In an unequal world, there is one thing that makes us all equal. All of us, regardless of position, wealth, or social standing, have 24 hours in a day. No more, and no less. There’s no way to “earn” more of these hours. So, this means we must become experts at making the most of each 24 hour block.
Let’s start with the morning.
Yes, there can be no doubt that the morning is the most magical time in every new day. The sunrise, followed by the sounds of birds chirping, and the cool quiet air – all makes for a wonderful start to the day.
Plus, there’s another reason to think about how we spend our mornings. Ever noticed how, the way you start your morning, tends to set the tone for the rest of the day?
Let’s see now, how does the morning usually go for the average employee. Something like this….Wake up (“Aiyaah! Late again!!”). Rush to get ready for work, no time for breakfast, just rush out the door, jump into the car, drive through traffic (stressed out about being late for work, honking angrily, driving like a maniac), get to work (late) and arrives at his desk (even later – he can see the Boss glaring at him from his room). He feels stressed, anxious and demoralized. The last thing he feels like doing is starting work. In fact, he’s already feeling exhausted.
Any guesses as the how the rest of the day is likely to go? Yes, we can assume that the rest of the day is not going to go well for our Employee.
Instead, imagine what it would be like if we had a perfect start to every day. It’s not as hard to achieve as we might think! All it takes is a little planning and a few changes to your morning routine.
Try these handy tips:
1. Know in advance how much time you really do have. This means starting with the time at which you have to be at your desk and working backwards to your usual wake-up time. For example, if you need to be at your desk by 8.30am, and your normal wake-up time is 6am,it means you have 2.5 hours in which to complete everything on your morning activity list including travel time.
2. Plan and organize whatever you can, the night before. Many of us love waiting until the absolute last minute to decide what to wear to work, to pack our bags, and decide to what to eat for breakfast. We also sometimes leave our phone, wallet or car keys somewhere in our home and can’t find them when we are about to leave. All this dilly-dallying wastes an amazing amount of very precious time.
Get as much done as you can, the night before. Get all your clothes, shoes and accessories ready, pack your bag, fill up your water tumbler and prepare your food for breakfast (and pack your lunch too if you are in the habit of doing that) so that the food can be quickly put together with minimum delay.
3. Lighten up. Research has shown that it is beneficial to get at least half an hour’s exposure to sunlight. Don’t keep the curtains drawn and your home dark once you wake up. Let the natural sunlight in and you may find that you experience better energy levels, a more efficient metabolic rate and a more healthy appetite. Besides, sunlight has beneficial effects for the mind as well. It is a great mood and energy booster.
4. Nourish yourself. Drink as much water as possible after waking up. A glass of cold water will make you feel refreshed, more energetic and put you in a better frame of mind. Have some breakfast. Avoid sugary cereals and instead have some oatmeal, or eggs and other forms of protein to keep you feeling more full for longer.
5. Exercise and meditate. OK, if you live very far from your place of work and have a long commute, you are unlikely to be able to fit much exercise into your morning. But even a few minutes of basic exercises such as jogging on the spot, stretching and doing sit ups/push ups can be beneficial. By the same token, even a minute or two minutes spent meditating can help you increase your inner calm and give you added energy with which to face your day ahead at work.
And lastly, try to go to bed a bit earlier. Sometimes, just getting that extra 15 minutes or half an hours’ sleep can make all the difference to your mood the next morning.
Here’s wishing you a wonderful morning tomorrow!
