With more and more of us pushing ourselves to the limit at work every day, it’s important that you take some time out to look after yourself and do what you can to help yourself at work. Forbes have developed a list of 16 Things You Should Do at the Start of Every Work Day and it’s highly encouraged you take on some of these activities to help you be more productive and efficient at work.
1. The first tip is to arrive on time. Although this may seem obvious to most people, some people still don’t understand the importance of punctuality and how it can reflect on your professionalism and overall impression. Getting to work on time or a little early helps your mindset for the day as it helps you feel like you have already accomplished something. Also, there’s nothing worse than running late and feeling the stress. By planning on arriving early, this can eliminate some of the stress from your day.
2. Next you should take a deep breath and mediate, taking a moment out to refocus after your commute is always a great idea, especially if your trip to work in itself was stressful. Starting your day off right is important and mediating can help you relax and set the tone for the day ahead.
3. Eating a proper breakfast is crucial for the start of your day. As the saying goes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and can give you the mental and physical energy to start your day and remain focused in the morning. If you don’t eat breakfast, you can find yourself with no energy and no focus which is not good for productivity.
4. Next you should start each day with a clean slate. You may have tasks and projects that roll over from yesterday but try to start each day fresh. Make sure you’re organised and ready to hit the ground running and leave any problems you had yesterday behind.
5. Another tip is don’t be moody. Often your mood can have an impact on your work and your team around you. Make an effort to try and get rid of your bad mood or morning grumps before you start work. This may be simply by having another coffee or taking the time to have a quick chat to a co-worker to lighten your mood.
6. At the start of every work day you should organise your day ahead of you. The first hour of your work day is the best time to assess priorities and outline what needs to be done during the day. A great way to do this is to make a to-do list at the beginning of the day and priortise your work as the day goes on. Remember to use your peak time each morning to do the most important tasks.
7. Next you should always make sure you are present. Even if you’re not a morning person, it’s critical to be present mentally and physically, and to communicate with your co-workers. It’s important that you take the time to connect to your team members and the small things like saying good morning and making eye contact count.
8. Check in with your colleagues is the next thing you should always do at the start of the work day. A quick team meeting at the start of the day can be effective so that everyone knows what everyone else is up to and communicate essential information to the team.
9. Organise your work space is another thing you should do at the start of the day. Clearing off the desk and creating a neat work space sets a tone for the rest of the day. A clear desk space also helps you think clearly and makes you feel like the work is not literally piling up on you.
10. Next you should always remind yourself of your core purpose at work. Take a moment to remind yourself why you’re at work and what is motivating you to work. This will allow you to feel motivated and helps you focus on the priorties of your job. Reminding yourself what is important will help you focus and get your work done.
11. Don’t be distracted by your inbox, this is difficult for most people but the experts agree you shouldn’t check your email first thing in the morning. But if you need to, only respond to the urgent ones. Doing this in the morning can serve as a time waster and a distracter and can take your off task or you can lose focus.
12. Next you should listen to your voice-mail, many people are so focused on their computer that they ignore their phone. It’s important not to miss anything important so you should always check your voice-mail in the morning.
13. Place important calls and send urgent emails is another thing you should do at the start of the day. If you know you need to get in touch with someone, why not do it first thing in the morning so there’s a greater chance you will hear back from them? This will also clear your mind to focus on other important tasks.
14. Take advantage of your clear mind, many people feel that they are at their peak in the morning. During the time you should take on the harder tasks that require more focus and more attention. This also means that towards the end of the day when you’re losing your mental capacity, you can do the work that matches your state.
15. Next you should mix things up from time to time. Some people are creatures of habit but others like variety and change, by shaking things up some mornings and doing something differently, this can energise your day and have a positive impact on you and the office dynamics.
16. Finally, you should plan a mid-morning break. During this time, you can assess where you’re at and take a little break to help keep your momentum going. By clearing your head, you will get in the right frame of mind to continue working through the day.
All these tips can help you unleash your potential at the start of the day and be productive at work.
