Life file: 5 Morning Hacks for a Productive Day

I truly believe that the way you start your day sets the mood for the rest of it. If you want to feel your best then you have to start the day making the right decisions. Chances of having a more productive day are way higher if you start the day off right making healthy decisions than if you do on the wrong foot. Been there? then you know what I'm talking about.

Here are 5 things I highly recommend you do every single day when you wake up to help you feel better, more energized and ready to tackle anything that comes your way with positivity and energy :)

1. MAKE YOUR BED

Making your bed every morning can seriously improve your life and it doesn't take more than 5 minutes, maybe 3? I remember when I was a teenager I went through this phase where I would refuse to make my bed, I would even sleep in a sleeping bag on top of my bed just so that I didn't have to deal with it (talk about lousiness!). Of course, I just wanted to drive my mom mad, like every teenager does. But it didn't take me long to understand how important making your bed is. Not only is an easy task you can cross off the list, but a tidy place inspires you to do better. Trust me. Want to hear some wise words on this? Watch this (just over 1 min long)

2. OPEN YOUR CURTAINS AND LET NATURAL LIGHT IN

Ever traveled to a different time zone and were told that in order to deal with jetlag it is best to stay outside until the sun is gone and get up as soon as it rises? That's because it's been proven that sunlight is a synchronizing agent for the brain and body. Natural light has an immense impact on our health and wellbeing as it can help us be happier, more productive and can seriously boost our mood. So make sure you open your curtains and let the sunlight come in, and if you're interested in reading about maximizing existing natural lighting in your home, read this article ;) 

3. HAVE A HEALTHY BREAKFAST

There's a reason why breakfast is the most important meal of the day: it jump-starts your day with energy and nutrition and chances are that if you start the day with a healthy breakfast you will make better food decisions throughout the day than if you don't. Here are some delicious and healthy breakfast ideas for those of you who have time for a brekkie at home, and two easy recipes for on-the-go for those of you who don't (one, two) ;) 

4. EXERCISE

While I am one to believe that it really doesn't matter when in the day you exercise as long as you get it done, I do love starting the day with a good sweat; it wakes up my mind and body and it energizes me. If you've never been a morning person, I dare you get up and start the day with a run, a swim, a good bike, a yoga class, anything! You'll see how good you'll feel the rest of the day. 

5. GET DRESSED

While this may seem obvious for those of you who work in an office, for us freelancers who work at home, getting dressed as soon as we wake up it's not exactly mandatory. While I hear from a lot of freelancers that they work at home in their pj's and on their bed, I simply can't do it, and in fact, I find that it sabotages your productivity.

Getting dressed makes you feel like it's work time and not relax time, it sets the tone and separates "home" time from "office" time. Of course, it is important to be comfortable, but there are many many ways to dress for success in a comfortable way. How "dressed up" you want to be depends on how you feel, but whether you go for skinny jeans and a shirt or pencil skirt and heels, get dressed and you'll see how it positively impacts your productivity! 

Images: The Vault Files | The Glitter Guide | Anna With Love Photography