Welcome back, everyone! If you’re like us, and read the Morning Brew, or are in tune with murmurs in the office then you’ve likely heard whispers about many companies returning to in-person required work formats this year. Even more, the Morning Brew documents predictions that after recent events like “last week, Disney CEO Bob Iger told hybrid staff that, starting on March 1, they must return to the office four days a week. Two days later, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced a similar three-day RTO requirement, expressing irritation at internal badge swipe data that revealed employees were not “meeting their minimum promise” regarding hybrid work.

Employees at Vanguard, Paycom, and News Corp have also received recent orders to phase out remote work in the new year. A survey from Resume Builder found that 90% of companies will require a return to the office this year, signaling a shift away from the softly enforced hybrid policies that became popular during the pandemic.”

If you’re someone who’s working fully remotely, hoping to return to your corporate location a few days a week by choice, or is experiencing a company-wide mandate toward hybrid work, this article is for you! Keep reading to find out ways to optimize your new mornings (with an earlier start!) on the way to work.

Let’s…Optimize our Morning Routines!

Meditation: Above all, achieving a clear mental space ahead of entering into a work day and its obligations is a key to setting yourself up for professional and personal success. Meditation does not have to look like hard work and can be as simple as 5 minutes of your day! Remember, listing attributes of your life that you’re grateful for, clearing your mind, engaging in breathing, and any other form of mindfulness counts! It’s all about figuring out what works for YOU! We especially encourage you all to try and begin your morning without being glued to your phone or computer screen. It is incredibly important to your daily motivation, attention to detail, and focus, that you embrace the first few moments of your wake-up and keep them sacred to yourself and your own mind…. so clear out the noise from your phone and try setting it aside for at least the first few minutes of your day!
Substantial Breakfast: Let’s be honest, we know that when you say you’ve “had breakfast” it often means grabbing a cup of coffee and maybe a banana or granola bar on the way out the door. However, with a few extra minutes in the morning, you can create a breakfast that will fill not only your tummy but your mind with delight. Transforming this component of your morning into one that brings you peace and happiness will change the way you view morning food! We encourage you to make some eggs, avocado toast, an omelet, a fruit bowl with yogurt or oatmeal, granola or cereal, or any other “substantial” meal that will prove more nutritious than before! If this sounds like something you don’t have time for, we encourage you to experiment with breakfast ‘meal prep’ options like overnight oats, breakfast sandwiches, etc.
Exercise or Stretching: That’s right, we’re hammering in our encouragement of exercise as we often do. Exercising may look like a morning walk, a short run, an elliptical, a weight online video, a yoga routine, or a stretching sequence! The world of exercise is at our fingertips with just a quick online search, so make sure to incorporate some time for this highly rewarding experience into your morning! Not only with your body prove better off, but you’ll also feel a higher sense of energy and productivity as a result too.
Daily Preparation: Finally, allowing yourself to relax and sit down for a few extra moments each morning will help provide you extra time and space to prepare for the day ahead. This may look like a google calendar, a physical planner, a quick sticky-note to-do list, or any other form of “scheduling” – regardless of the form it takes, planning out your day will create a sense of accountability and organization all at once and help you to clarify your daily obligations before the chaos of the day begins.

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