Mornings can set the tone for the rest of our day, and too many of us wake up stressed, hurried and tired before we ever attend a meeting or start our to-do list.
But there’s a better way.
Take it from the pros. HuffPost asked a variety of productivity experts about what they never do first thing in the morning, as lessons for us all. Take notes on how you can start your days with more energy and in a better mood. Their answers were lightly edited for clarity and length.
I don’t mindlessly scroll the news.
“I would say that I am pretty intentional about my news and social media consumption overall, and especially first thing in the morning. If I’m not, I will totally lose focus or at least just procrastinate on doing the important things I need to do to get up and at it. In practice, this looks like reading a daily newsletter with top headlines first thing, as opposed to opening a news app and then scrolling on BlueSky for an hour. And when having coffee, I typically either listen to a podcast, watch YouTube videos on the TV, or play a cozy phone game instead of looking at social media.
Again, it’s important to be informed about what’s happening in the world, but I don’t think it’s good to take this many horrors straight to the dome during every waking hour. It’s definitely not good for me.
I also try to do the most important things in my routine first — so I make myself take a shower before I look at Reddit or turning on the TV, because I find Reddit fun — i.e., distracting! — and I know I’ll delay showering if I’m having too much fun reading.” –– Rachel Wilkerson Miller, author of “Dot Journaling—A Practical Guide”
I don’t slowly ramp up my day.
“It may sound counterintuitive, but I’m not a ‘slowly ramp up my day’ kind of person... Before work, I need a jolt of adrenaline to really get me going, especially in the morning.
I’m big on the idea that some days you can’t sit back and just wait for creativity, energy or purpose to strike, and that showing up is half the job. So no big breakfast for me, it’ll just make me want to go back to bed. I save my workouts for lunchtime or the afternoon, because if I exercised before work, I’d be lethargic and sweaty at the beginning of the day, rather than ready to focus and direct my energy at my work.
I do like to shower at the beginning of the day, again, for that adrenaline, but I also try not to linger, so I don’t end up too relaxed. I do make time for coffee or tea, but I try not to schedule too many things for before work because I don’t want to start spending my energy reserves before I even start my day.
To me, it’s all about managing my energy levels and knowing my peak working hours. I tend to be more motivated and creative in the afternoons and evenings, so I focus on bringing as much energy to the beginning of my workday as possible by reserving as much as I can!” — Alan Henry, managing editor at PCMag and author of “Seen, Heard, and Paid: The New Work Rules for the Marginalized”
I don’t do complex household tasks.
“I would never begin work on a complex, in-depth, or time-consuming hours-long personal or household task like completing, finishing and submitting important financial ... paperwork.
There are several key reasons why I tend to avoid this type of task right before work. ... I’m aware working on this type of task may cause stress and confusion. ... If I’m working on something that requires a lot of concentration, like reading a policy or warranty, I want to have plenty of time to read and understand information. Otherwise, I may inadvertently rush, ignore or misinterpret something important.
[Additionally] I know my attention would be split three ways: on the task itself, preparing myself for the day to come and my schedule for the day. I wouldn’t be able to truly focus on the task at hand because I’d be preoccupied thinking about getting dressed, having breakfast, and any upcoming meetings and tasks in my calendar. In essence, my time and energy spent attempting to work on the task would be diluted threefold and I wouldn’t get very far in my work.” — Rashelle Isip, productivity consultant
I don’t wake up at 5 a.m.
“I’ve never been a member of the 5 a.m. club –– the productivity advice of getting up super early and having a big morning routine, exercise, getting your best work done before 9 a.m., etcetera. For me, getting a decent night’s sleep is probably the best thing I can do before work –– especially before a keynote or workshop I’m delivering.
So while I do a lot of travel, you won’t find me getting a super early train on the day of the event. If I need to be there first thing in the morning, I’ll be there the night before and preferably within walking distance, so I don’t need to contend with traffic delays or sleep deprivation when I need to show up at my best.” — Grace Marshall, productivity coach and author of “How To Be Really Productive: Achieving Clarity and Getting Results in a World Where Work Never Ends”
I don’t start my day without an intention of how I’ll finish it.
“I would never start a workday not having an idea of what I intended to accomplish by the end of it.
Before each work day, usually around the end of the workday before, I make myself a short priority list for the day: ‘No matter what else happens, what is most important for me to accomplish by the end of the day?’ I consider this list a contract with myself –– which means it has to be short, because life happens! But I think setting intentions is key to seeing those intentions actually happen. And that allows us to keep moving forward.” — Laura Vanderkam, a time management expert and author of “Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters”