We all feel lazy sometimes in the morning, lose focus during the day, and struggle to get work done. Here are nine habits you can practice daily to boost your productivity.

What are the most important daily habits to boost productivity?

1. Get to Bed Early

Going to bed early is essential for starting the next day feeling active and energetic, but achieving this isn't easy. To sleep early, exercise during the day, eat your last meal a few hours before bedtime, avoid using your phone before sleep, take a warm bath, and spray your pillow with therapeutic scents like lavender spray.

2. Don’t Hit the Snooze Button

You might be tempted to get a few extra minutes of sleep after your alarm goes off, but studies show that this won't help you; it can make you feel more lazy, groggy, and disoriented.

If you're in the habit of hitting the snooze button, try the "five-second rule" created by author Mel Robbins. When you feel hesitant to do something (in this case, getting out of bed), count backwards from five and do it immediately. This short time frame increases your motivation and makes it easier to get up.

3. Don’t Check Your Phone Immediately

Many people use their phones as soon as they wake up, but this is a very harmful habit because exposure to a lot of notifications and news before starting the day increases stress and anxiety throughout the day. To avoid using your phone as soon as you wake up, put it in another room when you sleep.

4. Let Sunlight into the Bedroom

Open the curtains to enjoy the sunlight in the morning, or if you wake up early, turn on the lights as soon as you get up. Being exposed to light in the morning adjusts your circadian rhythm, which signals your body that it's time to wake up.

You can also use an alarm clock that emits light like a sunrise instead of a regular sound alarm. This alarm clock helps you wake up naturally, as if your body were exposed to sunlight, rather than being jolted by sound. Many people prefer this method for starting the day calmly, instead of waking up to loud noises.

5. Make Your Bed

You might prefer to get up without making your bed, but straightening your pillows and folding your covers in the morning gives you a sense of accomplishment for the rest of the day. When you choose to do a task you don't like in your morning routine, your productivity improves, and your motivation to work increases.

6. Write Down Your Thoughts

If you want to calm your mind and boost your creativity at the start of the day, try what's known as "morning pages." This is an exercise recommended by author Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way, which involves writing down everything that comes to mind in the morning on three pages without any thought or editing, even if you write that you don't know what to write over and over again.

This exercise aims to empty your mind of thoughts or fears that might be weighing you down or making you feel stressed, and to start the day with vitality and energy.

Another way to write down your thoughts in the morning is to write a short list of things you are grateful for each day. Starting your day with positive thoughts helps boost motivation and eliminate feelings of anxiety or depression.

7. Exercise

The secretion of the hormone cortisol, which is responsible for alertness, is at its peak during the early hours of the morning. So, when you exercise early in the day, you take advantage of these high cortisol levels, which helps to increase it in your body for the rest of the day. This, in turn, keeps you active and focused, which leads to improved productivity and mood.

8. Eat a Healthy Breakfast

The type of food you eat in the morning affects your mood and work performance. You should avoid foods that contain sugar because they temporarily increase energy, which then quickly drops and causes you to feel sluggish. Instead, choose foods rich in protein and fibre to give your body a better energy source and improve your focus throughout the day.

9. Do the Difficult Tasks First

You may find it difficult to do easy tasks because you are thinking about a difficult task you need to do during the day. So, completing the task you've been avoiding in the morning is a good idea. You'll find that you were overthinking it and feel a great sense of relief once it's done.

But if you find it challenging to start the task, try breaking it down into simple steps that make it easier. The more small tasks you complete, the easier the big task will seem, and your motivation to continue will increase until you've finished it.

In Conclusion

Don't radically change your habits if you want to create a proper morning routine that increases your productivity successfully. Instead, start with a few changes and stick to your needs to achieve the best results. These positive changes will ultimately lead to a feeling of calm and satisfaction and increased productivity.