting Tibetan mantras. Simply sitting still closing your eyes and allowing yourself time to become aware of your surroundings for five to ten minutes is enough to put you in a state of calm that will improve your productivity and ensure you have a more productive morning. The water simply hydrates your body as you have been without fluids for the duration of your sleep.
Got any other tips for a productive morning routine? Hit me up on Twitter or leave a comment below.