Tag: productivity

Making Myself into a Productive Morning Person

Over the last few months, I’ve been incorporating small habits to help me transition into a “morning person”. The goal is to be one of those people to get up at 5AM and workout and complete half their day before the majority of people even have their first cup of coffee. So far I’ve been able to get up and have about 30-45 minutes of quiet time to have my coffee, plan my day, and make my to do lists. On some days, i’ve been able to wake much earlier and go to the gym, then do my quiet morning planning. There have been a few weeks where I’ve successfully been able to do this, but not as much as I’d like. But now that the new year has started, I am determined to be a morning person.

I’d like to do this consistently for at least a month or two to see if there any any changes to my mindset. I often feel that I don’t have enough time in the day, and that my mind is super busy and active at night and just thinking about all of the things I need to get done. On the days that I days that I started early and worked out, I did feel that it was easier to fall asleep earlier and have an overall better night’s sleep. On the days that i worked out in the morning, I felt more productive and my evenings allowed me more time to unwind and go to sleep earlier. I think working from home, but still with set hours, there are many days where I find myself stuck inside all day. So when I went to the gym in the morning, I felt better mentally and physically.

So starting in this new year my goal is to be a “morning person”. Here’s my ideal morning schedule.

  • 5:00AM- Wake up
  • 5:10AM- Go to gym
  • 6:20AM- Shower and get ready for the day
  • 6:45AM- Coffee and breakfast
  • 7:00AM- Planning and list making

Do you have any tips or tricks for being a morning person? Check back in a month or two for an update!!

Work from Home Essentials

I never thought I would be working from home or that there were many jobs in my field that would allow me to work remotely. This will be my fifth year working from home as a science SME. Over the years, I have learned the essentials for productivity while working from home.

The Essentials:

  1. Standing desk
  2. Hourly Planner
  3. Notebooks/pens
  4. Blue light blocking glasses
  5. Comfortable clothes

Standing Desk

I started off with a normal desk, but always found myself getting up and moving around or using a bookshelf to work at standing height. Finally last winter, I got a standing desk from Costco and even got reimbursed from my company. I got the Tresanti Adjustable Height Desk in white, but I recently saw the black version at my local Costco. The desk has a glass top with metal frame, one drawer with three sections, four programmable height settings, three USB charger outlets, and LED touch control on the glass desktop. The desk was on sale during the Thanksgiving/Christmas season–about $150 off.

Hourly Planner

In order to keep myself on track each day, I like to use an hourly planner with a weekly view to see when I have meetings and conferences. I also like to block my work throughout the day to make sure I stay productive. I have been using the STARTplanner this year and enjoy it so far. Check out my previous posts here and here for detailed pictures and reviews.

STARTplanner: Weekly planning pages with 30 minute intervals

Notebooks and Pens

Although all of my work is digital, I still like to take notes in a notebook during meetings, or to jot down tasks or important information I may need later. I used to to use just a notepad or post-its but i ended up throwing them out or some of them would somehow go missing. By using a notebook, I am able to date everything and keep notes organized. Some of my favorite notebooks have been from TJ Maxx. Check out my post here on the notebooks I am currently using.

Faux leather spiral notebooks with thick pages that won’t bleed through! ($7)

Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Since I am staring at screens all day–computer, phone, etc–my eyes get tired but the late afternoon. I’ve found that wearing blue light blocking glasses throughout the day has helped to reduce eye strain by the end of the day. I got mine from the Target Optical Center. I got my usual prescription and added the blue light blocking option to the lenses.

Blue light blocking glasses from Target, A New Day

Comfortable Clothes

One of the first questions people ask me when they hear that I work from home is if I stay in your pajamas all day. Although this would be comfortable, I don’t think it really helps with productivity. Although I don’t get dressed in a business suit, I do change out of pajamas into my “work clothes,” which most days consists of leggings and a tee shirt tied at the side. I find that even though my colleagues may not see me that day, there are still instances when someone will see me, like running out for a juice or coffee and picking up deliveries. My favorite leggings are from Lululemon, either the Align Pant in the 7/8 length or 25 inseam, or the girls Strong Spirit Tights. I find these to be the most comfortable and breathable. My favorite tees are from LOFT, LOFT Outlet, and Kohl’s.

What are some of your work essentials?

Thank you for reading!!