You’d be hard pushed to find someone who doesn’t agree that they are most productive first thing in the morning.

But how can we guarantee that we will find inspiration exactly when we need it most?

Well, if you ask our sleep experts here at Bedco, they’ll tell you that it’s all about having a healthy routine. Here are our top seven ways to fuel a productive morning:

1) Get Organised the Night Before

The first step to a successful morning actually begins at night. If you want to be productive throughout the day then you need to be organised by having everything ready the night before. If you have a busy day at work, make sure you have all the resources that you’ll need looked out ahead of time. And be sure to take care of all those small decisions that can end up taking more time than necessary, for example, choosing what to wear.

2) Turn off Gadgets and Other Electronic Devices

Mobile phones, TVs, laptops, iPads, iPods – and pretty much anything else beginning with the letter ‘i’ need to be switched off at least half an hour before you fall asleep. Our need to be constantly connected often takes priority over our need for a good night’s rest. Despite our tendency to think that watching TV or listening to music helps us relax, most electronic equipment is actually stress-inducing and does us more harm than good when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep.

3) Set Your Alarm for a Reasonable Time

When it comes to waking up, we need to be reasonable about how much sleep we actually need. According to the Sleep Foundation, we all need around 8 hours sleep per night in order to function at our best the next day. So, if we set our alarms too early in the hope that we can squeeze in some extra hours, what can actually happen is that we become counter-productive as we try to fight against our body’s natural rhythm. Similarly, if we set our alarms too late, we’ll wake up feeling like we’ve wasted an hour, which can lead to us feeling stressed.

4) Get a Good Night’s Sleep

This one might sound obvious but getting a good night’s sleep is essential to fuelling a productive morning. Whatever you find helps you sleep better (that doesn’t involved artificial sedatives) is always your best bet to guaranteeing a good night’s sleep. For example, most people find that having fresh bedsheets and a tidy room helps them sleep better at night. Similarly, having a hot water bottle on cold evenings or an electric blanket can also help us sleep right through until morning.

5) Eat an Energising Breakfast

Any nutritionist will tell you that some foods are more energising than others. In the morning, you want to avoid eating excessive carbohydrates and anything with artificial sugars as these types of food can make you feel sluggish. Ideally, every morning you should have something that helps you slowly release energy throughout the day. The best foods to eat in the morning to fuel productivity are:

  • Ginger and mango smoothie
  • Walnuts and cranberries
  • Blueberries
  • Bananas
  • Almonds
  • Eggs
  • Oatmeal

6) Prepare Your Positive Mind-set

A large part of being productive is getting into the right mind-set for work. If you find that your mind tends to wander when it should be focusing on the task at hand, then you need to up your ability to concentrate. This can be done in several ways, including:

  • De-cluttering your workspace and removing all distractions
  • Take 10 minutes every morning to meditate (or at least close your eyes and focus on your breathing)
  • Drink water regularly during the day
  • Close down your email inbox
  • Put up a polite ‘do not disturb’ sign on your office door

7) Find Your Flow

Sometimes, when we are so engrossed in what we’re doing, time seems to pass quicker than normal, this is known as ‘having flow’ or ‘being in the zone’. When you find yourself in these moments, try to embrace them as your mind tends to be more receptive to problem solving and creativity. On the other hand, it’s important that you take regular breaks too. Forcing your body to work when it has already reached its peak can result in sub-standard thinking and sub-standard results.

What do you do to fuel a productive morning? Do you have any particular routines that you go through? Do you have any of your own tips that you’d like to share with our readers?