The morning routine for a productive day is a great way to increase efficiency in your day to day life. We all have 24 hours in a day, and yet some people do more each day than others. One of the reasons that, top achievers get more done in a day than other people is that they take control of their mornings.
The morning is the best time of the day to get your life organized and off to a good start. How you handle the start, of the day will determine to a large extent how it goes for you. An excellent way of controlling the early hours of the day is to get a routine in place.
What is a Morning Routine?
A morning routine is a system you have in place where you do the same things at the beginning of each day. Having a routine or a set of habits that you do every morning will increase your productivity significantly. It’s a great way to create practices that you can use to better your life.
The habits you choose to form your morning routine for a productive day must be those that help you get things done fast every morning. These habits can be ingrained in your mind and that of other household members so that your workday at home is not a waste. Before you know it, everything will flow like a well-oiled machine at home each morning, and your productivity will improve significantly.
Top things to include in your morning routine for the productive day
– Wake up early
One of the reasons our mornings are off whack is hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock. The earlier you get up, the smoother your morning will be because you have more time to get things done. Otherwise, you will not get any work done and will end up focusing on other things in the home instead. Time spent at home can go by very fast, and if you don’t take control of it from the time you get out of bed, it may end up being a wasted day for you.
So, a good morning routine for a productive day cannot work without a set wake up time that you must adhere to always. Most top C.E.Os of successful companies often get up at 4 a.m. because they know early mornings can be used to organize and plan the day as well as center the self.
If you are poor at obeying the alarm clock, have two alarm times. One very early – say three a.m. that will get your eyes open and then you can have a lie in until the second ring at maybe 4 or 5 depending on your preference when you have to get out of bed. Whatever the case, Just make sure you find a way to get up and out of bed early each morning and start getting things done.
– Exercise
Once you get up early in the morning, it’s not the time to surf online or groggily stare into space. No! Use that time to do something productive that will help you manage your day well. For starters, exercise is an excellent way to get your adrenaline pumping and jump-start your snoozing brain cells. When you start the day with a workout and then have a shower, you come out feeling fresh and energized. You can use an exercise DVD or take a jog or even attend an aerobics session at your local gym. There are many ways you can work out your body in the morning so just choose the one that works best for you.
– Meditation or prayer
Do not underestimate the benefits of a quiet time of reflection in the morning. You can meditate or if you are inclined to do so- pray. Just focus on centering your spiritual self in a calm and quiet environment. It will help you get calm and deal with challenges much better when you work or do other things in the home.
– Plan your day
It’s not right to start your day without a plan especially when working from home. You need to sit down every morning and write a list of things you plan to do for the day and think about how you will do them. One good reason for this is that it helps you to stay on track throughout the day. Otherwise, if you choose to handle things as they come, you will end up being sidetracked by non-issues and time wasters. When you have an organized blueprint of your day, it’s hard to focus on unimportant things. So make sure you sit down and plan your day each morning if you want to get the most out of it.
– Shower time
One of the things that cause people to waste a lot of time in the morning is showering. One big reason for this is members of the household taking too long in the bathroom. It almost always results in someone missing a hot shower because another has hogged up all the time in the bathroom. Also, it causes a domino effect where others are late waiting for bathroom time, then late getting to school and then you have to start working late and then the day gets wasted. So you can see that shower time in any home should be organized if anyone is going to get things done on time and have a productive day.
One way to regulate shower time in the home is by creating a bathroom timetable. It shows who should get in the bathroom and at what time depending on how early they have to get to work or school. Also, where there are small children, they should get in first and then followed by the older ones since they often take longer to dress and prepare. Just make sure they get in and out of the shower as fast as possible so they can get everything else done and walk out of the house on time. Then you can get started with your work and focus without distractions.
Unfortunately, timetables don’t always work for example when one gets in the bathroom and locks themselves in. Many just take their time and get out when they want to. Each member of the household should only bath for a set period. You can solve such an issue by setting the water heater switch outside the bathroom so that you switch off the hot water immediately their time is up. Be sure they will stop showering quickly, although cold shower has many benefits.
Also, tell them that other routines for morning preparation such as combing hair and putting on makeup are not for the bathroom. Instead, they should be done in one’s room leaving the bathroom free for others to use.
Most importantly, consider installing an extra bathroom where you have a full household. It is a great way to save time and make life more comfortable for everyone in the home. There are a lot of functional and great bathrooms you can install that will not cost much.
Of course, not every household has limited bathrooms or a lot of people. However, if you do, these are a few tips you can use to organize shower time for the whole family so that you maintain your morning routine for a productive day.
– Eat a healthy breakfast
Your body needs fuel and breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When you don’t eat a good breakfast and decide to survive on coffee or energy drinks throughout the day, you cut down on your productivity. Also, it’s a lousy way to treat your body and will lead to health problems sooner or later. Choose foods that will give you energy and keep your blood sugar levels balanced. In this way, you will be energetic and ready to tackle the day’s challenges with a clear mind.
– Commute
Your children commuting to school is a hassle and may interfere with your work day at home. One of the ways you can save time here if you have kids that need daily transport to school is to organize a carpool. Also, you can sign your children up for a morning bus ride if the school offers transport. It means that you don’t have to drive your children to school each day. Just make sure the people you form a carpool with are trustworthy neighbors you can entrust your children to and feel confident they will get to school on time.
– Have a work timetable for the home
One problem of working in the home is that we get comfortable. It’s our comfort zone, and so sometimes we may get distracted by the television, doing household chores, friendly neighbors paying a visit and other distractions. To avoid this, make sure you have a set office space in the home and set a timetable for working. Each time you are set to work according to your schedule make sure that you are at your workstation. Make a point of staying in your home office or work-space until when your timetable says you should be free. Ensure that your household respects your work time and space and knows that you should not be disturbed at such times.
These are a few ways you can organize your morning routine for the productive day so that you have a productive day working from home. Working at home is never easy, but once you set some rules and make sure everyone adheres to them, you can be more productive than those that commute to work every day. Although it takes time to perfect a morning routine, you will benefit a lot once you get the system going. It’s a great way to streamline your day and make the most of it. So start one today and stick to it!
