7 Things I Do In The AM To Make Sure I Have A Super Productive Day

My morning routine is something I treasure, it's not always something that goes perfectly but in general it's something that I've pretty much got down to a T. And I've not always been a morning person, back at university I would sleep my mornings away in favour for staying up late at night but oh how times have changed. I'll happily start my day at 5am if needs be and I'm always that person who is so infuriatingly chipper it probably makes other people want to scream. But here are 7 things that really help my morning get off to the best start possible.

no snoozing

As I work from home something that I could easily do is wake up at whatever time my body fancied. But to try and get myself into a good routine I try and my set myself an alarm, around 8 hours from when I've gone to bed so it does vary but the structure is still there. And when that alarm rings in the morning I make sure I get out of my cosy duvet straight away, because there is nothing worse than fooling my brain by bashing the snooze button constantly. Whenever I do this, which has been a little too often lately I find it takes me so long to wake up rather than if I'd just got up straight away. It's something that's so easy to fall into the trap of, especially in the cooler months when getting out of bed seems like the last thing we'd like to do.

h2o

This is a new thing I'm trying, as a big lover of coffee it's usually the first thing that I reach for in the morning. But now I'm trying to drink a full glass of water instead and then if I still want a coffee then I can have one. Not having something that instantly dehydrates me in my system is doing my body wonders as I'm so prone to dehydration headaches. It's not something I thought would make such a big difference but it gives my system the kickstart it desperately needs. And if you're not a fan of bog-standard tap water then you can infuse it with different fruits, lemon is a classic but the sharp twang is so refreshing.

put my uniform on

I'm a big believer in creating yourself a little uniform when you work from home. Mostly so you don't end up working in your dressing gown or a rather dashing snow leopard onesie. As even though those items are irresistibly comfortable and cosy they're not the best for your productivity levels. And it's all down to your personal preference of what you find comfortable and feel your best in to get ready for work. My uniform changes around a lot but my two of my main concerns with what I'm wearing is that it's comfortable and warm as I'm sat down for such a big portion of the day. In the summer I can get away with pretty floaty dresses and skirts but as soon as the cooler months hit I switch to leggings, chunky oversized knits and most importantly thick socks with slippers so that my feet aren't blue oh and my thermal long sleeve of course. It's easy to enough to throw on this attire but I still feel ready for the day and then if I nip out then I'll usually throw on my Converse and use my Cambridge Satchel bag as I can't enough of those style pieces right now. Getting ready like I would if I was going in to a workplace [albeit a very casual one] is something that really helps my mindset and makes me feel much more prepared to sit and hunker down for the day. Of course, I'd be lying if I didn't say that sometimes I do sit in my cosy clothes, but it's a total treat because doing it too often leads to a lot of hours wasted.

getting prepped for the day

Much like getting dressed is integral for me to feel ready to take on the day so is washing my face, brushing my teeth and styling my hair in some way. It's so easy not to do those things when the only person who is seeing you is your dog but not doing those small things makes me feel terrible. As soon as I've eaten my breakfast I will always head upstairs to wash my face and brush my teeth. I've recently switched to the Pronamel Strong & Bright Toothpaste* and it's been such a positive change in my routine. I'm a little conscious of the colour of my teeth, they're not terrible but they could definitely be whiter but harsh whitening products aren't something I find comfortable to use. Not only am I aware of how my teeth look but I'm also of course, conscious of the condition that they're in too which is ultimately the most important thing over anything else. Strengthening the enamel of my teeth is key because once it's worn away from too many acidic foods then it can't come back which is why it's so important to take care of it. My teeth right now not only feel stronger but the twinge when I do eat something slightly more sugary or acidic is completely gone. Not only do my teeth feel better from using this but it's also a joy to use. Which may sound strange but so often toothpaste can leave my mouth feeling a little odd but every time I've used this without fail my mouth feels comfortably minty fresh.

prep the night before

Technically this isn't something to do in the AM but it's something I always like to make sure I have done. Writing my to-do list in the morning always makes me feel a little scatty and all over the place so taking a good 10 minutes the night before completely changes how the pace of my morning goes. My love for a good list is undying and it's a practice I carry throughout all areas of my life. Not only do I like to prep my to-do list the night before but I also like to make sure I've done anything else I can to make my morning run a little smoother. And it's only little things like getting my outfit out for the next day or meal prep/planning but those small things make a big difference.

making sure my workspace is clear

I suppose much like planning something else I try and do the night before in order to have an easy morning is making sure my workspace is as clean and tidy as possible. So any spare papers laying around or post it notes are always recycled if possible or filed away where they need to be. I'm not somebody who works well in chaos and like things to be as tidy as possible as there is nothing worse than sitting down in the morning to a messy workspace and having to take time out of my morning when I've got an entire to-do list to tackle.

minimal screen time & minimising distractions

This is something else that I've added to my routine in the last few weeks. I work on a screen all day and I fell into the habit of putting something on my laptop or iPad in the background to watch. Now they've put Friends on Netflix it's even more tempting but I know it doesn't make for a productive workday. For a while, I tried not to look at a screen when I first got up but it's easily one of the most difficult habits to tackle. So now I try to keep any excess screen time during my workday to a minimum as having one screen infront of me is more than enough. Because I'm no longer listening to anything in the background I am listening to a lot more podcasts instead and I like to have a scroll through my feed to see what's new and choose what I want to listen to throughout the day. They're undoubtedly the best thing to work to when you're on your own all day because it still gives you that company that I miss throughout the day but it's not as distracting as a YouTube video or Netflix. And I also learn a thing or two when I listen to podcasts. As well as cutting down on excess screen time something else I've done is try and minimise any distractions, this usually involves putting my phone elsewhere in the house. Because sitting and watching Instagram Stories is my biggest vice and something I need to stop when I need to focus on something else.

What are your favourite things to-do in the morning for a productive day?

- this post is in collaboration with Pronamel and Pronamel Strong & Bright is £5 and can be found in Boots, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug, Tesco -