A Productive Day Starts with a Simple 3 Step Morning Routine

Is your goal to tackle each day with purpose and ultimately take control? Then getting the first 20 minutes right is going to give you the best chance of success for a productive day.

Just as you should warm your engine before hitting the road, your body needs to be primed for action first thing to set it up properly.

I’ve been following the routine for about 18 months after reading Aubrey Marcus’s book, ‘Own The Day, Own Your Life’. Now I really notice the difference if I skip these key steps each day.

1. Hydrate (but not with coffee)
2. Seek Light
3. Get Moving

Why Hydrate?

In the book he reports that 78% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. This dehydration is at its peak when we wake up.

Maybe you live in a dry climate.

Maybe you had a heavy workout the night before.

Maybe you were partying.  

Add to this the fact that we can lose up to a pound of water during the night through sweat and respiration vapour. Clearly we’re not exactly in the perfect condition to tackle the day.

Even mild dehydration causes tiredness, bad moods, headaches and anxiety.

Reaching for that morning cup of coffee will combat tiredness short term. However it won’t effectively rehydrate you because the caffeine dehydrates, so cancelling out the water benefits.  Also, if it’s on an empty stomach the caffeine enters the bloodstream very quickly. This triggers the fight or flight hormones in your body.

Is it therefore any surprise that we see so much ‘road rage’ on the daily commute?!    

However, it’s not just the lack of water that’s the problem here. We also lack essential electrolytes and minerals when we’re dehydrated. When you consider that they modulate and support your muscles, organs and the brain then it’s a pretty big deal to be chronically dehydrated.

How to Make your Hydration Cocktail

Ingredients;

• 3g Sea Salt ( 60+ trace minerals, preferably Pink Himalayan Salt from ancient oceanic deposits for purity and added iron content)
• 350ml filtered water (room temperature)
• ¼ Lemon squeezed  

Simply mix the contents in a shaker so that the salt doesn\’t lie on the bottom.

If your shaker is plastic, make its BPA free to avoid absorbing harmful chemicals.

If it’s good enough to hydrate pro fighters then I reckon it should do a pretty good job on us mere mortals too!

Note: The above ingredients are straight from the book and they are what my son sticks to.

Personally I use ½ lemon squeezed.

I also add 1 scoop of PH Alkaline Salts for some additional alkaline mineral intake (Sodium Bicarbonate, Magnesium Bicarbonate, Potassium Bicarbonate, And Calcium Bicarbonate).

As most disease thrives in an acidic environment, it’s important to maintain an alkaline balance within your cells.

Note: These salts can cause some initial effervescence in the shaker so don’t shake too hard. Always remember to release the pressure like you would with a soda bottle!

Why Get Lit for a Productive Day?

Humans are biologically developed to wake with the sun and go to sleep at sunset. This pattern synchronises your body clock (your ‘circadian rhythm\’) which plays a crucial role in balancing all aspects of your life.

Unfortunately, modern life often gets in the way of this synchronisation. People work night shifts and social activities and the best TV shows are often after dark.

Take the example of NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks assistant captain, Duncan Keith. He was working and travelling at all times and in environments where there was little or no sunlight.

As a result his body clock was way out of synch and his energy and focus during the 2014-15 season suffered as a consequence.

Following advice from Aubrey Marcus he tweaked his routine so that he’d get into the light every time he woke, whether after a sleep or a nap.

In combination with some other supplement and nutritional improvements, the results were impressive. Stanley Cup winners, Duncan named Finals MVP plus various other accolades and rave reviews for the second half of the season. Quite a turnaround I think you\’ll agree!

Unfortunately, getting natural sunlight is clearly not always practical. However a possible hack could be to try some light-emitting earbuds called ‘Human Charger’ by a Finnish company called Valkee.

Where there’s a will there’s always a way! You just have to look.

Why Movement increases your likelihood of a Productive Day?

In this context we’re not talking about a full on exercise session straight out of bed. This is about getting some light exercise to raise the heart rate and get the blood moving.

Consider light yoga, playing with your dog or maybe a fun wrestle with your kids.

A favourite of Aubrey’s is a mini trampoline called a ‘Rebounder’.

The exercise releases Endorphins (feel good chemicals) in the brain. They signal to the body that it’s time to get going, resetting your internal biological clock and setting you up for a productive day.

It’s All In Your Hands!

So now you know the importance of quality hydration first thing in the morning and that light and movement are key to synchronising your body clock and giving you the foundations to have a productive day.

Following these 3 simple steps outlined in this blog will give you that important momentum to take you forward and set you up for the rest of the day.

You’re all set for better performance through the day and a better sleep at night.

Once you’re up for it you’re more likely to get after it……!

Here\’s to your success…!

PS. For more tips on productivity check out \’How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed\’ and \’How to Work Smarter Not Harder\’

How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed

How to Work Smarter Not Harder