Mark Twain famously proclaimed: “eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day”.
For those of you who don’t fancy eating a live amphibian for breakfast to boost motivation levels, keep scrolling for our seven pieces of frog-free advice on making your mornings more productive.
Prepare the night before
One of the most effective ways to jump-start a go get ‘em attitude is to put in some groundwork before you go to bed. Select your outfit, prepare your lunch and write out your to-do list so you’re ready to go.
Don’t snooze your alarm
Delaying the inevitable is a guaranteed way to set you off on the wrong foot and means you run the risk of procrastination and low motivation throughout the day.
If you are the kind of sleepy head who really struggles to obey your morning alarm, consider setting it 10 minutes earlier to trick your brain into thinking you’ve still managed to cheat a few extra minutes in bed.
Refuel and rehydrate
Your body will have gone hours without food or drink while you’ve been sleeping so as soon as you get up, drink at least one glass of water to rehydrate and kick start your metabolism.
Cold water is also a great way to wake your brain up without having to consume caffeine.
Make sure you’re also having a healthy, nutritious and filling breakfast which is going to provide you with plenty of energy and see you through to lunch time.
Don’t check social media
We’re all guilty of picking up our phones as soon as we open our eyes to check what we might have missed on social media during the night.
Ask yourself though – is seeing what so-and-so had for dinner last night or scrolling through videos of puppies in fancy dress really adding much value to your morning? Use this time more wisely by avoiding social media until later in the day.
Squeeze in a short burst of exercise
It may only be a jog around the block, a few yoga stretches in the front room or a quick spin class at your local gym but factoring in time for morning exercise can have a massive impact on mental health, cognitive function and motivation levels.
Recap and evaluate yesterday
Whether it’s while you’re boiling the kettle or washing your hair, dedicate a few minutes to mentally evaluating the day before – what went well, what didn’t go to plan and how that impacts what you need to do today.
Make your new morning routine a habit
Although the various components of your morning routine are invaluable, just having a routine is a great way to boost motivation and productivity.
It will provide you with structure and a sense of accomplishment before you’ve even opened up your emails or completed the morning commute.
If you have any of your own tips on how to start the day in a more productive way, come and share them with us over on Twitter or Facebook.
