Beep. Beep. Beep. Snooze. Beep. Beep. Beep. Snooze.
Sound familiar? If you dread getting up for work each and every morning, you are not alone. Every morning, millions of Americans hit their snooze buttons in an attempt to get “Just 15 more minutes.” It is a habit many develop when they were younger, dreading another boring day at school. Unfortunately, it’s a habit that many never outgrow. To these people, the term “morning person,” is as offensive as some four-letter curse words. But we are here to tell you that being a morning person is not only okay, it’s actually better for you both personally and professionally.
Embrace Your Work Morning and Become a Morning Person!
Even if you find it hard to pull yourself out of bed in the morning, it is important to get up and get moving.
- Productivity: Being one of the first people in the office each morning means fewer distractions and increased productivity. It can also help the rest of the day seem to go by more quickly.
- Happiness: According to researcher Renee Biss, who questioned more than 700 adults on their sleeping habits, those who wake up before 7amexperienced “greater happiness emotions,” a 19-25% boost in happiness to be exact.
- Health: Studies have shown that morning people tend to be healthier than night owls. Couple these findings with the fact that working out in the morning speeds up your metabolism, helping you burn more calories and resist junk-food cravings, and you are well on your way to a healthier, happier you.
- Business Success: “When it comes to business success, morning people hold the important cards… A number of studies have linked proactivity with better job performance, greater career success, and higher wages,” said Harvard biologist Christoph Randler. On top of that, supervisors tend to perceive workers who clock in earlier as more conscientious than those who start later, according to a 2014 study from the Journal of Applied Psychology.
How to Become a Morning Person – It’s Easier Than You Think
“We are supposed to be awake when it’s light outside and asleep when it’s dark outside,” explains Atlanta-based psychiatrist Tracey Marks, author of Master Your Sleep. However, for many of us, being a morning person does not come naturally. It is something we must work at, but it is certainly an achievable goal.
- Sleep: The first step to reaching a productive work morning is getting enough sleep the night before. Make adjustments to your evening routine that allows you to decompress and relax and hour before you climb into bed. This new routine will help you fall asleep earlier, making early mornings easier.
- Screen Time: Reduce your evening screen time – television, computers, tablets, etc. – suggests Shelby Harris, PsyD, director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at Montefiore Medical Center.
- Exercise: As we have already mentioned, exercising in the morning can be very beneficial.
- Breakfast: It is the most important meal of the day, as they say. When you wake up early, you have more time to prepare a quick, healthy breakfast to enjoy before you leave for the day.
- Wait Until The Office: No matter what your new morning routine is, avoid checking your work email or voicemails until you reach your office. Checking these while at your home can cause distractions and stress, which will derail your productive work morning.
About Mary Kraft – Staffing and HR Solutions
Mary Kraft Staffing was founded in 1989 and has since partnered with industry-leading healthcare, financial, commercial and service industry clients to increase productivity and drive cost savings through an array of flexible, cost-effective staffing and outsourced HR options.
To get started with Mary Kraft & Associates, give us a call today at 410-296-0655. You can also sign up for our free newsletter here! You can also click here to learn more information as well.
Do you enjoy clicking on “Like” and “Follow?” Then click on over to our official Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter today!
