5 Habits for Ensuring a Productive Day

Having a consistent morning routine that works for your lifestyle is essential and perhaps the most important aspect for having a productive day. In this article we will discuss five things I do and recommend everyone do to start their day off on the right foot. Many people are not morning people, me included. I do not believe you need to wake up before sunrise and do a million things before you actually “start” your day; however, I do believe in a few key practices that not only improve productivity and happiness throughout the day but also provide you with lifelong habits that make you a more disciplined person overall. 

Don't look at your phone right away 

Looking at your phone, your notifications, and social media before you have given your body and mind a chance to truly wake up is not starting your day off on the right foot. There is no dire reason to check your phone first thing even if your career is very technologically and social-media driven. Sit up in your bed, look around, open the window, do anything besides looking at your phone for the first hour of being awake and this alone will make you 10 times more productive and present throughout the rest of your day. With such easy access to see what anyone is up to at any given moment can cause anxiety and negative feelings about where you are in your life. The last thing you want to do is bombard your mind with irrational self-thoughts and worries before you have even eaten breakfast. Skip the scrolling, sit out in the sunlight instead. 

Drink water 

Besides making the choice not to look at your phone once the alarm goes off, the first thing you should do when you wake up is drink water. It is estimated 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated, drinking an average of 2.5 cups of water a day. Without a hydrated body and brain, it is extremely hard to get anything done at a high quality. The human brain is composed of about 80% water, so you can imagine if you are dehydrated there is no chance of performing anything at 100%. By drinking water first thing in the morning, you are providing your mind and body with the energy needed to get through the day. Even if you are not a big fan of breakfast, making it a habit to drink at least a cup of water relatively close to waking is a great way to ensure success and hydration throughout the day. Adding cucumber or lemon to your water is a great way to make drinking water more enjoyable and also provides your body with electrolytes, essential for nerve and muscle function. 

Make your bed 

There have been endless books, videos, podcasts mentioning this habit, and for good reason. Making your bed every morning after waking is the best and easiest habit you can pick up for yourself. When you make your bed, it gives you a sense of accomplishment early on in your day, giving you greater motivation to complete tasks. Knowing your bed is made clears up your room and mind, making it easier to think about what needs to be done today. A made bed creates a calm environment in your room which can reduce stress and creates comfort in the mind, knowing that when you get home there's a nice, clean, made bed waiting for you at home. Making your bed instills discipline in a person and forces you to stick to something every day, even when you've had a bad night's sleep or are running late. Making your bed takes less than 3 minutes, but it makes a tremendous difference in productivity and habit building. 

Stretch 

The one habit that makes the biggest impact on my productivity every day is stretching. On the days I don’t stretch in the morning, I never feel as though I am at peak performance with whatever I am engaged with that day. Stretching your body after lying in essentially a fixed position for 8 hours is a rejuvenating experience. Taking 5 minutes out of your morning to stretch your arms, legs, back, neck and any other part of your body that may cause you discomfort throughout the day makes a great difference on your ability to be productive and your enjoyment. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter, is released when you stretch, especially when you are focusing on your breathing. Stretching can also cause you to release endorphins. Endorphins act as mood enhancers and natural painkillers. When your body feels good, you feel good and when you feel good you want to do things and not only do you want to do things, you want to do them at a high level.

Journal 

Besides stretching, I find that journaling every morning sets me up for a day full of success. I start off by journaling my thoughts and emotions in relation to what is happening in my life at the moment. It is extremely important to be self-aware of what emotions you are feeling. When you know how you are feeling, it makes it easier to navigate through the day. For example, if something happened the night before that really upset you, and you still feel that way in the morning, acknowledging it and letting it all out of your system in a healthy way gives you the freedom to not carry that negative energy with you at work, or in interacting with others. After I have written down how I am feeling in the morning, I will write down the goals I have for that day. Setting clear goals at the beginning of the day makes it easier to follow through with them throughout the day. Writing things down is more likely to help you remember them, so making it a habit to jot down your three biggest tasks for that day makes your chances of completing them much higher. 

All in all...

We are all trying to be our best selves every day. It is important we wake up every day and show up for ourselves because no one else will. The responsibility to be the best version of yourself relies on you and only you. It is no easy task trying to be great. It is easy to lose motivation and sight of your goals in a world plagued by distractions. This article serves as a reminder to you to remember that when you wake up in the morning, that time you spend getting ready for your day is all yours, and how you choose to spend it, the habits you engage in when you first awake will follow you throughout the day. Spending your mornings focused on self-care and intention will not only make you feel more empowered and boost productivity throughout the day, but the way you hold yourself will be an inspiration to others, giving them hope and encouragement to be better for themselves as well.