12 mistakes we make in the first 10 minutes of the working day

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The first minutes of a working morning is a very important time, on which the results of the whole day can depend.

1. Be late

When you come to work later than the appointed time, you create a negative impression of yourself in your mind and in the eyes of colleagues and managers.

Research with With Flextime, Bosses Prefer Early Birds to Night Owls shows that managers rate the performance of regularly late employees lower than those who arrive on time, even if the former actually produce better results.

So do not spoil your image, come to work early.

2. Be unfriendly

Socialization is an important part of almost any specialty. So take half a minute to say hello to your coworkers. This will support communication, which can be very important during stressful work moments.

This is especially true for managers. You need to know what problems and desires the team has. And if subordinates consider you unfriendly, then some of the information will slip away.

3. Drink coffee

Many people pour themselves coffee as soon as they get to work. This is an understandable desire, because in the morning there is often not enough energy, and coffee helps to get it. But, according to The best time for your coffee, scientists believe that it is harmful to do so.

The thing is that from about 8 to 9 in the morning, the human body produces the hormone cortisol, which regulates energy. Drinking coffee at this time can cause the body to reduce cortisol production and rely too much on caffeine.

People who drink invigorating drinks before 9 am become less energetic and more dependent on them. Better to wait and have a cup at 10 or 11 o'clock.

4. Reply to emails

It happens that immediately after turning on the work computer, we check our mail and start responding to letters that have accumulated overnight. According to 8 things successful people do in the first 10 minutes of the workday, business speaker Michael Kerr, you shouldn't do that. Your day is probably planned out, and not all the letters you are going to answer are important.

Better to spend this time strategically checking your mail. Mark the most important messages that really need to be answered, and do it later - when there is free time on your schedule.

5. Getting Started Without a Plan

We always have a rough idea of what we need to do in a day, but this is not enough for effective work. There is always the risk of procrastinating or spending too much time on a low priority task.

Check your calendar and prepare an action plan. Sort things by importance, set deadlines, and don't forget to take some time off to get the most out of your day.

6. Tackle the easiest things first

The amount of a person's mental energy decreases as the day progresses. Therefore, do not waste high productivity time on small tasks, otherwise, when you get to the difficult ones, you will not have the strength.

Do the hardest things first, and leave the simple tasks for later. This will keep you efficient.

7. Perform multiple tasks at once

Doing several things at the same time is a very attractive idea. After all, you can complete a bunch of tasks at once in less time. However, according to Multitasking: Switching costs scientists, multitasking only hurts most people.

On average, the productivity of a person who takes on several tasks at once drops by 40%. So, if you are interested in a quality result, focus on one task at a time.

8. Hit negative

In the morning, even the toughest people are vulnerable. We haven't really come to our senses yet, we have little strength, and the ability to withstand troubles is decreasing. In such a state, it is easy to start thinking about the bad: how much work remains to be done, what loans need to be paid, what problems await at home.

Power is wasted on these thoughts, but it does not get better from them. Instead of ruining your mood for the whole day, put negative reflections in a separate box in your head so that you can refer to them at better times.

9. Arrange meetings

It seems logical to call colleagues to a meeting in the morning: this way the whole team will know what they have to work on and how projects are progressing. But, as the writer Laura Vanderkam thinks Starting your day with a power hour can massively increase your productivity, the first hours of the day should be devoted to work that requires high concentration: writing texts, creating designs, and so on.

This is because immediately after resting, the brain is set to focus. Provided you get enough sleep, of course.

10. Set too many tasks for the day

Ambitious goals are good, but you need to adequately perceive your capabilities. If you plan a bunch of big things in the morning, then by the middle of the day, when you realize that you are not keeping up with your busy schedule, fear will begin to shackle you. This will lead to procrastination and stress.

According to research, a person can focus on How Many Productive Hours in a Work Day? Just 2 Hours, 23 Minutes… on mental tasks for a maximum of 2-4 hours in one day. Keep this in mind when making your schedule.

11. Get to work right away

According to I’m a neurosurgeon, and the best morning routine I’ve found consists of just 3 simple steps neurosurgeon Mark McLaughlin, the best way to avoid burnout, improve mental health and boost creativity is morning meditation.

Taking the time to clean up your thoughts can help you get to work later. Just sitting in silence for 10 minutes at the start of the day will improve your health and efficiency.

12. Avoid natural light

In the Impact of Windows and Daylight Exposure on Overall Health and Sleep Quality of Office Workers: A Case-Control Pilot Study scientists found that bright natural light in the morning improves mood, prevents depression and helps manage stress.

So come up to the window more often at the beginning of the day. Or at least get a special light therapy lamp.