一日之计在于晨：让早晨变高效的5个小技巧

The ability to have a productive day in which you feel motivated and completely refreshed is something not many of us have. We need alarm clocks just to get us up, are barely able to pull ourselves out of bed, and our bodies feel drained and lethargic through most of the day.

It’s for these reasons that I have put together 5 Simple and Effective Techniques that require just a few basic changes to your morning—mostly physical changes that will guarantee not only an energized body, but a motivated mind that’s ready for action. You may have already known some of the stuff mentioned in the article, but what’s the point of knowing without doing? Take a shot at using all of these steps and you should definitely see a change in the way you feel every day.

Squats are known for being fairly easy with just a bit of challenge to them, but aside from the physical benefits to your outer body, squats get you worked up and essentially increase your heart rate with a corresponding increased blood flow. This means you’ll have a juiced-up body in a short space of time. I’ve practiced this when studying for exams in the past and it worked wonders to keep me awake.

A great way to start the day and feel refreshed is by having a shower. The problem that sometimes arises when we take them is that these showers can over-relax your body. I’ve had that problem quite a lot: I’d be quite excited to get on with some piece of work, after I have a hot shower, all I can think of is relaxing and taking things easy. A great way to combat the side effects of a relaxing shower is to make it quick, and end the shower off with a sudden burst of cold water. The shock to your skin will certainly wake you up if your shower relaxed you a bit too much.

My friends have a habit of rushing through their breakfasts, which and usually just consists of coffee and a muffin. Sorry folks, but that does not count as a good breakfast. You need a proper combination of fiber, protein, and preferably some dairy , but that doesn’t mean it has to be huge enough to feed a king. Try to eliminate coffee because once the sugar and caffeine spike goes south, you’ll be down before you know it. Try oats, fruits, cereals or even whole wheat toast with a great smoothie, which will combine to get you energy levels up and keep them that way.

Music is known as food for the soul, but it can also be a great motivator if you listen to the right choice of songs. Pick a few songs that get you worked up, inspire you, and have a good beat to them that you can groove to. Engaging your body with music is known to evoke certain feelings and emotions, so with the right choice of music and even a few dance moves, you’ll be feeling ready to get on with your day and achieve the best you can.

There are so many things you could do physically to have a productive day, but if you’re not happy, it’s going to be one hell of a roller coaster ride focusing on work and progressing toward your dreams. We respond to things according to our emotional state, so this final in the article is the most important one of all: try to avoid fretting the small stuff—things you can’t change—and aim at solving what you can, while being happy with yourself. Appreciate small milestones because the little things you accomplish encourage you to strive for more.