6 Morning Health Hacks to Boost Productivity and Keep You Energized All Day

Entrepreneurs and business professionals are very busy people and with that, often comes burnout. The day-to-day grind of trying to accomplish a laundry list of tasks can seem beneficial at first but can lead to the body crashing internally over a long period of time. If you notice you are tired in the morning despite a good night’s sleep, feel the need for an afternoon nap or just have brain fog the entire day, it may be a sign that adrenals and hormones have already started to create long-term damage inside.

Just one day of experiencing these symptoms can push your business productivity and happiness back tremendously. Therefore, it is critical that you set yourself up for success in business -- and in life. But it can be difficult to put health first.

As a nurse practitioner-turned-health business owner, I have seen many entrepreneurs, CEOs and top executives crash and burn before realizing they need to revamp their health. And it all starts with how you begin the day.

Here are six simple and quick ways to boost your energy, enhance productivity and help you perform at your highest each day.

1. Focus on your circadian rhythm.

Circadian rhythm is the change made physically and mentally as related to your daily cycle, or biological clock. It’s like your daily sleep-wake cycle. Most of us have improper circadian rhythms due to waking up before the sun, staying inside all day and being exposed to artificial blue light from our many screens. Some research has found it can lead to brain damage, aging, metabolism disturbance and sleep complications">. Luckily, we can reset our circadian rhythm quite easily.

Here’s how:Get outside three times a day during sunrise, midday and within two hours of sunset. The light frequency from the sun at those times will activate the energy cells in your body, elevate mood, boost metabolism, decrease stress hormone cortisol and combat afternoon fatigue and/or nighttime insomnia.

2. Shorten your eating window.

Science shows that shortening the window of time in which you eat may prevent disease and and improve many health indicators such as fat metabolism, sleep quality and quantity, sugar regulation and inflammation. An according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, it can reduce weight and increase the ability to feel full and satisfied after eating. It boosts energy and even greatly reduces any food cravings of sugars and carbs.

Here’s how:Start by writing out your typical schedule, as everyone’s window of eating will be different based on when they wake, exercise and sleep. Decide what time you’d like to eat your first meal. For some, this may be right upon awakening. For others, this may be more toward the early afternoon. After you’ve determined that time, count up eight hours to determine what time your last meal will be. Then, during the times you will be eating, further break down what time each meal will be, so your body becomes consistent with knowing when to release digestive enzymes to prepare to digest and absorb a meal.

3. Wake up the right way.

A survey found that an astounding 89 percent of cellphone users check their phones within the first hour of waking up. Checking your phone first thing in the morning not only harms your circadian rhythm by exposing your eyes and