Organizing for Stress-Free Mornings
The morning hours are often difficult to navigate, whether you’re trying to get yourself or a whole family out the door. How you tackle the morning sets you up for the rest of the day and can be the deciding factor between a confident start or a stressful cloud that hangs over the whole day. Staying organized and having a plan can set you and your family off on the right foot and get you prepared for a great day.
Organizing for Stress-Free Mornings Starts the Evening Before
The best way to get prepared for the morning is to actually start the night before. Before you wind down for the evening, think about what tasks you can do now to set yourself up for success the next day. This might include packing lunch for yourself and/or your kids, putting out the clothes you want to wear the next day, and packing your bag with whatever you need throughout the day. This gives you an opportunity to not only plan ahead but will save you and anyone you’re living with time for whatever can’t be done ahead of time. By organizing for stress-free mornings the night before, you’re all ready to head out the door. It might even save you a few extra minutes on those days you’re running late.
Practice Good Sleep Habits
It’s difficult to stay organized and feel prepared in the morning when you’re running off too little sleep. Sleep hygiene is important for your overall health, and it can make a huge difference in how you feel in the mornings. Make sure you’re going to bed at an hour that gives you time to fall asleep get an adequate amount of sleep. Try to avoid doing activities right before bed that can keep you up. For many people, this means putting the phone away at least an hour before bed and avoiding activities that are loud and overly exciting. You might find that having a podcast to fall asleep to or playing white noise in the background is beneficial to creating an atmosphere that promotes sleep and sets you up for a good morning. This process will be unique to everyone, and it might take some compromise if you’re sharing the room with someone else. If you struggle with falling asleep, there are tons of online resources to help you figure out what’s preventing you from getting a good night's rest and how to find a solution.
Give Yourself Grace and Time
Your morning routine is going to differ depending on your needs and your family’s needs. If you have kids, you’ll need to work some time to help them get ready for the day, but you also need enough time to get yourself prepared. Think about all that you need or want to get done in the morning, and plan out how much time you’ll need to get it done. This can include meals, hygiene, commute time, and anything else that will help you set off on the right foot. Organizing for a stress-free morning might mean that you might give yourself a little extra time to work out, to put on makeup, or to cook a nice breakfast for you or your family. Your mornings are your time, and you don’t want to rush through. Again, you might find you need to make some adjustments or compromises, such as waking up earlier or doing some things the night before so you have more time in the morning. Try out different kinds of routines and see what works best for you.
Work As a Team
If your morning routine includes family members or roommates, you can stay organized and better prepare for the day by working as a team. You don’t need to do everything to get ready by yourself; you can work with those around you to get yourselves and your space ready for the day. You might have one person cook breakfast and the other do the dishes; you might decide with your spouse who helps the kids get ready for bed while the other gets them ready for school. Talk to the people you live with and work with them on a morning routine that works for your household and gives everyone enough time and space to get ready for their day. The more you’re able to work together, the easier it is to prepare for an awesome day. Get the kids involved, too. They can set out their own clothes the night before, make sure all of their homework is back in their school bag and ready to go, and help out with age-appropriate morning chores like making the bed or putting away toys.
The mornings tend to get a bad rap, but they don’t have to be stressful. Setting up a routine and getting organized before the morning even starts will help you wake up with a fresh start and feel prepared to get going with your day. Give yourself the time you need to navigate your morning, and you’ll start waking up ready to take on the world.