Mornings can be tough on a lot of people due to tiredness, long commutes, school drop offs and skipping breakfast. A lot of people will feel sluggish and groggy, and only really feel any energy to accomplish any work after lunch and when the caffeine has kicked in!

This is a really bad way to spend your mornings, and if you’re finding that there are simply not enough hours in the day, you might want to make your mornings more productive.

Tip #1: Get enough sleep

Many people say that you need to clock 8 hours a night to feel truly refreshed the next day. The National Sleep Foundation says that sleep health should not be underestimated, but 8 hours might not be right for you. Each person has their own sleep levels; some will need 10 hours and some will be able to function just fine on 6. They say that you should consider the following:

  • Are you productive, healthy and happy on seven hours of sleep? Or does it take you nine hours of quality ZZZs to get you into high gear?
  • Do you have health issues such as being overweight? Are you at risk for any disease?
  • Are you experiencing sleep problems?
  • Do you depend on caffeine to get you through the day?
  • Do you feel sleepy when driving?

Try and focus on getting enough sleep and do what you need to achieve this – for example, if you need to sleep in a dark room, get blackout blinds. If you need to sleep in a warm room, consider keeping your heating on low.

Tip #2: Eat well and snack on fruit

The saying is true that what you put into your body, you get out. So putting in cake and biscuits will only give you a temporary sugar high, causing a mid-morning slump. Try eating a healthy breakfast, like bran flakes, brown toast or eggs, and then combine this with some healthy fruity snacks around 10am, just at the time you need a boost. Fruitful Office, an office fruit delivery company, says that in their “Great Fruit Experiment” they found an 11% increase in staff agreeing that their workplace “enabled them to work more productively” following the introduction of fruit as a snack. Fruits like grapes, apples and bananas are so much better for you than the empty calories found in biscuits!

Tip #3: Take a break

Mornings can be hectic, so make sure you take a short break so that you don’t become completely overwhelmed. This could mean a short brisk stroll outside in the fresh air – a great way to get rid of the cobwebs! Try and take a break from your PC screen and phone, and think about something different for 10 minutes. This helps you compose your thoughts, prioritise and focus on what really matters that day.