Monday morning, for many the first day back at work after an exciting weekend that’s left you feeling more drained than you did on Friday. Wherever you work and whatever your profession, we all know how painful the sound of the alarm can be after a few days off, living by your own rules.
No need to worry, these productivity tips will get you up and motivated for the rest of the day and maybe even the week ahead.
Drop the coffee and pick up the juice
Whilst many studies say that coffee doesn’t dehydrate you, many studies do say that coffee can have a short-term diuretic effect (increase your need to urinate). Getting up to go to the bathroom multiple times can be a serious drain on your attention span, making an already difficult morning even harder.
Switching to an energising juice drink or smoothie instead of coffee can help you replenish some of the nutrients that you may of missed out on over the weekend. Plus, the fact that juices are usually served cold means that your delicious drink is more likely to keep you alert and attentive.
Introduce some plant life to your workspace
So you may hear the word plant and simply think the passive immobile object, how could this possibly make me more productive. Well hear us out, 2014 research by the University of Exeter showed that by adding just one house plant per square metre test, participants improved memory retention and scored better on basic tests.
Pump up the music
High BPM music (120 to 150 BPM) has been proven to motivate people and keep them exercising for longer. The same logic can be applied to your working day. Music could positively affect your work in the following ways:
- It can prevent you from being bored whilst completing dull tasks
- It will help you lose track of time, making the day pass faster
- It can help you be more creative in your tasks
- It can help you block out background noise and concentrate on your tasks
Gamify it with micro rewards
For particularly hard days you can reward yourself for meeting productivity milestones with a small treat. Ideally, the treat would be small and convenient enough to keep on or near you. Some of our favourite treat ideas include:
- Your favourite candy bar chopped into pieces – each milestone earns you another piece
- Your favourite biscuit
- 5 mins on the social media platform of your choice (only choose this option if you work in a pretty relaxed environment or work from home.
Let there be light
Poorly lit work environments can have a negative impact on your productivity when you are feeling at your best. So paired with a tough Monday morning a dim workspace may be the last thing you need. Luckily the problem is easily solved, open a window or switch on a light. Natural light would be our preference here, however, if this is not an available option we would recommend you use LED light bulbs. Modern 6500K LED light bulbs will produce light roughly the same as natural daylight, helping you to feel more alert whatever environment you work in.