“Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” – Zig Ziglar
Waking up from a night’s sleep, the slate is clean. You are on the edge of a new day. Although you will likely have some expectations for how the day is going to go, and you will already have feelings and preconceptions about the events coming up, the day still has potential. Whether the day ahead is likely to be easy or tough, pleasant or challenging, there is nothing to be lost from starting the day in as positive a way as possible.
Setting yourself up for a positive day will not only help with your ongoing wellbeing, especially if you make it a habit, but it will also make your workday a more forward-moving and productive one. Yes, there may be stresses coming your way, but starting off in a good mood will make them easier to deal with. Look at it this way, if you start on a high, then you have more capacity to handle lowering. If you start on a high and your day is a good one, there’s nothing wrong with getting a little higher. Starting the day well is a positive from all angles.
1. Give Yourself Enough Time
Yes, an extra twenty minutes in bed feels amazing at the time, but if it is then immediately followed by a mad rush to get out of the door in time… is it really worth it? Give yourself time in the morning. If you value the snooze button, then set an even earlier alarm perhaps. Don’t just give yourself enough time to ‘get ready’, also add time for potential curveballs and some personal space.
2. Include Time For Nothing
Yes. Personal space. Include some time in your morning routine to have a moment or two for yourself. Time to do nothing much. Let your mind relax and wander a little. Pull up a chair, leisurely drink your coffee, take time over making your breakfast, sit in the garden, water the plants, read a book… whatever makes you relax in the morning, prioritise it.
3. Fuel
Now, some people are breakfast people, some people are not. However, you nourish yourself, make sure you plan it consciously. If you are a breakfast person, try and consume something that you like, first of all, but also something that is going to fuel you throughout the morning. Think about how you are going to eat throughout the day as well. Lunch? Are you going to prepare it at home? Will that get you through the afternoon? Food is often an afterthought around work, despite the fact that food is a huge regulator of our hormones and emotions. Nourish yourself consciously.
4. Take Some Care
Take care with every part of your morning routine. Do it all consciously. Choose your outfit… try not to just chuck on ‘whatever’. Enjoy your shower. Whatever you do in the morning, try to take time over it, and appreciate each activity.
5. Be Early
This may not always go as planned. Traffic happens. Public transport isn’t always reliable. However, try to be early. First of all, if you aim for early, even if you do run into problems, perhaps you won’t be late. Second, being early gives you time to settle at work. You can pick that hot drink up on the way in. You can catch up with colleagues. You can settle yourself at your workstation and be ready when the day starts proper. Avoid that mad rush at all costs.
6. Put the Tough Stuff First
Most people are better at dealing with tough stuff in the morning. Makes sense… your brain has just had several hours of rest! But, if you are anything like me, sometimes you avoid the tough stuff and ease yourself in with a task that you can breeze through. Do tough stuff first. You have the best chance of dealing with it effectively first thing, and you are likely to be less frustrated by it. Also, if it is followed by easier stuff, the rest of the day will be much nicer… especially if you haven’t got that tricky email or mind-boggling problem looming over you.
By Chris Thomson
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