The first few minutes of your workday are critical to your productivity for the next eight hours.
If you show up late to the office or get sucked into an overflowing inbox, you could easily get thrown off and have a hard time focusing for the rest of the day.
We did some research and rounded up nine common traps that can ensnare you within the first 10 minutes of your workday. Read on to find out how to avoid those pitfalls and set yourself up for success.
1. Getting in late
You could be sabotaging your workday before it even begins.
A recent study, cited by The Huffington Post, found that bosses tend to see employees who come in later as less conscientious and give them lower performance ratings — even if those employees leave later, too.
It's not fair, but it's the current reality. So try to get to the office as early as possible.
2. Not greeting your coworkers
You can set a pleasant tone for yourself and others around you by taking a few minutes to catch up with your colleagues.
If you're a leader and you don't say "hi" to your team, your seeming lack of people skills could undercut your technical competence, according to Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job."
Even if you aren't a manager, making a silent beeline for your desk could make you appear less approachable to colleagues.
3. Drinking coffee
If you're not the kind of person who downs a cup right when you wake up, you probably grab it as soon as you get into the office.
But research suggests that the best time to drink coffee is after 9:30 a.m. That's because the stress hormone cortisol, which regulates energy, generally peaks between 8 and 9 a.m. When you drink coffee during that time, the body starts producing less cortisol and depends more on caffeine.
Once your cortisol levels start declining after 9:30 a.m., you might really need that caffeine boost.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
