Monday morning is not something you particularly want to spend the last of your weekend thinking about, but doing it properly can set you up for a good week ahead.
Your morning routine can make more if a difference than you think when it comes to setting yourself up for a productive, happy week ahead. Take some time on a Sunday night to do things you need so that Monday goes smoothly. Prep your lunch, plan your outfit, even pre-make your breakfast if you can! Do as much as you can so that your Monday morning is as easy as it can possibly be.
Make a to-do list the night before
If you’ve been reading etc. for a while, you’ll know that we love a good Sunday evening list to prepare us for the week ahead. Such a simple concept can really help to get your tasks in order, clear your brain and feel fresh when it comes to tackling said to-do list. Ticking your tasks off as you go along will feel satisfying and give you a huge sense of achievement.
Drink some lemon water
Drinking lemon water as soon as you wake up can do wonders for your mind and body. Not only are lemons packed with nutrients; they’re chock full of potassium, vitamin C and antioxidants. but drinking lemon water gives you steady, natural energy that lasts the length of the day by improving nutrient absorption in your stomach. You need to drink it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach to ensure full absorption then wait 15-30 minutes before eating anything.
Exercise
Moving your body first thing in the morning has proved to make you feel good and motivated throughout the following day. Doing as little as 10 minutes of exercise releases GABA, a neurotransmitter that makes your brain feel soothed and keeps you in control of your impulses. Making time for it in the early hours mean that you can’t change your mind later on in the day, you can’t get held up at work and it just generally makes your day feel more accomplished.
Leave your phone alone
Don’t touch your phone until you eat breakfast. When you wake up and the first thing you do is aimlessly scroll through Instagram’s and tweets that you’ve missed overnight, you lose your focus and your day has become about other people’s lives before it’s even begun. Use this time to take a break, chances are that your workday will be filled to the brim of screens anyway, so take this time to step back and enjoy the things around you.
Eat a real breakfast
We’ve all heard it before, but breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, and eating anything at all puts you ahead of the game. People who eat breakfast every day have less chance of becoming obese as they have more stable blood-sugar levels, and they tend to feel less hungry over the course of the day. When you eat a healthy breakfast, you set yourself up for a completely productive day. It gives you energy, improves concentration and memory for longer periods of time.
Tidy your work-space
A tidy space means for a tidy mind. Doing this as soon as you start your day, you’ll be able to concentrate on the things that really need doing. Clutter pulls your attention away from your work, so preventing that from happening by removing anything that can cause distraction will really help you.
Don’t multitask
Sometimes, if you’re one of those people, you might have bounds of energy in the morning; so much so, that you feel like you can take on everything at once. Don’t. This could set your whole day back. Multitasking effects your efficiency and concentration, and in the long run it could end up stressing you out. Take your tasks one at a time, even if you do feel invincible, you’ll thank yourself later.
Say no if you need to
Saying no can sometimes feel intimidating. Perhaps you feel like you’re letting someone down, but if it’s truly what you want, just say it. Nothing is more important than your own mental health and well-being, and if you need to take a time-out sometimes, then do it. Research suggests that if you have difficulty saying no, then you may be more likely to experience stress, burnout or even depression. Learning to say no when you feel necessary will life your mood, take the pressure off and enhance your productivity.
Feature image: Free-Photos from Pixabay
