6 things I’ve incorporated into my mornings to be more productive

Let’s be real - New Years is always a good time for everyone to start implementing changes into their lifestyle to try and better their every day living. For the past few months, I’ve noticed myself becoming more and more frustrated with how much cleaning and organizing we have to do in the house. It’s my first time living with my husband under one roof, and there are some things we need to work on, such as not leaving all of our things dumped at the door when returning from work.

I’ve never been good at being productive in a cluttered or messy environment, so I started brainstorming ideas on how I can improve this. Most days I’d find myself saying, “I’m too tired, I’ll tackle it all tomorrow.” By the time tomorrow comes, there’s an even bigger mess to clean. So I decided that in the mornings that I have before work, I would take the time to start my day off with a straight hour of productivity.

Keep my phone on DND and limit use on social media

When I would wake up before, the first thing I’d check was all of my social media. I had an extreme case of FOMO when I first moved to El Paso. I think it’s because of the lack of things to do here while pregnant; I was vicariously living through everyone on my feed. I found this very draining after a while. So I started leaving my phone in the bedroom when I’d wake up. I don’t have any social media apps on my iPad except for YouTube, so the chances of me being lost in a “scroll-daze” on Instagram are highly unlikely when I use my iPad. Instead, I find blogs or videos about being a more productive person and incorporating new systems into my lifestyle and let them play in the background. Social media will always be at the ends of my fingertips when I seriously have the time, but I’m trying to no longer fall into that black hole of scrolling.

Make the bed

I make our bed. It’s probably the easiest task I can do in the morning. As soon as I get up, I let my dogs out to use the restroom and I go back to make my bed. By the time I’ve made the bed, they’re already begging to come back inside. It’s the perfect 2-minute routine to jumpstart my productivity. Walking into my room and not having to see a mound of blankets piled on top of all of our pillows gives me a little more ease as I get ready for the day.

Start the day with breakfast and a warm drink to sit and think of what needs to be done in the next hour

Every day that I work, I have the same breakfast. I always start off with a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of tea or coffee, depending on how my baby is feeling that day. (Some days I have an inkling that coffee isn’t going to sit well with him, lol.) It takes me 90-seconds to make my breakfast, and takes me about 10 minutes to sit and enjoy it. During this time, I focus more on the audible or YouTube video I’ve chosen for the morning. They’re normally 10-15 minutes long, so it’s perfect for the first part of my day. I’ve got a good start on my daily nutrition, and I’ve already brainstormed what needs to be done in the next “tidy-up hour”.

Journaling or Planning

Depending on if I have an idea to write something or if I need to take the time to plan the week, this is when I’ll do it. I use the Goodnotes app and Google Calendar to plan my days and weeks, and to write down any thoughts I have. There are a lot of things I know need to be done before the arrival of baby, to include the personal goals I have for myself, so I try to find the best ways to tackle them. I know that if I write it down then I won’t forget it needs to be done. Being able to cross if off my to-do list helps me stay on track and keeps me accountable to the task. I make sure I write down all of the urgent things that I need to get to, and plan ahead of the tasks I can clump together to be more efficient. I highly suggest learning to plan, even if it’s just writing down your errands. When you set aside the time, you’re more likely to get it done than trying to keep it in your short-term memory and saying, “I’ll get to it after I do XYZ.”

Tidy up the house

I cannot stand coming into my home when there are things all over the place. When my husband comes in from work, he’s always dragging in 2-3 bags from work to include his backpack, gym bag, and lunch bag + giant water bottle. He dumps the mail on the table, he takes off his clothes and hangs it on the back of the chairs, and dumps his pockets next to our coffee machine. It. Drives. Me. Crazy. He’s gotten better at putting things away after I’ve clearly voiced how upset I get when I see it :). So now, all I do is tidy up the kitchen and the living room. I take the time to fold the blankets, fix the pillows, vacuum, feed the dogs, load/empty the dishwasher, prepare the coffee, and make rice for dinner. Doing all of these things in the beginning of the day make it easier to come home to the house at the end of the day. By the time I get off of work, the last thing I want to do is clean. That’s why it would usually get pushed off to the weekends or my days off. Tidying the house a little bit every day helps keep the messes from piling up too high, which in return, gives me more time to enjoy being at home hanging out.

Skin care

This is a routine that I have had to really get myself to follow, and I’m glad that I started being more serious with my skin care. There isn’t a time where I felt worse after cleansing my face. It’s a refreshing start to my day. I know that when I go out, I’m feeling my best because I feel like I’m looking my best. Taking the short 5-10 minutes to take care of myself goes a long way when starting the day off. (Related: Part I: Essentials of my skin care routine)

How do you know when it’s time to fire yourself?

  We’ve all had those jobs that we absolutely hated.  Not because of the job itself, but because of the people, particularly the boss.  There’s a great difference between having a boss and having a leader at work.  A boss will be demanding.  They won’t take the time to understand your point of view or listen to your ideas.  They’ll micromanage you because it’s their way or the high way.

  A leader on the other hand will encourage innovation and ideas to be shared.  They will be there right beside you working hard at the project.  They’ll have your back through the good times and the bad times.  A leader will trust you.  So here are the top six reason that I think cause people to leave their jobs.

When you don’t feel appreciated

  You’re a hard worker.  You always get your projects done on time, and sometimes even sooner.  You give 100% effort each time you complete a task, and you ask for help when you need it.  Despite the effort you put in, you’ve never heard “good job” or even a “thank you”.  Recognition is something that is missing in your work environment, and that’s not okay.  Leaders should make sure you know that your hard work is vital to the team, and that you’re appreciated. 

When your boss is busier managing your tasks than they are their own

  No one likes to be micromanaged.  Possibly one of the worst things a boss can do is continuously critique you while looking over your shoulder at work.  Look Sir, no one likes you breathing on them while they’re at work.  Go do your own work!

Your input gets tossed aside and never used

  There’s always room for improvement in an organization, and it works best when everyone shares their input and comes up with a grand idea.  It’s unfortunate when you work under a boss who doesn’t take the time to try your ideas, let alone listen to you pitch it.  How are you supposed to know whether you’re good at something if you aren’t ever given the chance?  Not to mention if they do use it, and take the credit for it or change it to make it look like they improved your idea.

  Leaders know how to be good followers.  That’s what makes them good leaders.  They know how important the team is, and they know that everyone has something to offer.  In healthcare, to be considered a high reliability organization (HRO), one of the key components is to call in your experts.  You have people who know the job, the subject matter experts, or “SME” if you will. (That’s why Cap’t Hook must have called his first mate SME!)

They speak to you in a condescending tone

  It’s one thing to be firm with your employees to make sure you get your point across.  If you’ve done something wrong, and your boss has to tell you to not do it again, fine.  But he shouldn’t make you feel like you’re a complete dunce while doing so.  Everyone makes mistakes, including them.  Don’t take it personally, just know that there are leaders out there that deserve your work more than that guy.

They don’t provide you with the appropriate training

  Are you new to your job or have you gone up in skill level?  Well, you should be entitled to receive training on whatever their expectations are of you.  If not, then how are you supposed to do your job correctly?  Then you return to the previous point where if you make a mistake, they scold you for it.  Don’t worry, hold that head up.  Other jobs offer you training before getting the promotion, or make it a requirement.  It’s time to start packing up your desk.

They lie to you, and they don’t have your back

  This is the one that gets my gears grinding for sure.  Bosses will say whatever they need to say at the time when they need something from you.  The second that you no longer have anything to offer them, they strip you of their loyalty and turn their back on you.  A leader leads from the front, so if anything were to happen, they’d take the first blow to diffuse it throughout the team so it isn’t as bad.  A leader will stay with you through and through.  Know where your loyalty lies, and know where you’re putting your trust at work.  Not everyone has your success in their best interest. I hope you’re out the door by now.

Free yourself from that negativity

  Is it really worth it to have to go through negative feelings every day?  The longer you stay in a position that mentally, emotionally, and physically drains you isn’t good for your health.  When we say practice self-love, that means all aspects of loving yourself.  It isn’t the easiest to switch positions or find a new job, but you can actively seek out opportunities.  Present it the right way to your boss, and maybe leave with a recommendation.  They at least owe you that.

Guest Post: How I Balance My Life as a University Student!

University is hard, but you’re tough too!

Being a student can be hectic when your mind is all over the place. You’re trying to figure out your career, your friends and find balance in the things you love. My first few months at university was one you could call a BIG MESS! I had no idea what I was doing, my fitness routine was running away from me and my social life was more important than my work life.

Someone once told me that feeling lost is the best blessing you could have. It gives you that time to experiment and explore the many options you don’t know is in front of you. Take it as an advantage to really find your passion and let your mind wander to somewhere you didn’t think it would take you.

After enjoying a bit of a social life, I realized that it was time to put my head down and focus on what I wanted to achieve throughout my time at university. Even though University is a tough time in terms of your education, I’ve never had so much freedom in opportunities and independence until now. You might be reading this like really Elouiza? While drowning in an essay.

This is how I’ve been able to balance my life as a student:

Outline my goals

I sit down, take a step back and think about what I want to achieve throughout University. It could be education related, something that you do on the side e.g achieve something in sports, or even money related e.g get a part-time job. This reminds me of why I will do the things I do and to also help me stay on track with everything going on as a Student. When you find out what you want to achieve, you’ll definitely become more motivated throughout your journey at university.

Create a routine

I look at my weekly schedule which includes: a part-time job, going to the gym, meeting my boyfriend and friends, and going to university. It can get tough, but time management is key. I try to create a rough routine that’s similar every day because things change a lot, so it’s less stressful when you’re not overly strict about your routine. When I have a day at university, it isn’t for the whole day, so I’ll utilize my time there and do things university related such as revision, group work or essay writing.

Prioritize but know when to stop

At the end of the day, University and doing well in my studies is more important than achieving my body goals... for now. Of course, I love going to the gym, but there are times when I know I need to sacrifice a workout and work on revision the day before an exam. I’m not saying put studies on top of everything every single day but know when it’s time to put your head down and get that essay sorted! However, don’t overdo the work part and know when it’s time to take a break and just go out for the day, evening or lunch. A little time out goes a long way.

ElouizaUpLifts is a lifestyle blogger that features University life, fitness, food, and productivity tips. Check her website out at: www.elouizauplifts.co.uk