I am Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits.

We’ve talked a lot about the importance of a morning routine, but we haven’t discussed how to set it up. When you want to create a better day for yourself, you need to start out where you begin. This means having a morning routine at work as well as at home. My morning routine consists of printing my patient census, briefly reading the history and physical of any patients that were admitted over the weekend or the previous evening, checking in with the nurses and taking a moment to get centered before beginning my morning rounds. Think about this for a moment: A morning routine at home will set you up for success by getting you out of bed and ready to transition into wakefulness. Likewise, a morning routine at work can get you settled into a mindset of getting work done and ready to face the work world. Think of it as a series of steps designed to transition you into productivity. You may ask how can you do this?

Here are seven tips for creating a simple morning routine at work to help you along your journey to build a profitable practice:

1. Start with how you get there. Don’t arrive stressed out at the very last second. To set yourself up for success, it’s important to arrive with time to spare after a relaxing commute. Strategize to make this happen by allowing enough time to get where you need to go. Also consider your route. Heavy traffic or construction is always more stressful in the long run, so you might want to adapt your route to a quieter one to reduce unwanted stress. I normally set all the clocks in my home 30 minutes ahead to prevent myself from running late. And during my commute, I listen to either meditation music or positive affirmations to make sure when I arrive, I am centered.

2. Schedule check. What do you have going on today? What work is expected from you by what time? Get a mental picture of the day by noting what needs to happen and when. I check my calendar prior to leaving the house to remind myself of my commitments and help give myself a better idea of how to best manage my time.

3. Set up what needs to happen so you can get your work done. Are you lacking supplies or resources? Are there things you need to delegate? Taking a few minutes to track down these items will help the rest of your day run more smoothly. You’ll notice the ease of your workday when you are prepared and will be free from the stress of having to find supplies throughout your day.

4. Habit check what distracters are already pulling at you trying to derail your day. If you’re someone who checks your phone often or can get caught up socializing with coworkers, think about how you can limit these activities as part of your routine. For example, you might want to schedule email checks at certain times or limit socialization to break times.

5. Make a list. Jotting down three to four big items you want to get done today will help give you a clearer view of what needs doing and set up your goals. I find that using the notes function on my iPhone helps me create and keep track of my list and productivity.

6. Get comfortable before you buckle down to work. Do you need coffee? Do you need a bathroom break? Get these things done now so you don’t have to break concentration later. Also take a minute to stretch, if you haven’t yet. I normally take two to five minutes just to sit in silence and reflect before starting my workday.

7. Begin. Time to get going. Take the first item on your list and dive in, concentrating fully on what you’re doing. Of course, adapt your routine to fit whatever you need to get started for the day. The key here is to be intentional in your actions.

Shift your mindset and set yourself up for success. Do what only works for you.

Developing your morning routine for work and scheduling your tasks for the day will guarantee a smoother work day. Check out our blog post here for tips on how to prioritize and get the most out of your time at work.

I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/contractnegotiations to pick up the free guide to help you negotiate the contract of your dreams.

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