Start a new day by managing the ‘first hour’ to the best

Starting a good morning doesn’t always have to stick to getting up early. Many people stick to the words “If we wake up early, we have a better chance of success than others” or “The early bird catches the worm first.” We are all used to these phrases, but in fact, this kind of thinking can make many people unconsciously pressure themselves because people have different lifestyles and different work obligations. Thus, we don’t always have to get up early to succeed, because ‘when to wake up’ doesn’t matter as much as ‘what you do after waking up’.

ACU PAY will give an example from the life of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who has a “one-hour rule for himself.” In the first hour of the day, he will avoid using the screen, whether on the phone or computer. He will spend time doing light exercise, dining with his family, reading newspapers, and having a relaxing cup of coffee. He believes that a slow start to the day will greatly improve energy and make decisions in everyday life.

“The research also said that avoiding using the screen in the morning reduces stress and increases concentration.”

How important is the first hour of the day?

The first hour of the day is very important. There’s a phrase in English that says, “Get on the wrong side of the bed.” If you start the day in frustration, bad things happen all day, and research says that if you start the day in a positive mood, the chances of the day getting better are greater, as if you’ve set the mood.

Having a morning routine makes it easier for us to start the day. Design your morning routine by choosing a few simple things. No need to get up too early. Just do your best in the first hour of the day and see that the day gets better easily.

Start your day brightly with some simple activities you can do

Exercise or a morning walk to get some sunlight
Meditate to reduce stress
Read a book
Review or lightly plan your day to set your daily goals
Tidy your bed to welcome a new day with good energy
Thank yourself for the past day, helping you be more optimistic
Sharing happiness and good feelings with people around you will make you feel better.

Whether you’re a late sleeper, a late riser, or an early riser, the important thing is to start the day with positive energy and do what suits you, because good days start at any time.

For work, if you want your work to be effective on that day, ACU PAY recommends that you use “the first hour” to do the most important work first, such as work you don’t want to do or work you tend to avoid because in the morning our brain is the most energetic. This way of work will help smooth your whole day’s work.

4 Tips for Getting Started with Workdays

Do the most important work first because in the morning our body and brain are most ready to work.
Avoid checking email immediately because your email is filled with trivial tasks that are not very important, but if checking email in the morning is unavoidable, just see which tasks are important and need to be done immediately.
Rank the To-Do List and select tasks that should be prioritized and must be completed before that day.
Greet and build relationships with colleagues. It creates good relationships and affects effective work as well.

Starting the day with a focus on the day’s “first hour” whether it’s self-care or work, will give us some energy and make our day better. Let’s apply it.