After reading that Richard Branson gets up at 6.00am to go for a run most mornings, my team and I at www.digital-marketing-courses.com started to realise that there might be a correlation between early mornings and productivity.
Don’t be a workaholic. But…
The benefits of getting into the office earlier than usual, will allow you to avoid peak hour and get those pesky mundane tasks out of the way. Not only will your days be more organised, you’ll have more time to do those little things such as grabbing a coffee, knocking those emails off on time for once or even earlier.
Not a morning person? Neither were we. Here are three ways to become a morning person that my team and I have personally tested.
- Prior to going to bed, switch off:
Research has shown people who sleep with their phones next to their bed (guilty) sleep in a worst state and also lead more fatigued and less focused days.
Try this: fifteen minutes before trying to go to sleep switch off the TV, move your phone away and avoid checking those emails and social media notifications. Create a standardised sleep schedule in order to train your body clock to associate certain times as sleeping hours.
- Don’t go on a diet, adjust your diet:
First things first, as soon as you wake up, have a BIG glass of cold water. Research has shown drinking 500ml of cold water first thing in the morning stimulates the mind more than coffee and works wonders detoxifying the body.
Prior to changing my diet, I never used to be a morning person. This attitude changed shortly after altering my sleeping habits and diet; put simple: starting your day off with poor food choices will lead to a slack day.
Perhaps change fruit snacks and breakfast bars to lower GI fruits such as blueberries, raspberries and plums which provides you with long lasting energy and are all a great source of antioxidants and fibre. Replacing cereal for pot-set, sugar free yoghurt and Greek yoghurt supplies your body with a natural breakfast alternative and a great source of long lasting energy, protein, calcium and probiotics which help immunity and general wellbeing.
- Get active! or relax?
There is no denying exercise drastically improves your physical, mental and motor neuron health, but it’s also the key to maintaining healthy cognitive function such as decision making, mental development, attention and memory.
But that doesn’t mean that relaxing can’t be of benefit to you too. Meditation is crucial for reducing stress levels, sharpening concentration levels and healthy emotional and mental skills, along with establishing a greater perception of time.
Dedicating ten minutes in the morning to meditation instead of morning television will allow you to feel more alert and lead a less stressful and more mindful day.
* Digital Marketing Courses takes your medical state very seriously therefore you should consult your physician or other health care professional before before changing your diet or undertaking physical exercise to determine if this is right for your needs.
