10 Tips to Safely and Successfully Spring Forward

As explained by WebMD, "Losing an hour of sleep to gain an extra hour of sunlight... interrupts your circadian rhythm or your sleep-wake cycle", and the act of springing forward can be stressful for our bodies, affecting our well-being in both positive and negative ways. Losing an hour of sleep in March is especially hard on those not following Arianna Huffington's advice and already getting less sleep than needed. As routines are tools to boost productivity, they can also assist in transitional times like this. During these days counting down to the start of Daylight Saving Time, there are steps to be taken for optimizing the good and minimizing the bad of the upcoming time change. Here are some actions to take this week:

• Prepare your sleep-wake cycles. Gradually shift yourself into the hour earlier sleep upcoming by adjusting your bedtime before the time change gets here. Go to bed 15 minutes early on Wednesday, 30 minutes early Thursday, 45 minutes early on Friday, and, then, an hour early Saturday. That means you'll get your normal amount of sleep once Sunday's alarm goes off.
• Caffeinate strategically. As you'll be headed to bed earlier in the upcoming nights, it's increasingly important to fall asleep easier, working towards those goals for your bedtime. Reduce your caffeine intake earlier than usual each day leading up to the start of Daylight Saving Time so it's out of your system earlier and has less effect on when you get to sleep.
• Fine-tune your bedtime routine. Start preparing for bed by eating dinner earlier. Then, drink a relaxing, sleep-inducing tea to make falling asleep come more quickly, like chamomile, lavender or some combination of similar herbs. Lower lighting and activity levels for an hour before bedtime.
• Be active during the day. Especially on Saturday, be sure to get some vigorous exercise. If it's sunny, get moving outside and soak in that vitamin D, which advances the body clock.
• Nap selectively. Normally, power naps can be a good way to catch-up on missed sleep; however, on Saturday or Sunday, an afternoon nap might make it too difficult to go to sleep earlier that night. Avoid taking a nap anytime this weekend.
• Stick with Sunday's normal wake-up time. While the aforementioned earlier bedtime approach is helpful for those with the chronotype of "night owl", many "morning person" types benefit from waking up in the same increments of increasing earliness; however, when it comes to Sunday morning, everyone needs to get up at what is considered a normal wake-up time. Sleeping in on the morning that the time change takes effect will make adjusting all the more difficult.
• Power up on morning sunlight. Letting the sun shine over your face first-thing each morning resets your body's natural clock. With Daylight Saving Time, you'll be waking up when it's a little darker outside so consider swapping your alarm clock for a light box to wake up more easily. Take a morning walk outdoors to get moving in the sunshine, even if it's for only 15 minutes. If there's not enough time for a walk, soak in the sun's rays from your porch, patio or sunniest window, allowing the warmth to better jumpstart your day.
• Add essential oils to your springtime morning routine. A little peppermint in your morning tea will help kickstart your energy level, especially the first week of Daylight Saving Time. 
• Implement the same changes for kids, too. Children having a hard time falling or staying asleep after the start of Daylight Saving Time are listening to cues from their bodies, making it equally if not more important to help them through this same process of proactively adjusting to the time change.
• Drive more attentively. The morning is already the most dangerous time on the road; when you add in the fact that it will be darker during your morning commute along with potentially greater exhaustion, it's important to be even more careful and alert as you drive to work, especially during the first few weeks following the start of Daylight Saving Time.

Take action with these tactics to cut down on the stress and sleep deprivation associated with Daylight Saving Time; you'll be grateful for the results. Do you do anything special to make the time change less impactful or stressful? Please share in the comments.

Get Clear For The New Year Week #4: Organize Your Morning Routine and "Drop Zone"

 As we talk about steps you can take now to make the new year your best thus far, empowering you with the optimal tools to drive your desired workflow results, it is important to address how your days start and end. Whether you are a morning person or night owl, your productivity depends on a proper foundation, which comes from your morning and evening routines. Take these steps to minimize the madness so you are ready on time and your exit each day is much less stressful:

- End today with tomorrow in mind… Each night, check the next day’s schedule to plan what you’ll need for all activities. Verify the weather forecast and lay out your clothes for the day as well as any accessories you’ll be wearing. Think through what you will eat for breakfast so you aren’t scrambling for something to eat. Go ahead and prepare the next day’s lunch; likewise, if you often forget to grab your pre-made lunch from the fridge, leave yourself a “remember lunch” note on the door or by your keys. Have a set place near the door for any items you’ll need to grab as you’re headed out the door, like your keys, work files and purse / wallet / backpack; plus, keep a morning checklist by the door to verify you have all that you need. Make sure you have gas in your vehicle. Finally, finish your evening with a tablespoon of unsweetened almond butter, which will ensure you don’t awake groggy from low blood sugar.

- Remove unnecessary actions from your morning routine… When the goal is getting out the door, it is important to stay focused, but it is easy to get distracted. Can unloading the dishwasher wait until after work? Can you absorb the morning’s news on your commute to the office instead of in the morning news on TV? For some, these actions are necessary to start the day off on the right foot; however, for others, they are simply distractions that lead to tardiness in getting out the door. Determine in with of those groups you fall and act accordingly.

- Streamline your processes for getting ready each day… Choose a hairstyle that is easy to maintain. Choose a breakfast that is easy to prepare and can be replicated each morning. Choose wrinkle-free clothing. Look at each element of your morning routine, and determine what can be simplified. Doing more without thinking makes the whole process better.

- Make the most of every available minute… Set your alarm clock to go off 15 minutes earlier than necessary to give yourself a buffer in your morning preparations. Get up and moving soon after you awake to open your lungs for more oxygen, which helps our brains and bodies function properly; I use the 7 Minute Workout app, and you might want to give it a try, too. Start your day by drinking a tall, cold glass of water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, which boosts energy, promotes good digestion, encourages your immune system’s functioning, detoxifies the liver, helps you lose weight, encourages better skin and kicks off your day hydrated. Break each element of your morning routine into a “zone” so supplies for each action are grouped together and located in the area where they will be needed, like tools for getting dressed, tools for prepping your face or applying your make-up, tools for preparing your coffee and tools for making your breakfast. Further, use music to motivate your desired behaviors.

With a little planning, preparation and routine-building, it can be easier and less stressful to get out of your home. quickly moving on to your day’s activities. Still, one of the most powerful tools for organizing your morning routine might be the aforementioned place near the door set aside for any items you’ll need to grab as you’re headed back out the door. This is known as your “drop zone” and is where you drop off those items when you arrive home so you can quickly locate them when you are ready to leave. Normally, this includes your keys, work files and purse, wallet or backpack; however, anything you bring home that will be needed when you leave should be left in this “drop zone” so you aren’t frantically searching in the morning.

ASSIGNMENT: Visit http://youtu.be/NzQAsfEk9Vc?list=UUEoZpJ_B6A1dWLzzsSVTwbg to see a video related to this blog post; then, this week, review your evening routine to make sure you are properly preparing for the next day, establish your “drop zone”, starting to develop a habit for using it, remove unnecessary actions from your morning routine, streamline your processes for getting ready each day and see how you can make even more out of every available minute in your morning routine. Do you need to awake earlier? Are you moving around soon after awaking? Could you add the cold glass of water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to your morning routine? Are you utilizing music?!?

Leave a comment below with what’s working best for you. What is your nightly routine? What is your morning routine? How have you simplified either to make it more helpful?

6 Ways to Stay on Track Amidst the Holiday Hustle

As of today, we are just 10 days from the start of Hanukkah, 19 days from Christmas and 26 days from New Year’s Day, which can mean exceedingly long to-do lists over and above the normal, day-to-day workload: decorating, cooking and baking, shopping, wrapping, sending cards, television specials, parties, traveling, out-of-town visitors and much, much more… Whew! It can be extremely overwhelming, but there are steps you can take to help:

1. Be proactive and strategic about handling all your job requires. While team huddles can be good for some, all individuals can benefit from a weekly strategy session done alone for appropriately scheduling time for necessary tasks, meetings, professional growth and current priorities. By assigning a specific “when” for every “what”, more gets done and you have more wins. Then, keep that weekly game plan on track with a daily wrap-in in the last 15 minutes of each workday, where you complete a “check-up from the neck up” for tasks and appointments, get updates from each of your team members, tidy up your workspace, acknowledge the day's successes and show gratitude.

2. Take a look at your ongoing tasks and activities; see what can be deferred until after the holidays. During this time of year, we add so many activities to our already full calendars, but there are only so many hours in any day… Each time we say "yes" to something, we are saying "no" to something else; when each opportunity arises, make a conscious effort to consider, "If I say yes to this, to what am I saying no?" What can be set aside to make room for your priorities this season?

3. Make time for self-healing and keep self care a priority. Whether it is a massage, a coffee break with friends, reading the latest and greatest novel, a quick nap, time to reflect in nature, exercise or just a bit of silence in front of the fireplace, it is vital to fuel yourself in order to have any energy for giving to others.

4. Take vacation time off to handle holiday obligations. While you can’t add hours to the day, you can manage your actions for optimizing the time you have by taking some time off to finish shopping, cooking or decorating. This approach empowers you to be fully focused when you are at work, knowing you have adequate time set aside for those holiday commitments. Likewise, if you are the team lead, be aware of everyone’s desires for vacation time, and be careful to balance employee vacation requests with business needs; consider having a policy for no vacations on especially busy days or limiting the number of days off during the holidays, focusing on giving folks the time off they need to be fully engaged while at work at the same time as getting all work done.

5. Know when to ask for help. While successful collaboration, communication and scheduling can enhance your team’s ability to diffuse the company’s workload, utilizing all available bandwidth, don’t forget that there are plenty of options for outsourcing and delegating outside your organization. There are many resources, including Elance, Fiverr, Sweeps, Task Rabbit and Thumbtack, that are excellent solutions for helping with holiday overload. Utilize all available resources to optimize results.

6. Make lists for all that must be done, bought, wrapped, decorated, cleaned, etc. When faced with holiday-season projects, break each into bite-sized, action steps that can be more easily tackled; checking individual steps off will keep you motivated to continue. Then, whether paper or electronic, be sure to keep your list with you throughout the season, referencing it often.

What tactics do you utilize for maintaining productivity during the holidays? How do you incorporate seasonal commitments amidst your day-to-day routines? Have you noticed any hiccups thus far this year?

Minimize Morning Madness to Dash Out More Easily

 If the time between your early morning wake-up and the moment you're dashing out the door seems to be shrinking, it might be time to evaluate how you are getting ready to face the world.

Here are a few ways you might be able to minimize your morning madness so you are ready on time and your exit is less stressful.

Start practicing an evening routine to properly prepare for the next morning... Each night, check the next day's schedule to plan what you'll need for all activities. Verify the weather forecast and lay out your clothes for the day as well as any accessories you'll be wearing. Think through what you have for breakfast so you aren't scrambling for something to eat. Go ahead and prepare the next day's lunch; likewise, if you have a tendency to forget grabbing your pre-made lunch from the fridge, leave yourself a "remember lunch" note on the door or by your keys. Have a set place near the door for any items that need to go out the door with you, preparing your keys, work files and purse / wallet / backpack the night before; keep a morning checklist by the door to verify you have all you need. Make sure you have gas in your vehicle. Plus, ensure you don't awake groggy with low blood sugar by consuming a tablespoon of unsweetened almond butter.

Eliminate any unnecessary actions from your mornings... When the goal is getting out the door, it is important to stay focused, but it's easy to get distracted. Can you declutter the night before so there are less distractions? Can unloading the dishwasher wait until after work? Can you absorb the morning's news on your commute to the office instead of in the morning news on TV? For some, these actions are necessary to properly start the day and can put those individuals in the right mindset; however, for others, they are simply distractions that lead to tardiness in getting out the door. Determine in which of those groups you fall and respond appropriately.

Simplify how you accomplish certain parts of getting ready... Choose a hairstyle that is easy to maintain. Choose a breakfast that is easy to prepare, embracing convenience foods, like cereal, yogurt with pre-made granola or frozen waffles. Choose wrinkle-free clothing. Look at each element of your morning; there might be lots of areas to streamline.

Make the most of every available minute...
- Set your alarm clock for 15 minutes earlier than you expect needing to awake, allowing you a brief block of peace before everyone else in your home is up and giving you a buffer in your morning prep timetable.
- Get moving early, remembering that activity breeds activity. Further, our brains and bodies need oxygen to function properly; getting up and moving can open your lungs for more oxygen. I recently started using the 7 Minute Workout app and have been very pleased... It's "just enough" for me!
- Start your day by drinking a tall, cold glass of water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, which boosts your energy, promotes good digestion, boosts your immune system, detoxifies the liver, helps you lose weight, encourages better skin and kicks off your day hydrated.
- Proceed through a routine each morning so you take out the thinking, go into autopilot and ensure what's important gets completed each day. Likewise, if you live with others, knowing beforehand who gets in the shower first can be hugely helpful.
- Break each element of the routine into a "zone" so supplies for each action are grouped together and located in the area where they will be used, like tools for getting dressed, tools for prepping your face / applying your make-up, tools for preparing your coffee and tools for making breakfast.
- Use music to motivate yourself. Further, motivate your family's youngest members by making the morning routine a game, like completing set tasks within the duration of set songs.

With just a little planning, preparation and routine-building, it can be much easier to get out of the house and on to your day's activities more quickly and with less stress... Which of these action steps can you incorporate into your life to make an impact on getting ready each morning?