As a business owner, you need to step into the office as a positive leader. The course of your business depends solely on you and while that may seem like a heavy burden, how you approach each day will significantly impact your productivity.

Which would you rather experience: Waking up feeling confident about what needs to get done and attacking your to do list with positive energy or giving in to your feelings of dread and disgust that eventually lead to diminished confidence and wanting to quit? I’m hoping you choose the feeling confident option.

Research Shows Positivity Impacts Productivity

Barbara Fredrickson is a positive psychology researcher at the University of North Carolina and some of her most-referenced research proves that positive thoughts and reinforcement helps improve work outlook and productivity.

Her study consisted of 5 groups of people: 2 groups were shown video clips that were joyful and produced positive feelings; 2 groups were shown video clips that evoked negative emotions; and 1 group was the control group who were not shown any video clips at all.

Each person was then asked to answer a series of questions. The groups who viewed the positive videos were more likely to see solutions to problems than those who viewed the negative videos. In short, the positive group saw more possibilities with their lives. They broadened their minds with positivity and creative thinking rather than narrowing their focus to just the negativity.

Positive Ways to Start Your Morning

If you want to embrace this positive way of thinking, you first need to analyze your current morning routine and if it offers any benefits. Are you hitting the snooze alarm 4 times before racing through your shower to get out the door? How do you feel as you’re speeding your way to the office? Even if you work at home, if you’re oversleeping or feeling frenetic before a client call, how does that set up the rest of your day?

Every person will have a different, meaningful way to start their morning, but the key is to discover what makes you feel calm, joyful, relaxed, and positive about beginning a brand new day.

• Do you need 15 minutes of quiet to enjoy your coffee or do you need a robust, quick-paced work out?
• Does meditation or yoga help you feel grounded and ready for the day?
• Do you need spiritual reassurance, such as from the Bible or other spiritual book?
• Do you prefer reading your favorite mystery novel while you eat breakfast?
• Have you tried journaling about your goals and/or feelings about your work?
• Do you have a written plan of action each day so you know exactly what you have to accomplish?

No matter how you choose to start your day, be consistent, even during stressful times and on the weekends. When tiny habits are done consistently, they become a part of your everyday routine and you won’t have to think about them again. Embrace positivity: Take notes about any changes you make to your morning routine and how it affects your mood and productivity throughout the day.