Your morning routine sets the tone for your day. Have you noticed that those days when you roll out of bed late, throw on the first clothes you can find, and stumble into the office amidst a flurry of mumbled apologies tend to be your worst? 

It turns out that by hacking your morning routine, you can improve your overall performance, accountability in life, and the ability to achieve your goals. Here are five tips from productivity pros to help you create a morning routine that will boost your productivity levels:

Morning Routine Ideas

  1. Nail Your Breakfast

A good healthy breakfast is a key to a productive day. A breakfast that is low in sugar, high in nutrients (specifically vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc) and fiber-rich can improve your focus and concentration throughout the morning. Add the goodness of a2 milk (or your favorite fortified dairy-free alternative) to boost your calcium intake and you’ve paved the way for a morning that will yield positive and productive outcomes. 

  1. Pre-Plan Your Outfit

What you end up wearing might differ from what you planned the night before based on unforeseen weather or temperature changes (or perhaps that yellow coat simply grabs your attention when you wake up). The idea isn’t to have an outfit preplanned and set in stone. Rather, you want to save yourself from all of the thinking and scrambling about for something decent to wear. This reduces your morning stress-load and keeps your brain free for cognitive tasks later on. Stress immediately disables your ability to concentrate and innovate, so avoiding it in your morning routine will do wonders for the rest of your day. 

  1. Nix The Problem-Solving Tasks

Building from the last point, your morning routine needs to be devoid of anything related to planning, sourcing, and problem-solving. Have everything ready and planned before the morning so that you can rise and perform the essential tasks in front of you with no hassle, fuss, or worry. It’s important to reduce your stress levels in the morning. You can maximize the benefits of a calm mind by playing soothing music, trying some deep breathing exercises, and enjoying some exercise.

  1. Add Some Inspiration

Productivity pros love sharing their morning routine. Many of them, it turns out, enjoy reading a few pages of inspirational quotes from their favorite authors. Others enjoy listening to inspirational podcasts while they get dressed. Some take inspiration from a guided meditation or even just 30 seconds of positive affirmations in front of the mirror while shaving. Find your source of inspiration and add just a few minutes of that into your morning routine. 

  1. Eat The (Proverbial) Frog

When speaking about productivity, Mark Twain says: “If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long.” We’re not saying you should actually eat a live frog – the frog is (thankfully) symbolic. What you should do is tackle the toughest task of the day first. That way, remaining productive throughout the rest of your day will feel like a breeze. 

Facing The Day With Joy

Stepping into any situation feeling calm, prepared, and in control will boost your chances of success. When you are able to begin your day feeling happy and connected, with a sense of joy in your life, your mindset shifts and you are better equipped to deal with curveballs and apply your skills to the tasks at hand.

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