So how many times have you woken up, started your morning, getting ready to set off to work, and find yourself rushing around to get everything done in the little time you have? Is this a bad habit you want to change?
From choosing what to wear to making and packing your lunch, to finding your keys, and if you have kids too then trying to get them all sorted, time soon runs away with you, and before you know it you’re starting your morning commute frazzled and fraught. In my case, it’s a fur baby to sort out too, which adds time to my morning for a walk, and a wardrobe change too!
So how could we improve this situation? What could we do to plan better for what is inevitable, and build a morning routine that gets everyone sorted and out of the door on time with everything they need for the day ahead?
Planning Ahead
Just a half-hour spent preparing the night before can make all the difference to a calm and relaxed morning and a productive day too, where you can leave home knowing everything is set for the day ahead.
Here is a list of the Top 5 things I do to prepare in advance:
- Choose my outfit: I work different hours to my boyfriend, so I don’t want to be turning the light on at 6 am to see if my tights are blue or black, I want to be able to head to the bathroom with all the clothes I need to get ready for the day. Taking it one step further, living in the UK where the weather can be changeable, I also check to ensure my wardrobe choices match with the forecast.
- Pack my bag/toolkit: Whether it’s my laptop and journal, or my sports gear for my workout on the way back home, I want to have that packed and ready to grab and go. Not forgetting those bits and bobs we girls carry in our handbag just in case…. I make sure to have those organised too. And depending on the travel plans, headphones and a book for the train are essential, whilst podcasts or an audiobook are downloaded to my phone for a car commute.
- Wash the dishes: Walking down to a kitchen where the pots and pans from the night before are still there, with baked-on food that’s going to take effort to scrub, is not how I like to start my morning. Whether for you it’s loading the dishwasher, or in my case hand-washing the dishes, I like to make time before bed to clear the decks, wipe the surfaces, and set out what I need for my morning brew that is an essential part of my morning routine.
- Prepare my food for the day: And I mean the full day; I have a pretty routine breakfast, so I don’t have to think too much about that, but I pack my lunch (or plan for going out for a lunch with workmates), and plan my evening meal too, as when I get home if I haven’t planned ahead I tend to make bad and unhealthy choices when I’m tired.
- Plan for errands: Each time I leave the house it’s inevitably a chance to cross something else off the to-do list besides the main reason I’m heading out. So whether it’s the paperwork needed for a phone call to make in my lunch hour, or shopping bags and my list for the weekly shop on the way home, or a birthday card that needs posting, I make sure I’ve got what I need to get the task done. Grouping or batching tasks is a great timesaver in the long run
So those are my top 5 tips for prepping for a good tomorrow, so I can sleep well, and start my day calm and relaxed, rather than frazzled and stressed.
What other tips do you have to help prepare for a good day ahead? What is critical in your night time routine so you can relax and sleep well knowing you are ready for tomorrow?
