Streamline Your Morning Routine

The best way to get your morning routine on track is to actually get it started the night before! It’s really your evening routine that makes all the difference in the morning.

On the night before…

• Check your family wall calendar the night before to see what events or appointments you need to prepare for the next day.
  

• Put all necessary papers, projects, etc. in backpacks and briefcases and set them near the door.

• Put all necessary gear (backpacks, briefcases, sports equipment, gym gear, etc.) near the door or in the car.

• Pack lunches so they’re ready to go in the morning. Keep all chilled items ready made in the fridge to be tossed into the lunch box right before you leave.

• Pick out what you plan to wear for tomorrow and set it out. Do you need to wear something special? Does anything need to be ironed or washed?

Making these steps part of your normal evening routine will help out your mornings in a big way. These things are best done in the evening when you have more time, rather than in the morning when time is limited and everyone is sleepy (and possibly grumpy).

More Ways to Streamline Your Morning Routine

• If you’re a coffee drinker, set the machine up the night before so it’s ready to go in the morning with the touch of a button. If you have a timer on your machine, that’s even nicer.

• Have breakfast items ready and stocked. You may also want to have a portable breakfast item for those mornings when there’s just not enough time to sit down and eat.

• Get into the habit of always putting your keys in the same place. A hook, drawer or dish near the door works great. This prevents needing to hunt for them in the morning. Cell phones should be stashed and charged nearby as well.

• School papers should be filed in a folder with your incoming snail mail (see sorting incoming mail). This makes it easy to find those permission slips. Best bet though is to act on these papers as soon as possible when they’re brought home!

• Wear makeup? Keep it simple and organized so you can grab what you need and get it applied quickly. Make sure your basic necessities are together and easy to access.

Making these steps part of your daily morning routine will help you get out the door to work or school on time. Give them a try and see if they don’t help reduce the morning stress of rushing around!