Being productive in the morning can be a challenge for some people even in the best of times. Now that we’ve been under quarantine for 2 straight months, keeping ourselves accountable for the best use of our time is becoming downright difficult. These 10 tips will get you off on a better foot and increase productivity during the day.
1. Drink water as soon as you wake up
This has been suggested time and time again, but it’s a no-brainer. Drinking water first thing in the morning (with a slice of lemon if you’d like) will really help wake you up and hydrate you from a good night’s sleep.
2. Make your bed no matter what
Making your bed in the morning is such a simple task, yet one that is constantly overlooked. It’ll make your room appear cleaner and less stressful to come home to, not to mention it’ll keep you from wanting to jump right back into bed and snooze for those extra few minutes.
3. Meditate
Meditating in the morning is a great way to de-stress, and it helps get you focused for a productive rest of the day.
4. Wake up earlier
This one might sound like a horrible idea but waking up earlier and getting the most important things on your checklist done before your day really starts is a great idea (if your schedule allows it, of course). Not only will you end up leaving the house feeling more relaxed, you will also already have a lot less stuff to do later in the day.
5. Use a cooling eye mask (or 2 spoons cooled in the fridge)
The puffy-eye look is not good on anyone. Brighten up your appearance using a cooling bead eye mask as soon as you wake up, and best of all you can get ready with the eye mask on too, which will save you time in the morning.
6. Ditch the coffee until at least 10:00am
Opt for tea (black or green) or a glass of orange juice before heading off to work. You don’t want to set your digestion off so early in the morning. Not to mention, you should probably let your body wake up naturally as much as possible before you reach for that quick coffee fix.
7. Cut down (the majority of) your makeup routine
Not putting on as much make up, or even using as many cosmetics, in the morning will save you a lot of time and it’ll be doing your skin a huge favor. Go for a more natural, no-makeup makeup look. Fill your eyebrows in lightly, or not at all, and fluffy them up with some clear eyebrow gel. Dab on some light concealer, curly your lashes—skip the mascara—and you’re done!
8. Learn a language for 15 minutes every morning
Research has shown time and time again that people who speak more than one language develop dementia at a much slower rate than those who only speak one. It’s also a great skill to have, and it’s fun and useful to know another language.
9. Do some light cleaning before work
Do the dishes, wipe your counters down and do some light sweeping. You’ll thank yourself later when you get to relax after a long day in a nice clean house.
10. For any students out there, get a bit of university work done before you leave the house
Getting even 500 words done on your coursework, or even a page or two of notes can really help in the long run, especially if you are consistent with your studying. Doing a bit of work in the morning will mean you’ll have a less hefty workload in the evening, and it’s a great way of helping your coursework word count slowly creep up.
Also see: From Minimalism To Environment, These TEDTalks Will Inspire You To Grow
7 Tips For A Perfect Morning & an a.m. Yoga Routine
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Photo: Peaceful Dumpling
