Struggling to get out of bed after hearing your alarm go off? An initial reaction will be to just press snooze, but eventually, you will have to take your first glance of the day.

After having a prolonged stretch, you realise how long you have to get dressed, eat breakfast and get to work, usually around 30 minutes! Your head is likely to be full of to-do lists and what you need to get done, today, tomorrow, next week even, which is bound to make you feel stressed.

Here are my top tips to help you stay calm and begin your day right.

Sleep

Most people like to sleep but a majority of people hate the sound of their alarm. Having a mental sharpness in the morning will help give the motivation to have a productive day. You should average between 7-9 hours of sleep each day. So, stop binge watching your favourite TV series and start sleeping!

Having curtains that let the light in can also help you wake up naturally rather than the abrupt interruption from a screeching alarm!

Be positive

If it’s that kind of day where you think to yourself why am I even at work; be very careful with how you approach the day. Get into the right frame of mind from the start, each morning you have 2 choices; you can choose to have a great day or a bad one. Feeling overwhelmed is the recipe for making mistakes, so stop thinking about everything that needs doing in the future and instead focus on the here and now.

One step at a time

You may think doing lots of things all at the same time will help get tasks done quicker. You’re wrong. Taking one step at a time will help you take strides rather than baby steps. You’ll get more done and most likely more efficiently and in less time as you will be able to focus on each task separately. This will help you to feel less stressed, rather than taking everything on at once, rushing and making a fatal hiccup.

Start the day by mapping out what you have to do to make sure all your tasks will get completed; make sure your list for the day is realistic, things often take longer than anticipated, plus there is always potential for that last-minute project to land on your desk.  If you think of extra tasks that need doing throughout the day, just write them down so you don’t forget and then you can work them into tomorrow schedule.

If you feel stressed during the day walk away from your desk for a few minutes, take a deep breath, get a glass of water and remember to take it a task at a time.

Tidy desk, tidy mind.

When you have a lot on, clutter on your desk can be a huge distraction. Don’t spend hours filing and avoiding the things that really need to be done, but a quick tidy up once a week or before you start your tasks for the day will really help you focus. As the saying goes; tidy desk, tidy mind!

Don’t Rush

Be the tortoise, not the hare! An easy way to focus is by slowing everything down. Don’t be that person who always finishes first, but makes lots of mistakes. No task is a race just take your time and be precise. Your boss will appreciate quality over quantity.

Emails can wait

Don’t check your emails as soon as you get onto your computer. Settle into the day – if you can, by writing you to do list, then check your emails to see if there is anything that needs to be done today as a priority. Make a conscious effort to then only check your emails at intervals throughout the day, otherwise, you will be distracted from the task at hand each time a new email hits your inbox.

Stay positive and have high self-esteem

Learning how to handle your inner critic will help to develop your skills and provide both confidence and motivation. It’s great to be self-critical as long as it is constructive, if that little voice takes over in your head with negative criticism, learn how to slow down and take a step back and find the positives.  Learn from your mistakes and use them to work smarter and achieve more.

At the end of each day, take two minutes to reflect on all the positive things you have achieved throughout the day.

Advice & Tips