Healthy habits are known to make life better by improving your mood, motivation, outlook, and productivity. These habits aren’t just restricted to mornings. Each of the 24 hours in the day is an opportunity to increase your productivity.
In this article, we’ll look at habits you can get into at different times throughout your day to give yourself a better overall performance.
Morning habits
If you asked most people, they would tell you that morning is best for specific activities and habits. This saying has some truth because mornings are the best time to put a positive spin on your day. Let’s look at three healthy habits to get into in the mornings.
Morning stretches
Many people already know that exercising early in the morning can give you the energy and confidence boost you need to attack your day. The combination of an elevated heart rate, endorphins, and a good sweat can jump-start your systems and prep you for a day of crushing it. But then, did you know that stretches are almost as good?
Doing some stretches can loosen up your muscles, lubricate your joints, and prepare your mind. Most people need a little kickstart in the morning. Some turn to tea and coffee, but stretching will do you just as good. It will also increase blood flow to your muscles and improve your posture.
Besides the psychological benefits, stretching calms the nerves and relaxes the muscles. The fascinating thing is stretching isn’t the only source of muscle relaxation. Elite health products can also help you to relax and even promote healthy sleep. They are helpful if your days are usually stressful.
Wake up early.
It’s common knowledge that waking up early can help you accomplish more in the day. Some people even choose to get up as early as 3 am to maximize their mornings. While the pros of such early hours are debatable, getting up on time can certainly help you.
It gives you more time in the day for productive tasks. You can get many things done before you have to turn in at work and continue your day like everyone else. From working out to reading, people use their early morning time for all kinds of activities. Plus, early rising can help align your sleep cycle for success. Once your body adjusts to early hours, it will get easier to shake off the groggy feeling and get to it!
It’s important to note that some people do better than others in the morning. Night owls prefer to stay awake at night and sleep in. You could argue about the cons of this practice, but if it works for you, keep at it. Just ensure that you have enough hours left in the day for the essential things.
Eat healthy foods.
Talking about healthy eating makes you sound like a broken record at this point. Because so many experts have said it, everyone has gotten used to it without actually doing it. Therefore, we need to discuss it just one more time. It’s not just about staying in shape or losing weight, either. Healthy eating has tons of benefits.
For starters, you’ll have more energy throughout your day. A breakfast of greens/fruits will get digested quickly and give you the nutrients in double time. This is unlike a high-calorie breakfast of donuts and other pastries that take longer to digest. They also make you feel heavier and reward you with unnecessary calories.
Eating healthy is so much easier when you know the healthy food options. It’s not just all broccoli, spinach, and other unsavory vegetables. You can prepare a delicious salad or a smoothie that will tickle your taste buds. Educating yourself is the first step to practicing a healthy diet.
Afternoon habits
For most people, afternoons are when things get hairy. You may be at work trying to meet deadlines or preparing for the kids to come back from home. Whatever your activities, some habits can help you take a step back and realign yourself. Here are three of them.
Spend some time with yourself.
You may have read that and thought, “That’s not possible! I’m going to be at work.” However, did you know that work may be the perfect time to practice solitude? From the moment you wake up, life’s obligations bombard you, and you have to attend to them as the day progresses. Before you know it, it’s bedtime. You sleep, wake up, and begin the cycle again.
Alone time can help you center yourself and remember your motivations. When your boss is breathing down your neck, it’s a great time to take a step back and remember why you took the job in the first place. Was it to gain experience or to climb the corporate ladder? Whatever it is, the memory will keep you motivated.
Alone time can be as simple as taking breathing exercises or as active as going for a walk. If you have some favorite tracks, you can also play them to feel relaxed. The duration is also up to you, within reasonable limits. It can be as brief as ten minutes or as long as your entire lunch break.
Get up and move.
You can couple this habit with the previous one, although you don’t have to. Taking some time to move around is fantastic advice for people who work in offices or at any kind of desk. Sitting for long periods affects your posture, back, and neck muscles. It’s a great idea to take about ten minutes break for every hour you sit down.
You may not take ten minutes every hour, but every time you take is valuable. During your break, try some mild stretches, focusing on your back, neck, and hamstrings. These suffer the most after prolonged sitting. If you do morning stretches, you’ll be better off because your muscles will be less tense.
You can also take a short walk during this period. If you can find a friend at work to walk with, even better! The walks can help you clear your head and relax your body. Plus, taking walks is remarkably effective at cementing workplace friendships that may bud into life-long relationships.
End your workday with a winning attitude.
How you end your workday has a great influence on how the next one will begin. You don’t want to go home feeling exhausted and unaccomplished. It can affect your behavior at home, stealing valuable time from your family and loved ones.
An accomplished attitude can also make you begin the next day with tunnel vision, focusing on righting the previous day’s wrongs. Since that’s not how to start a successful workday, you’re setting yourself up for a vicious cycle that ultimately leads to burnout.
Instead, fix the easy tasks at the end of your day. Activities like checking in with colleagues, tying up loose ends, and evaluating your to-do list are great for the end of work. Any task that wasn’t completed should be moved to an available spot during the next day. Most importantly, leave work on time.
Evening habits
By evening, most people are looking to have dinner, spend time with family and friends, and retire for the day. But then, did you know that this is a great time to do something positive for yourself? Here are three evening habits that can improve your life.
Do something you love.
Doing something you love is a great way to wrap up the day. Habits have a way of giving you a familiar retreat space. Juggling all your responsibilities can be tiring. Because you don’t necessarily enjoy them, you can end the day feeling like you did chores throughout.
Engaging in an activity that brings you happiness can reverse that feeling. It could be reading a book, listening to music, watching your favorite TV series, or hanging out with friends. Besides improving your mood, doing things you love can also improve your motivation and health.
If you have a spouse and children, you may not always get time alone to indulge yourself. One solution is to schedule your hobby. Explain its importance to your family and collaborate to find pockets of time.
Reflect on the day’s high notes.
There’s no better way to end a day than thinking about everything you got right. This is perhaps one of the biggest morale boosters on this list. Reflecting on your accomplishments and little successes can help you sleep better and face the next day with more energy.
Thinking on the day’s high notes is also great for those around you. If you’re spending time with loved ones, you don’t want to be talking about everything that went wrong that day. People love to hear good news, and sharing your small wins is an excellent conversation starter.
While reflecting on your wins, it’s tempting to dwell on the mistakes of the day. It’s even more disappointing when you have more errors than successes. It helps to chalk it up to a learning experience, and focus on all the ways you’ll get it right the next time.
Spend quality time with loved ones.
The focus here is quality time. That means a time when you focus on your loved ones and try to enjoy their company. We often confuse quality time with existing in the same space.
Quality time means you’re listening to what they say with the intent to understand. You’re also savoring the present moment while shutting out everything else from your mind. Spending time together is easier if you’re engaged in an activity like going on a date or playing games.
Try to avoid activities that separate or cause you to focus on other things. These include going to a party or watching TV for prolonged periods. It’s essential to keep the focus on the other person.