This article has been syndicated from Overthinker's Notebook, an InfluenceHer Collective Member. Read the full post here.
It’s officially that time of the semester. Class is becoming a grind, mornings are getting darker and colder and sometimes it’s all you can do to keep your motivation up. Though I initially championed waking up early this semester and being productive, I’ve been waking up later and later every week. Unfortunately, once we’re in this rut, it’s hard to pull ourselves back out. How can we get our motivation back?
Over the course of the past few years, I’ve accumulated a number of tips I’ve either read or discovered that help make me more willing to get out of bed and be productive in the morning. If you’ve been on the morning struggle bus lately, I recommend giving a few of these a try in order to gain some morning inspiration.
Wake up at a reasonable time
The first step in feeling good and being productive is waking up at a reasonable time. “Reasonable,” however, can mean different things to different people. For me it means being out of bed by 8; any later and I feel I’ve wasted hours of my day. However, if you’re the type who’s regularly up late working, a later time would probably be more appropriate so you can get your sleep. Conversely, if you have to be at work at 9 and would like some time in the morning to be productive, an earlier time may be necessary. The goal is to get up early enough that you feel proud of yourself for doing so, which will improve your motivation to get stuff done.
Make a getting-ready playlist
If you tend to spend forever getting ready because you’re still half asleep (AKA me), it may help to put some music on. Try putting music on while you’re in the shower, brushing your teeth and/or doing your makeup. Choose something upbeat that you’ll look forward to listening to every morning. This will help wake you up and motivate you to conquer the rest of your day.
Have your favorite coffee
I don’t know about you, but nothing gets me out of bed like thinking about what kind of coffee I’m going to have. If you struggle with being motivated to leave your bed, try tempting yourself with coffee and see if that helps. Plus, if you get into the habit of treating yourself with coffee in the morning when it’s time to be productive, chances are it’ll be something you’ll look forward to a little more. And if you’re not a coffee drinker, try using tea or hot chocolate.
Cook yourself breakfast
If you have the time to spare, making yourself a nice breakfast can be a really good way to get yourself up and motivated in the morning. Put on some music, pick a dish or recipe you love and get moving. Not only will the act of cooking force you to wake yourself up, but I’m sure the smell will help too. Plus, a good breakfast does wonders for your focus throughout the morning!
Read something that inspires you
When I was at my job this past summer and had a little more time to kill, I’d spend my Saturday mornings reading blog posts. This wasn’t just to support my fellow bloggers, however — some light reading about topics that caught my eye always made me feel inspired. While this specifically may not work quite as well for you, there’s likely a book or something you’ve been excited to read. Whatever it is that’ll pique your interest, try reading a few pages in the morning to get your brain juices flowing. I’ve found it works wonders for clearing my head.
Journal
Another thing I’ll do in the morning to clear my mind is journal. While some people like to do this at night to get their thoughts out before they go to sleep, I’ve found I prefer to do it in the morning. I’m more motivated to take it seriously, and if I’ve got a million thoughts swirling around about the day ahead, it’ll help me calm down so I can focus. Plus, it often gets me thinking about what I need to accomplish that morning.
Start with administrative tasks
If your struggle is with jumping into your high-brainpower tasks, start small. Check and reply to your emails, reply to comments or put the finishing touches on that already-written post draft. Crossing a few little things off of your to-do list will give you a sense that you’re getting stuff done, which will make you more motivated to start on your larger projects. It’ll also mean you don’t have to do them later in the day.
Hopefully, with one or more of these tips, your mornings will be less of a drag!
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