5 Ways to Maximize Productivity in the Morning

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a morning person. For reasons I may never understand, my body simply does not think that it should be upright and moving before, at the very least, I’ve had my first (and sometimes second) cup of coffee. I’ve also struggled with insomnia for most of my adult life so even falling asleep at a reasonable time can be a real challenge for me.

But for most people there’s so much untapped potential in the mornings – myself included. If there’s one thing I’ve discovered in trying to take advantage of the beginning hours of my day, it’s that it takes a little time, a lot of perseverance, and these five things to help consistently start your day off strong.

1. Routine is Everything

This tip is number one for a reason – creating a routine is the single most beneficial thing you can do to increase your morning productivity. This will look different for everyone, but may consist of a workout, breakfast, shower, and setting aside a little time before starting work for yourself.

Whatever your routine looks like, stick to it. Try to do the same things around the same time each morning. Soon, your body will adjust and you’ll likely find it easier to get up and around at the same time each day.

2. Wake Up at the Time That’s Right for You

There’s a vast misconception that “morning people” are the highest achievers. While there is certainly science to suggest that early rising has its benefits, that only goes so far.

It’s actually counterproductive to force yourself to be someone who wakes up at 5 a.m. if your body doesn’t allow you to sleep until late at night. Shorting your sleep bank each night doesn’t do you any good and can actually be detrimental to your health in the long-run.

That said, there is certainly a happy medium there, so even if you’re hardwired to be a night person, going to bed and waking up just an hour or two earlier can really make a big difference. If you aren’t sure how many hours of sleep your body truly needs, you can use a calculator such as this one that will help you do the math based on factors like age and sleep cycle.

That’s assuming of course that you work a job with “traditional” daytime hours. If your line of work requires longer shifts or overnight work, the same principles apply but you’ll need to tweak your schedule to fit your situation.

Regardless of when you wake up, avoid hitting snooze. Creating the healthy habit of waking up the first time your alarm goes off can greatly increase productivity and ensure you’re not wasting time in the morning.

If it seems impossible to wake up after the first ring, you can take small actions to make it a little easier for yourself, such as:

• Programming your coffeemaker so you wake up to the smell
• Setting slippers or an outfit out beside your bed so it’s one less thing you have to search for when you get up
• Meal prep so that you have food waiting for you and you don’t have to prepare it

3. Hydrate and Move

Many successful people have mentioned the benefits of starting the day with some sort of motion. This may mean a full HIIT workout, a swim, or even just a short power walk. Anything that gets your blood pumping will help you and your brain wake up, and get you primed to start the day.

With this comes the importance of hydrating. Not only can drinking plenty of water help give you energy to start your day, but it can also help you with portion control when you’re ready to have a bite to eat.

4. Gratitude

It may seem silly at first, but finding things to be grateful for first thing in the morning can improve your mood and set the tone for a positive and successful day, particularly if you’re not a morning person and aren’t the most cheerful in the a.m.

Practicing gratitude looks different for everyone, but can consist of journaling, meditation, reaching out to a loved one, being outside in nature, and anything else that helps you find your happy place.

5. Start Big or Start Small

Mark Twain once said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Obviously (hopefully) a metaphor, but it’s a great philosophy for productivity in the morning.

If you tackle first thing your most dreaded assignment, project, chore, whatever it is that you’d typically avoid, then you’ve already got it out of the way and the day can only go up from there. Seem too daunting? You can also try working up to the large task by starting small with little things leading up to it. That way, when you get to the largest task, you’ve completed everything on your list!

A lot of this advice comes from not just research, but my own personal experience. Like everyone else, I’m a work in progress when it comes to finding that best version of myself and it starts every day when that dreaded alarm goes off and I’ve got the first choice of the day to make – to snooze or not to snooze...

If you’ve read this article to the very end, then you know you can commit – we got this!

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