4 Ways to Streamline Your Morning Routine
The alarm goes off and your eyes open not with a gentle flutter accompanied by a yawn, but with a wide-eyed urgency followed by the covers being tossed aside as you bee-line for the door. Thus begins the morning mad dash.
Are the kids up? Have they brushed their teeth? Are their clothes clean? Did I remember to pack the school lunches? Was that important work meeting at 10 or 11? And what was it the boss asked me to make sure I got done by this afternoon? Kids are rushing around in the background, the cereal’s been dumped on the floor, you keep tripping over the dog, and you’ve just discovered a run in your nylons.
Sound familiar? Pause for a second, you superstar of a working mother. With the help of a life coach and business strategist, we’re revamping your morning routine to help you get a better grasp of your day.
Get Up 30 Minutes Before Your Kids
Instead of the whole “throw the blankets off and start running,” routine, wake up about 30 minutes before your kids and give yourself a quiet moment.
“You can use this time to start your day right and the way you want,” said Alyce Pilgrim, a mindset coach and speaker. “Maybe it’s a mediation or a quick work out, maybe you read a page or two of your favorite book, maybe you start your day with your favorite Netflix show, or maybe you answer some emails. Whatever you choose to do with this time is up to you, but make sure you do something for you.”
This undisturbed time allows you to prepare for your day, sets you up for major productivity, and puts you in a good mood.
Create a Command Center
Designate a central location to serve as the “command center” of your home. Hey, if it works for NASA, it can work for your family!
“This is a place where all the morning necessities live, including backpacks, shoes and library books,” said Megan Flatt, a business growth strategist and consultant who works specifically with moms who are also CEOs. “In this space, also keep a checklist of morning tasks for each child, and a dry erase calendar of the week’s events so everyone – spouses included – know what day is hot lunch, when that playdate is, and if a child goes to aftercare or home.”
Plan as Much as Possible the Night Before
The more you do the night before, the less you need to do in the morning. This includes preparing and packing lunches for yourself and your kids, and planning breakfast for the next day (even if it’s as easy as toast, peanut butter and bananas). Also lay out your clothes – and your children’s clothes, if necessary.
“This streamlines your routine and allows you to get ready in a flash, eliminating the whole ‘I have nothing to wear’ [and ‘nothing to eat’] conundrum,” noted Pilgrim.
Do Things in the Same Order Every Morning
“This might sound horribly robotic, but having a checklist of the things that need to get done each morning and doing them in the same order helps everyone stay on track and not forget any steps,” explained Flatt.
A set routine will also help you make sure you’re not running late, and will better allow the kids to do what they need to without having to refer to your orders. For example, everyone needs to be up and dressed up by 7, breakfast needs to be done by 7:30, and the rest of the things on your list need to be done so you’re out the door by 7:50. If everyone is on the same page, it’ll be less of a stressful, hollering fest and much more of a team effort!
Wendy Rose Gould is a writer based in Phoenix, Arizona. She covers women’s lifestyle topics for numerous digital publications, including InStyle, xoVain, Refinery29, Revelist, PopSugar and ModCloth. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram or at WendyGould.com
