MDS Alert

You In Focus:

Use This Plan To Get Going In The Morning

Here’s how to start and finish each day on the right note.

The beginning and end of the workday are important times for supervisors to be prepared, collected and responsible. Starting and ending each day right is vital to maintaining your composure, experts say.

Strive For The Same Workday Start Every Day

If you are having trouble starting or ending your workdays, follow this advice to get the most out of those early morning and late afternoon hours.

In The Morning:

Wake up with a positive attitude, says Carla Oglesby at Brunswick Surgical Associates. Tell yourself that it’s going to be a good day, wear your favorite shirt, take a few minutes to brew your favorite coffee and try to shake off any negative feelings. Maybe get in a good morning stretch. Turn up the radio and sing on the way to the office.

Also, make sure you come in with a smile on your face, says Catherine Brink, president of Healthcare Resource Management in Spring Lake, N.J. "Leave your personal problems outside the office door," she says.

"This is hard, but if you practice smiling on your way to work, it is infectious, and what you practice will show through in your work," explains Brink.

Get To The Office Early:

If you get to work early, you have some time to get that cup of coffee, get yourself settled, and prepare mentally for the day before the phone starts ringing, Brink says. Don’t put yourself through a last-minute scramble, she says.

"Come in 10 minutes earlier; you’ll gain a lot. It’s for your mental well-being," explains Brink.

In The Evening:

Try to finish your work by the end of the day. "Otherwise, you’re already coming in with work left over from the previous day," Brink says. "If you’re feeling so overburdened that you can’t leave the office feeling good about yourself, then it’s time to talk to the manager" about the amount of work that is expected of you.

At the end of the day, prepare for the next. Spend 10 or 15 minutes looking at the next day’s schedule. Prioritize and make a list for the next day of the important things to be done in the morning, she says, and then do this again at noon for the afternoon schedules.

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