Everyone knows that waking up on the wrong side of bed can set you up for a day filled with stress, disappointment and frustration. What can seem like an innocent mishap or false-start to the day, can actually set in motion a series of unfortunate events that can impact both yourself and those around you.
By changing up your morning habits, you’ll find that these simple remedies and small changes can have a positive impact on your work life and the experience of your co-workers.
Try these six simple steps to reinvigorate how you begin each morning and enter into a productive workday.
Wake Up Earlier
Although the call of bed and the warmth of your favourite duvet is often too good to leave, just setting your alarm an hour earlier can have a huge impact on the day ahead.
Why? By just starting your day an hour earlier you can relax before the stress of the day takes over. Taking things slowly means your mind has time to adjust to the tasks you will need to complete. It’s amazing the impact an extra hour can have on your ability to get centred, be mindful and reflect.
It also means that whilst most of us are scrambling to get out the door, with toast in hand and half our sanity, you can leave calm collected and ready to begin your workday.
Get Mindful
Once you start waking up an hour earlier you will be amazed at how much more you can fit into your day. After you wake up, try some simple breathing exercises to centre yourself and tap into your productivity.
Start by trying some deep breathing; take a deep breath through your nose, consciously filling your stomach and focussing on your breath, then slowly release the air through your lips. Some find it helpful to count the seconds, others rely on the feeling of fullness to know when to let go. The key is to listen to your body, your breath will only be as long as it needs to be to feel relaxed.
Try spending a few minutes every morning reconnecting with yourself from now on.
Smile
It’s amazing how easily a smile can change your demeanour and how others respond to you. Studies have shown that even false smiles can have a positive effect on those around you, helping to improve staff and personal morale.
Smiles can work like mantras. Smiling to yourself in the mirror, whilst it may seem silly, can actually improve your mood and change your mindset for the better. When someone smiles, it’s a challenge for people to respond with a frown since the facial muscles have to work harder.
Be Thankful
Starting your day with positivity by being grateful and accepting gratitude can have a powerful effect on both yourself and people around you. It has been proven to improve mental alertness and reduce negativity, as well as helping your body to process emotions in a way that allows you to let go.
Take a Break Every 90 Minutes
It’s no secret that people are spending more time at their desks than ever before. Whilst the workhorses among us will say they have no choice, even balancing sitting time with standing time can help get our blood circulating and our minds working. Sitting for long periods of time and spending most of it stressing about how much work you still have to do, can actually work to make you even more unproductive.
Every hour and a half, make an effort to get up from you desk, take a quick walk, breath some fresh air or just make yourself a cup of tea – anything to break up the monotony of sitting at a desk staring at a computer screen.
Watch as your productivity increases and your creativity soars.
Help Others
The act of giving has been proven to be good for our health with a huge range of research linking generosity to better wellbeing.
By volunteering to help others, we are inadvertently helping ourselves – as the act releases the hormone oxytocin, which allows us to deal with stress and create bonds with other people.
Collaboration and working as a team has been proven to improve overall productivity and office morale.
