Here are fifteen ways to turn your mornings of chaos into oases of calm.
Prepare your breakfast the night before.
Cut up fruit, set up your favorite cereal to soak overnight, cook a batch of hot cereal or measure out all your food before going to sleep at night. Similarly, you could also set up your breakfast place setting the night before with plates, cups, mugs and spoons so you’re ready to roll.
Lay out your outfit in advance.
Pull out everything you’ll need for your outfit from tops and bottoms, to undergarments, accessories, shoes and socks. You’ll be able to simply get dressed without having to worry about what to wear. The same goes for exercise clothes if you wake up early to workout at home, the park or gym.
Avoid hitting the snooze button.
Getting out of bed after you’ve hit the snooze button seven times in a row is a sure-fire way to have a frazzled morning. As soon as your alarm sounds, switch it off and immediately get out of bed. If willpower is a bit of an issue, place your alarm on the other side of your room so that you have to get out of bed in order to turn it off.
Let sunshine brighten up your day.
Stumbling around in the dark isn’t a good way to start the day. Awake with the sun and fully open your blinds or shades. Tie or pull back curtains to let natural light stream inside your home and brighten your spirits.
Clear off your bathroom counter.
Do you have too many things on your bathroom counter? Get rid of items you no longer need or use or that have expired. You’ll instantly give yourself a simplified, much needed space.
Turn up the music.
Not only can music wake you up and put you in a good mood, it can also be used as a time-keeping device. If you have a favorite short album or homemade playlist, you can crank up the tunes and use it as a guide, as in “I have to be dressed by the time the fourth song plays,” and so on. Be creative and turn up the tunes!
Set up a bathroom schedule.
If you live in a busy household, you certainly know what it’s like to share a single bathroom in the morning. Consider arranging an informal bathroom schedule; keep things simple by letting people know who’s first, second and so forth according to when people have to be at work and school. Even if you don’t strictly keep to your schedule, people will be reminded they don’t have the luxury of spending long hours in the bath.
Wait until you’ve bathed, dressed and groomed before turning on your phone.
Bathe, get dressed and groom before you switch on your smart phone. You’ll be fully ready to tackle the day ahead versus sitting around in your pajamas and bathrobe fiddling with your phone.
Have a distraction-free breakfast.
Declare distraction-free time as you eat. Refrain from checking your phone, listening to the TV, radio or reading the newspaper and simply enjoy and savor your breakfast.
Dispense vitamins and medications into daily doses.
Sort out your daily doses of medicines and vitamins on a particular day each week. This will save you some time and effort from having to open multiple bottles and count out pills each and every day.
Pack your lunch at dinnertime.
Dinner leftovers make great, easy, no-fuss lunches. Pack up your lunch as you’re cleaning up dinner the night before and you won’t have to think twice about what to have for lunch the next morning.
Bring your hallway up to season.
Struggling with lots of off-season shoes, coats and sports equipment as you try to leave your house? Clear out, wash and store off-season coats, as well as off-season shoes and sporting equipment.
Store your bag and/or purse in the same location.
Make a pick-up and drop-off point for your bags. This could be a hook in your hallway, a shelf in your living room or a basket on the side of your kitchen counter. Everything will be contained and you’ll know exactly where to find your belongings each and every time.
Create a weather-ready area in your hallway.
When it’s not a bright, gorgeous, sunny day, do you struggle to find an umbrella, hat, gloves or ice scraper? Pull together these must-have weather items for those inclement days: umbrella, waterproof boots, raincoat, gloves, hat, parka, scarf and ice scraper. Feel free to add items to the list depending on the climate in which you live.
Make a checklist of must-have items.
Stop running around trying to remember what items you need each and every day before leaving home. Create a must-have checklist (such as keys, phone, wallet, medication) and store the list on your smartphone, or write it down and tape it to the back of your front door as a handy reference. How are you going to use the above tips to simplify your morning routine? Leave a comment below.
