Being a morning person is not always easy. But neither is being a boss (or your own boss). If waking up with the sunrise doesn’t come naturally, you can teach your body and mind to do so intentionally and enjoy every single minute of it. Here are a few tweaks to your morning routine that will not only make waking up easier but will also improve your performance at work. Former night owls swear by these!
Start with your night routine
That’s right, successful mornings start at night! You can’t expect to be full of energy and motivation in the morning if you’ve only had a few hours of sleep. You also can’t expect to feel well-rested and fresh if you regularly doze off in an uncomfortable position in front of the TV instead of going to bed properly.
Wrap up the previous day by preparing for the day ahead – pick out the clothes you intend to wear tomorrow, make sure your favourite cup is not sitting dirty in the dishwasher but is waiting for you next to the coffee machine; clean around a little, if needed, so that nothing annoys and distracts you in the morning, and, of course, give yourself an hour to wind down. If that’s going to be in front of the TV – that’s perfectly fine! As long as it’s an hour and then you stand up and go to bed, without spending half the night on the couch. If you prefer reading in bed – even better. Set a timer and once your hour is up, switch off the lights and go to sleep.
Knowing that you have everything for a perfect morning ready and waiting for you will help you feel more relaxed and sleep deeper. And after a good sleep, you’ll be more alert and efficient in the morning.
Set strict boundaries
Being a responsible businesswoman means you probably feel like you have to keep on top of tasks, be available for your clients or employees at any time and never stop working. And while we can all work extra hours every now and then to ensure our goals are met, surviving in this ‘hamster wheel’ mode for too long is not good for your mental health, nor does it lead to increased productivity or better results.
So, make sure you have strict boundaries in place. For example, make sure you’re only receiving mobile notifications about new emails and social media messages (if that’s one of your communication channels at work) during office hours.
Picking up your phone first thing in the morning to check the latest emails, chats and news might be tempting but it definitely won’t help you in the long run! Make your mornings ‘no phones allowed’ time and enjoy this precious time with yourself and your family instead. Notifications can wait till your office hours.
Turn your mornings into an everyday treat
Waking up earlier than strictly necessary might be difficult but your morning doesn’t end with opening your eyes, does it? By waking up a little earlier you’re carving some amazing, quiet me-time for yourself out of a busy day. You’ll have time to cook your favourite delicious breakfast instead of grabbing a banana on the go, you’ll have time for the skincare routine you may have neglected in favour of five extra minutes of sleep or, you can simply open the doors to your backyard and enjoy birds singing outside… There are so many things to look forward to every morning!
Define what it is you don’t have enough of in your days and spend your mornings enjoying this not-so-guilty pleasure. Once it’s time to start working, you’ll have a smile on your face and be less anxious and more prepared for the day ahead.