6 Tips for a Morning that Leaves You Feeling Capable
If you’re a morning person — I tip my hat to you. I will personally, never understand the allure of getting out of bed before the sun, or waking up for a 5am run, but I’ll be the first to admit that I wish I was. For some of us, creating strict schedules and unrealistic expectations for our mornings will leave us feeling disappointed in ourselves when we ultimately end up shirking responsibilities. For others, juggling children, families, and / or multiple jobs doesn’t leave us with the ability to take any significant time for ourselves in the morning, and the need for adjustments that can fit into any schedule are more impactful than trying to entirely rework an already backlogged morning.
Rather than proposing any significant schedule changes or telling you to forgo that last hour of sleep, I’ve suggested six tips that can be applied to any morning routine regardless of personal situation — to leave you feeling productive and capable, rather than sluggish and delayed.
1) Don’t snooze your alarm.
If you snooze it once, you’ll snooze it twice; and before you know it, you’ve slept 45 minutes passed your wake up call and your whole morning feels rushed. Not only that, but if you’re snoozing because you’re overtired, you’re more likely to fall back into a sleep cycle in that 15 minute interlude. Many sleep scientists agree that trying to wake up at the beginning of a sleep cycle is the worst possible timing, and leaves you feeling less rested than you actually are, even if you did manage to get a good nights sleep.
Instead, be realistic with yourself and set your alarm for the time you actually need to be awake, not 15, 30, or 45 minutes earlier. If you went to bed later than you expected, anticipate that you’re going to need some extra sleep, and adjust your morning routine to buy yourself an extra 30 minutes, if possible. No time for extra sleep? I can relate. Have that coffee ready to go!
2) Make your bed — and time yourself doing it.
It’s a small thing — and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably rolling your eyes at this seemingly inconsequential recommendation. I had the same thought when I first heard this myself, but I can confidently say that on the mornings I take the time to make my bed, I feel more accomplished than if I roll out and leave it a mess. Not to mention, my work-from-home desk is in my room, so neglecting to make my bed leaves me with an inescapable, nagging reminder of my laziness — all day long. Fun. Plus, the act of checking something off my to-do list immediately upon waking up puts me in a positive mental state, and makes me feel more capable. Sometimes I find myself thinking ‘I have too many other things to do’ which subconsciously deprioritizes ‘unnecessary’ tasks like this, but in reality, the act of making your bed takes less than 4 minutes, so time yourself. Call me crazy, but it really works to help overcome that mental hurdle, and feeling overwhelmed. Give it a try for one week straight and see if you feel the difference!
3) Drink a glass of water.
In my heart of hearts; coffee > water, but in reality, we all know the importance of staying hydrated. In fact, failing to stay properly hydrated can actually impair your brain function. Of course, trying to fit in the daily recommended 8 x 8oz glasses of water would be a Herculean (and bloated) effort so early in the day, and definitely not what I’m suggesting here. Instead — drink just one 8oz glass before your morning coffee or tea. You’ll start your day with proper hydration, balance out your caffeine intake, and again — check a small item off your to-do list, leaving you feeling that much more accomplished.
4) Take advantage of passive time.
What does this mean exactly? Well, there are certain things each of us do every morning in our own personal routines — make coffee, brush your teeth (hopefully), cook breakfast, get dressed (questionable, if you’re in a WFH situation, but you get the point) — that require passive involvement. This means your mind can be focused elsewhere while you’re completing them. Treat these passive activities as opportunities to engage in active learning, or to become inspired. Have a playlist that gets you jazzed? Is there a podcast you have on your short list? Have it playing so you can be learning and listening while completing those necessary, but passive tasks every morning. It’s a great way to make the most of the limited time, especially for those of us that are juggling particularly tight schedules.
5) Organize your workspace.
A cluttered workspace = a cluttered mind. Whether you sit at a desk, squeeze in at a table, or work from your couch — ensuring you have a clean space is important to creating a sense of calm, and allowing yourself to feel in control of your work. A cluttered workspace can make you distracted, and affect your concentration throughout the day. Making sure your trash is thrown way, papers and notebooks organized, and surface clean, is a simple step to creating an environment conducive to productivity.
6) Create a realistic, comprehensive agenda for your day.
First of all - it doesn’t need to be long, and second — it shouldn’t be overly ambitious. This is not an overarching goal-setting framework — this is an exercise to keep you focused on what matters, and to create confidence in your ability to execute on your priorities. Think of the essentials you need to complete for the day, and don’t limit your list to strictly work related items. Include anything that requires your time — like ‘take out the trash’, ‘feed the dog, ‘review my unread emails’. The act of crossing off the essentials at the end of the day will leave you feeling accomplished, regardless of anything else you didn’t get to.