Winning your morning routine: 5 tips to ensure your entire day is more productive

We’ve all probably heard of Mark Zuckerberg’s choice to wear the same outfit every day. Personal preference aside, there is actually a lot of logic to this habit.

Studies have shown that decision fatigue is real. We all have a finite amount of mental energy for making decisions before we start choosing the path of least resistance. By having a routine in place, you remove the need to keep making the same choices every day, especially when they are inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

Having a routine should not equate to inflexibility. In fact, you should also adjust your routine as your priorities and goals change. If your aim is to get fitter by the end of the year, then you should probably plot in more exercise slots in your routine. If its near crunch time at work, then you might want to optimise the amount of rest you get to ensure you can perform your best. 

Cars run on fuel; computers run on electricity; and people on food. Using the same analogy, you also have to ensure that you eat a sufficient amount of good quality food to perform at your best.

There is nothing more unproductive than to be interrupted mid-morning by hunger pangs. An added benefit of a delicious breakfast is that it lifts your mood too!

If you need more incentives to make healthier breakfast choices, AIA Vitality members enjoy up to 20% cashback when they purchase HealthyFood^TM products at Cold Storage outlets.

Researchers have found that people who do physical exercise with some regularity enjoy multiple benefits. It doesn’t even need to be long or tiring. Even a 15-minute bodyweight workout at home or taking a brisk walk and enjoying the fresh morning breeze improves your physical health, does wonders for your ability to manage stress and improves your productivity.

With annual cashbacks and discounts on your AIA insurance policies, preferential rates on gym memberships, rewards at Golden Village, Starbucks, Cold Storage and more, AIA Vitality further encourages you to keep healthy, fit and active.

While we have limited control over many things that may happen in your day, we generally have more control over our mornings. This makes it a good idea to tackle critical tasks first. 

Otherwise, once interruptions and requests come in, you might end up being derailed and not accomplish what really matters.

There is a myth that we sacrifice sleep, we will get ahead in modern life. But in reality, sufficient quality sleep enables our progress. AIA has introduced a comprehensive effort to raise awareness of sleep sufficiency and quality in support of our brand promise: Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. Just one more hour of sleep can provide a number of health benefits and yet sleep deprivation continues to affect an increasing number of people in Asia. Together, let’s redefine the role of sleep in our lives, starting with just #OneMoreHour a day. Find out more about the power of sleep and its positive transformational effect on our health and quality of life at aia.com.sg/onemorehour. If you haven’t discovered your spirit animal based on your sleep habits, hop on over to our Facebook page to take the AIA Sleep Quiz and share your results with your friends!