The alarm is blaring – time to start another workday.

Of course you’re exhausted.  That’s what you get for staying up past midnight to catch up on work (or, Facebook).

After a five whacks at the snooze button, you’re running late. No breakfast for you.

At the office you settle in to your routine – coffee, computer, chair – for hours.

First up on your to-do list; check email. Emptying your inbox takes longer than it should because you’re multi-tasking; checking social media, the news, and texting.

It’s almost noon and you haven’t accomplished much of anything. In an effort to catch up you grab something to eat and bring it back to your desk. You’ll work through lunch. Trouble is you don’t get any actual work done.

As the workday fads away, so does your energy. You’re headed for a crash. It’s time for some leftover birthday cake from the break room or a cup of Joe to jolt you back into action. Game on!

It’s nearing 3 p.m. You’re ready to sit down and dive into your important tasks for the day when that momentary sugar/caffeine spike wears off. You manage to push through and make some headway. But, it’s not enough. When quitting time rolls around you are nowhere near done. You’re staying late.

You missed dinner. You barley make it home in time to put the kids to bed. After binging on leftovers, the TV comes on, the computer comes out, and it’s back to the grind. Yep, time to tackle more emails and social networking.

I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but your workday routine is literally killing you.

This is not okay. It’s not sustainable, it’s not healthy, and it’s not productive.

You have to make a change. Try this instead.

  1. Go to sleep by 11pm. Which means you’re in bed by 10.30. No screens aloud. Get at least 7 hours of sleep
  2. Make time for breakfast. Keep it simple – blender, berries, protein, nut butter, done.
  3. At the office, do your most difficult/important tasks first. Don’t check your email. Don’t even connect to the internet if you don’t have to. Block off an hour or two to get ahead, even if that means getting to the office a little early to work uninterrupted.
  4. Work, take a break, repeat. Our focus wears off after about 90 minutes. When it does, get up out of your chair, walk around, stretch and disconnect for 15 minutes. Then, it’s back to work.
  5. Get away from your desk at lunch. Eat something healthy – fruit, veg, protein, healthy fat. And, schedule in some time for a walk outside, even if it’s only 15 minutes.
  6. The afternoon is for meetings and reactionary work. Now you can take phone calls, check email, and clear your inbox if you have to.
  7. At the end of the day create a to-do list for the next day. This way, when you arrive at work tomorrow you’ll know exactly what needs to be done.
  8. Go home!
  9. Workout if you have time. Keep it simple – bodyweight and kettlebells.
  10. Make a home-cooked meal. Sit down and eat dinner with your family.
  11. Take a baseball bat to your television; it is useless. At minimum limit TV time to one hour.
  12. If you need to catch up on some work, do it without logging into any social media or messaging      accounts.
  13. Read a book. Write in your journal. Mediate. Have a meaningful conversation. Sip some decaf tea.
  14. Go to sleep.