THE WORST AND BEST WAYS TO START YOUR DA
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The working week demands some form of regular schedule from professionals
The working week demands some form of regular schedule from professionals. To truly be at your best, this usually requires a set bedtime, to ensure that you get the optimal amount of sleep, and more importantly, a set morning routine – without which you’re doomed to feel groggy, unmotivated and probably arrive late.
However, even with strict self-imposed rules on gaining your forty winks and arriving at work on time, the vast majority of professionals are making a huge error in the way in which they structure their pre-work hours and it all comes down to the first thing they choose to do having woken up – checking their phones.
The smartphone has replaced nearly every other daily-carry items in the possession of the average professional. They are morning alarms, sleep trackers, music players, media centres, games machines, news sources, wallets, keys and, yes, even phones. This means that your iPhone alarm is probably the first noise you hear in the morning, and its screen is the last thing you see before going to bed.
With smartphones combining so many uses, how can it be possible that they’re a bad way to start the day? Well, mainly because when so much of your life is wrapped up into that hand-sized easy-to-browse package, many workers completely lose track of time endlessly scrolling through social feeds, or news feeds, completely eschewing their intended morning schedule.
Smartphones are proven to make professionals less productive, less motivated, more aimless and also to increase the potential for mental illness such as depression and anxiety issues; a Karger study found that they are also extremely addictive, as the endorphin rush of checking social media is comparable to that experienced when gambling. So, checking your phone to start your day is a poor move. What should you do instead?
To start your day in a healthy way, LinkedIn research concludes that you must start with positive, inspiring or energising experiences. This, for many leaders such as Indra Nooyi or Warren Buffett, means leaving the phone in another room whilst adjusting for the day. Whilst preferential activities may vary, LinkedIn research recommends the following.
Doing a guided meditation.
Reading a few pages from a great book.
Listening to an inspiring podcast.
Playing happy music.
Writing in a gratitude journal.
Exercising, even if it’s just a short walk around the block.
Watching something funny; perhaps a funny podcast or TV show.
Playing with your kids and/or pets.