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Six Morning Routines that Will Make You Happier, Healthier and More Productive
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Morning routines
Of all the different things you can try to improve your productivity, a morning routine is one of the most effective:
- It gets you started and sets the tone for the upcoming day;
- They take place in the most consistent part of the day - mornings are usually quiet, with fewer social obligations.
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Sleep and productivity
When it comes to productivity, getting enough sleep is essential. Any morning routine you develop needs to accommodate your sleeping rhythms.
And research indicates that 7-8 hours per day is a nearly universal requirement.
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Different goals, different routines
There isn’t one perfect routine that will make you rich and happy overnight. Instead, there’s different routines for different purposes: if you're focusing on health and fitness, starting with exercise or eating a healthy breakfast might go first. If you're working like crazy, getting straight to work on your most important tasks may be better than cluttering up my morning with different tasks.
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Exercise and energy
Right when you wake up, before eating breakfast, checking your phone or the TV, go out and move:
- it puts fitness in that all-important first slot of the day, especially if you're struggling with making this a priority;
- It will wake you up and keep you alert.
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Meditation and Stillness
If you start your day with meditation, it’s important to do seated meditation and not do so lying down in your bed, or you’ll be likely to fall back asleep. This routine will help because:
- it leaves you calm and focused for the day;
- allows your mind to wake up without strain.
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Getting the work done
The key to productivity is just doing the work. This routine underscores this by making getting some work done your first priority, so that your first break is the chance to eat breakfast, shower etc. :
- it not only maximizes your time, it shifts your productivity much earlier.
- it is that you get to take a break when you need it.
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Planning the day ahead
Don’t just jot down some to-do items, but actually imagine working on them: What will be the complications, where will you have gaps in your schedule that need filling, what will you need to focus on etc. Doing this planning first thing in the morning can be a good way to prime your day for success, especially if you have a hectic busy schedule.
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Make your bed
By putting your house in order, you put your mind in order as well: Making your bed, brushing your teeth, showering, shaving, doing makeup, pressing your clothes are all little tasks that can put you in good form for the rest of your day.
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Make "power down" time a priority
Shut down those activities that stimulate your mind, such as work, emails, internet browsing and even watching TV.
Try reading a book,
Try a brain dump
Dump it all out. Write some lists, or simply use the "worry diary" technique and jot down all of the things you’re stressing about.
Do this before your "power down" time. This helps your mind let these things go. Once they're written down, you can relax; there's no chance you'll forget them.
Eat, drink and move mindfully
If you’re experiencing sleeping problems:
- Cut back on caffeine (particularly after midday).
- Avoid eating a particularly heavy meal late in the evening.
- Meditation and supplements can also affect sleep so it’s best to get educated about what you’re taking.
- Intense exercise late at night isn't recommended.
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'Copying' famous routines
Not everyone consciously crafts their routines to maximize their time. That’s why people are interested in the routines of successful people: we think following the same steps will bring the same r...
Rituals
Rituals are repeated behaviors (like routines). However, they’re deeply personal and are imbued with deeper meaning beyond just a sequence of actions. They mark a change, a switch in task or moment of importance. And it’s those symbolic actions performed at key moments that help us move through the day smoothly.
Routines
A routine is a series of regularly followed actions. There are few things that impact your daily productivity, career trajectory, and overall well-being as much as your routines. What’s important isn’t the exact nature of your routine, but that you have one and stick to it.
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Key Ideas
The Brain as a Snowy Hill
The snowy hill represents the brain, the people sledding are like the memories, and the trails left behind are the synapses in the brain.
Think of the brain as a hill covered in snow, ...
Memory Palace/The Method of Loci
- Choose a place that you know really well.
- Plan the route and pick specific locations in your route.
- Decide what you want to memorize
- Place an object or two, with a mental image, and place them in your memory palace. Exaggerate your images. For example, use nudity or crazy images forcing it to stick in your mind.
- Make the image into a mnemonic
Mnemonics
A memory device that helps you retain and retrieve information simply with the use of retrieval cues to encode information in the brain.
- List the words you want to remember.
- Write the initials of each word vertically.
- Create a sentence/phrase using the initials.