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Begin Your Day on the Right Foot
The way you begin your workday sets the tone for the rest of the day, not only at work but also at home. A few simple measures taken at the start of the day can make all the difference to how it ends. We've compiled the following tips to help you get off to the right -- and healthy -- start.1. Limit your work-starting routine to 15 minutes. That is, don't spend more than 15 minutes getting coffee, settling in, reading e-mails, checking messages, or looking at newspapers. You are often at your freshest and most productive at the beginning of the day. A prolonged morning routine takes the positive edge off you and makes your afternoon more stressful. Better that you jump into the important work quickly, and read the nonessential e-mails after you've covered lots of ground.
2. Write two to-do lists. The first should contain everything that you need to get done soon. It should be a comprehensive list of short-, medium-, and long-term projects and work, and you should constantly adjust it. The second to-do list should be what you can reasonably expect to get done today, and today only. Be fair to yourself. Factor in the disruptions, meetings, phone calls, and travel hassles that are interwoven in our days. Make the tasks as specific as possible (i.e., conduct online research for ostrich meat market) and assign a time you plan to devote to it (20 minutes). Print the list out on brightly colored paper; this keeps it from getting lost on your desk. By prioritizing your work and slicing it down to small, achievable pieces, you greatly increase the chances that you will be satisfied with your day's accomplishments.
3. Take a few moments to assess the day's emotional challenges. Almost as important as your to-do list is a "be prepared for" list. Inventory the tough phone calls, boring meetings, challenging customers, frustrating red tape, infuriating rush-hour drives, droning detail work, and other mental challenges you are likely to face. Then accept that they are inevitable, and prepare yourself to get through them without anger, frustration, or impatience. Remember: It's usually not our work that gets us down -- we all should enjoy our work! -- but rather the challenges that lie along the periphery of the job.
4. Visualize your day. Taking that last point further, you might wish to start each day by closing your eyes for 10 or 20 seconds and visualizing how you want it to go. See yourself making a stellar presentation at the board meeting. Experience the great feeling you're going to have when you finally make the sale or deliver the goods or get that report off your desk. Hear yourself providing positive feedback to your employee, or even your boss. If you are religious, make this a prayer.
5. Schedule some social time come midmorning. Most likely, you work with people whom you like and know rather intimately. In fact, camaraderie is what makes many jobs great. So build into each morning a ritual in which you can spend a few moments of social time with colleagues. Make it short, at an appropriate time, and don't let a day go by without getting to it. Avoid phone calls if you can; they can unexpectedly turn into big time-eaters.
6. Likewise, schedule some reading time. There's not a job that doesn't require at least some reading, be it about the company, the industry, the marketplace, the economy, the price of tomatoes. Create a ritual that gives you 15 minutes or so to review newspapers, electronic newsletters, industry magazines, company memos, and other reading. Be disciplined -- this is not the time to read the funnies or do online shopping! You'll find that being up-to-date on your business has many advantages, just one of them being a sense of control about your own situation.
7. Keep essentials nearby. If you have storage space for private stuff where you work, stock up on the following:
- A case of low-fat granola bars (the perfect snack or substitute breakfast)
- A case of bottled water (keeps you away from the soda machine)
- Bags of slow-dissolving mints or candy (helps prevent needless snacking)
- Supplements, including a multivitamin, B-complex, C and E vitamins, and echinacea (good for when cold season hits or you forget to take vitamins at home)
- A box of tissues (always handy)
- At least five family photos (which always lift the spirits)
- A snack pack (an array of nutritious snacks).
8. Make sure you have the right equipment for a healthy day in the office. If you're deskbound, that means:
- Headphones for the telephone so you're not leaning your neck to one side when you talk on the phone.
- An antiglare filter on your computer screen to reduce vision problems. One study on filter screens found they improved the quality of the screen image and significantly reduced the percentage of people with tired eyes, fatigue, itchy or watery eyes, dry eyes, and headaches.
- A wrist rest for your computer so that you keep your wrists elevated, thus avoiding pressure on the nerves that go through your wrist, which can cause carpal tunnel syndrome.
If you are in sales or service, you are likely to be on your feet much of the day. Comfortable, supportive shoes are just a start. Good socks and underwear, a steady supply of breath mints, and braces or other support for your back, knees, or any other problematic joints are also important. Finally, establish a safe place to keep your keys, cell phone, and other pocket stuff. Full pockets can affect your posture and movement.
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