Me, I have two morning modes: Warrior and Sloth. Tracy Flick versus Garfield. On those Warrior mornings, I’ve had a good night’s rest, my hair gets washed and I’m practically daring the universe to do its worst. But when I’m in Sloth mode, I’m dragging myself out of bed after one-too-many snoozes, already thinking about what I can skip on my to-do list.
If, like me (and the rest of my family), you’re missing that get-up-and-go gene, here are some tips to make your mornings more productive:
Give yourself a bedtime. Isn’t it funny how something we complained about as kids just makes so much sense now? Seriously, pick a time. Any time you like. Just keep it consistent to help regulate your sleep cycle. I’m in bed reading by 9:30 and asleep by 10.
Prep the night before. Lay out your clothes. Pack a lunch. Fill up the coffee maker. Anything you can do to get ahead before you have to get up will leave you more time in the morning. I like to exercise in the morning so I like to have my workout clothes on my bathroom sink so I’m less likely to change my mind or waste time finding socks.
Give yourself a wakeup time. Just as important as a set bedtime is a set wakeup time. Try to stick to it all week long because, spoiler alert: Using the weekend to “catch up on sleep” isn’t actually a thing that works [shakes fists in the air]. When I committed to the Well Body Reset and diet changes, I found I sleep more soundly and wake up without my alarm clock around 6:30.
Charge the phone in another room. This was/is the hardest habit to break. I found myself surfing TikTok for an hour in bed every night, or even “checking the time” on my phone in the middle of the night and getting sucked into emails at 2am. Without the temptation of that glowing device, you’ll sleep more soundly.
Make time to stretch. With your phone in another room, you won’t be tempted to check social media. So, hop out of bed and get to bending. Even just five minutes will help you feel more alert and get your blood flowing. The stretches don’t have to be pretzel-like either, just try to hold each one for 30 seconds.
Do a mental health check. Take stock of where you’re at for a moment and give yourself some encouragement for the day. This is also an ideal time to practice gratitude or meditate.
Log on at a set time. Sensing a theme here? Schedules work, my friends. Even if you’re working from home, pick a time to start and ignore [gasp] the calls and emails until then.
Enhance your space with aromatherapy. Add a diffuser to your workspace with essential oils like peppermint, rosemary or lemon. These scents will help you stay alert. Just avoid lavender. Lavender = back to bed.
Schedule a meditation session. We all have lulls in our day and one of them is often between breakfast and lunch. Take five to 10 minutes to recenter yourself and clear your head.
Get your daily exercise in. Feeling like a morning warrior? Cross that daily workout off your calendar first thing in the morning and enjoy the boost of energy and endorphins for the rest of the day.
You don’t have to wake up every day with bells on, but trying out these suggestions may make your mornings — and you — a bit more bearable before noon.
How are you productive in the morning? Share your tips in the comments.
