Have you ever had days where you just don’t feel like doing anything? At the end of the day, you look back and you realize you’ve accomplished nothing. These are called zero days. Zero productivity, zero accomplishments, zero wins.

It’s alright to relax and unwind once in a while, but if it happens too often, you need to change something. And the best time to start that change is in the morning.

The morning is the most important part of our day. It sets the tone and tempo for the rest of the day. If you’re feeling lethargic and unmotivated in the morning, you’ll likely retain that feeling all day long.

Here are 5 things you can do in the morning to ensure that you stay productive and motivated all day long.

Wake up early

You know how you feel tired and cloudy when you oversleep? You have this dull ache in your head all day, and that totally destroys your productivity. No amount of coffee will lift that cloudy feeling.

Sleep is important, but sleeping too much is bad. Start waking up earlier and giving yourself more time in the morning. Try waking up at 6 am, or 7 am, or even 8 am. This gives you more time in the morning to accomplish things, and a psychological boost when you reach lunch time to find out you’ve already done so much.

You can even use an app that wakes you up when you’re in the light phase of your sleep. Sleep Cycle is one such app. It tracks your sleep and wakes you up after you’ve completed your REM phase, which is the most important part of your sleep.

Exercise

Starting the day with a workout provides massive benefits. It doesn’t have to be a proper workout. The aim is to get your blood flowing, and pump oxygen into your brain.

Even a quick 10-minute jog is good enough. No space to run? Run up and down a staircase. No staircase? Do a few jumping jacks and pushups.

You’ll see that you feel more energy and this stays with you throughout the day. You’ll feel revitalized, and any tiredness you felt from waking up early will vanish after a short run.

Drink water and eat rich

The moment you wake up, drink a glass of water. Staying hydrated is important, especially in the morning because you haven’t had any water all night long.

Also, don’t skip breakfast. This is the most important meal of the day for a reason. Starting with a rich and healthy breakfast gives you the energy you need to power through your mornings.

Organize

Starting your day with a quick organization and planning session help you accomplish more tasks. When you’ve written down the tasks you have for the day, and prioritized them, it gives you a good roadmap to follow for the rest of the day.

Most of the time, people are unproductive simply because they don’t know what task to handle next. With a priority list sitting in front of you all day, you won’t waste time trying to decide what to do.

Meditate

We’ve already seen the benefits of meditation in previous posts. A short meditation in the morning is a good exercise in improving focus. Your mind becomes clearer and you learn to cut out distractions.

By implementing these habits, you’re setting yourself up for success. A super productive morning gives you a huge psychological boost and motivates you for the rest of the day. You’ll be able to do more and finish things faster, leaving you with more time in the evenings to enjoy with your friends and family.

What do you do in the morning that keeps you productive and motivated all day?