Get Up and Go! Tricks for Speeding Up Your Morning Routine
Many Americans find themselves sleep-deprived and groggy on weekday mornings. Before that first cup (or two) of coffee kicks in, we’re apt to make mistakes, skip essential steps (repeat after me: socks before shoes) and forget important items. Let’s take a look at some tips for speeding up and simplifying your routine in the morning so you can start the day right.
Plan for Efficiency
The place that most of us go wrong in the morning is actually the night before. Starting out your day in an organized bedroom and bathroom with a plan for the hours ahead of you is much more efficient than the situation many people find themselves in: doing the dishes for last night’s dinner, trying to pick out what to wear to work, desperately looking for their keys and packing a lunch for that day. One of the key things to do is organize the location of the most-used items in your bedroom and bathroom. Rearrange your bathroom with a vanity that allows each member of your household to have his or her own drawer or enough counter space to hold the most essential items. Keeping these close at hand, as well as your favorite shoes, tie and other accessories, will contribute to your efforts to get you out of the door on time, every time.
Your purse, backpack or handbag is another key item that should be organized in advance. If you have many bags that you like to use during the week, you might like a modular system, in which your essential items are put into smaller see-through or mesh bags that can be quickly and easily transferred from your laptop case to your gym bag, for example. Things that have to come out of the bag every day when you return home, such as your house keys or any medicines should have a designated place at home where you will always put them. For example, place a hook or small shelf by the front door where you can keep your keys. If you put them there every night when you come home, you won’t have to search high and low in the morning.
Make Time for Breakfast
You’ve heard it so often that it’s a bit of a cliché—breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But knowing this snippet of wisdom doesn’t always make it easier to actually have a healthy breakfast. For your body and your mental state, it’s best not to have an on-the-run breakfast of a piece of toast eaten on your way to the garage and a cup of coffee sipped during the slow traffic on your commute. It’s ideal to be able to have enough time in the morning to sit down—even if it’s only for three or four minutes—to slowly eat a healthy breakfast and drink some liquid. This pause helps you mentally recharge for the day ahead and gives the proper attention to your meal. Unfortunately, when we eat on the run—or skip meals—we don’t savor the meal as much, and often make poor food choices later in the day when we feel hungry. Having a balanced, sit-down breakfast will help you resist the temptations of the office cupcake tray or of having an extra-large portion at lunch.
Getting Kids Up and At ‘Em
For the younger members of your household, the importance of a morning routine and its relation to your daily stress levels might be especially hard to grasp. One way to encourage kids to take charge of their mornings (and take the onus off of you) is to make sure everyone clearly understands what must be done each and every morning. Clipboards with lists of items to be checked off, a grid on a whiteboard where each child fills in a happy face for the first one finished with all the steps and a reward system for each week’s worth of punctual mornings are all ideas you can try with your family. For example, you could set a cumulative reward, such as a family trip to the zoo, as the prize that everyone wins if your whole household has been on time for two weeks. Additionally, if each member of your family has his or her own alarm clock, and the responsibility of setting it and waking up to it, you’ll teach your kids independence and discipline.
About the Author:
Katja Sorenis a life coach, mediator and child development specialist who is working on a self-help book aimed at “mompreneurs.”