Raise your hand if your least favorite time of the day is the morning.
Are you a night owl who feels prejudiced against by early birds? I’m going to let you in on a secret: mornings don’t have to be so difficult! In fact, they can be relaxing when approached with a certain outlook.
You might be someone who feels like they’re losing their mind in the morning.
Whether it’s a school day, or a busy work morning, you can really set aside some extra time in your morning with these several, great tips. Here are some ways that can help make your hectic morning run more smoothly!
Create an Easy-to-Follow Routine.
Whether it’s a skin moisturizing routine, or a workout regimen, routines make the world go ‘round. A well-thought-out routine can keep your brain happy, functioning and focused. Think of your day and what works best for you.
If you like to begin your day with a jog, start there. If you like to end your day with a reflective meditation, end there. Either way, try to do the same thing every day and you’ll find that your mornings can run as smooth as butter.
We often let time get away from us because of inconsistencies, or unexpected occurrences, but a routine can add some much-needed stability to a crazy morning.
Get a Good Night’s Rest.
There’s a myriad of health benefits from getting a full night of sleep – from a better immune system to a refreshing way to begin your morning. How many of us have been a walking zombie when it comes to the morning? A productive day begins with good sleep, and a great day is fully complete when your head hits that pillow at night.
One sleep cycle is approximately 90 minutes, so a full night’s rest should be calculated by intervals of 90. An adult requires between 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep – it changes based on the individual. If you’re curious about your sleep cycle, you can track your sleep cycle and wake up when you’re in light sleep using this alarm app!
The key to great sleep is waking up and going to bed at the same time every single day. A regular bedtime will level your circadian rhythm – or your internal clock. In balancing your circadian rhythm, you’ll find yourself more awake, and ready to tackle the morning as soon as you get out of bed.
Set Your Clock 10 Minutes Early.
The morning has a tendency to fly by in the blink of an eye – maybe because we’re dragging our feet, or maybe because we enter an alternate time dimension in the morning. A great way to get your bearings in the morning is to try and wake a little earlier than necessary.
A simple ten minutes can allow your mind to slowly wake up before your body needs to get moving. Take this time to collect yourself before your day begins – try to remember your dreams, drink a glass of water, or maybe watch the sun rise as you lay in bed. Maybe you can use these 10 minutes to have a light morning stretch before your workout, or before you get your coffee.
If you naturally wake up before your alarm, this is a great time to stay awake. When you wake before you are “supposed” to, this is your body telling you that it’s time to wake up. If you risk falling asleep again, you might wake up later in your sleep cycle and feel sluggish or heavy when it’s time to get up.
Pre-Make Your Breakfast or Lunch.
Why would you want to start your morning with a time-consuming task like preparing food? The morning is often a critically short period of time in our days – whether it is before work, school or a day of running errands. Every second counts in the morning.
You can find some extremely easy and delicious breakfast recipes to whip up before you go to bed which will make your mornings that much more seamless. Making breakfast the night before is an incredible motivator to wake up: if you get out of bed, you’ll have food waiting for you!
Like breakfast, lunch is often simple and easy to make. However, it can be one of the most inconvenient tasks to add onto a hectic morning. Take 20 minutes out of your evening the night before while you’re whipping up your breakfast to make a fast lunch to grab on your way out the door. Prepping your food, the night before is cost efficient, quick, and a sure-fire way to add precious minutes to your lightning-fast mornings.
Prep Your Clothes for the Morning.
A great way to stay organized is to pick your clothes out before you go to bed. The fight with clothing indecisiveness and wardrobe malfunctions makes the morning go even faster – because it’s a big waste of time. If you take a moment after your shower the night before, after the grime of the day is washed away, you can come up with a general outfit you might want to wear in the morning.
Maybe it’s a cute and casual type of day, or a chic and classy type of day. If you’re not sure, pick out a foundation outfit that can be dressed up or dressed down. Either way, this helpful organization trick will get your mind on the forward-thinking track.
Preparing for your morning the night before will help you shave off chunks of time that are often wasted during your unorganized morning habits. Instead, you can focus your morning brain on the most necessary tasks instead of the fine details.
Clean & Organize Before You Go to Bed.
Nothing says a great start to your day quite like a clean, organized space. When you have a designated space for your shoes, keys, bags, and all your little trinkets, that’s less bumps in your morning.
A little cleaning up goes a long way – wash the dishes, pick up your belongings and put them back in their places (transform your storage space), and make sure your bathroom is tidied and cleaned. When you wake up, you won’t have to search for anything. If everything is put back into their designated storage spaces, you won’t even have to think as you get ready.
Studies have shown there are too many reasons to count why every person should be organized, but if anything more organization means more time to sleep, or maybe you’ll feel like you have those extra hours in your day that you’ve desperately needed.
Make Sure Your Car Is Ready to Go.
Imagine you’re running late, and you have exactly thirty minutes to get to work and clock-in on time. You go to start your car and suddenly, it won’t start! Or maybe your car sputters to life, but your gas tank has inched its way completely to empty.
There are tons of car trouble horror stories that could keep you awake at night. Instead, you should always make sure your car is ready to go for the morning. If your daily commute is reliant on your own personal transportation: make sure you have a full tank of gas, your emergency kit is fully stocked (with jumper cables, flares, traffic cones, fuel injector cleaner, and an emergency car port phone charger), and your car battery is fully charged.
If you were experiencing any trouble on the way home from school with the kids, or work, take your car in immediately to determine if there’s any lasting trouble. Safety first, always.
Breathe.
There’s always time in the morning for three deep breaths! Anxiety or stress can lead to a shortness of breath, so it is important to always keep breathing. When you take these deep breaths, have a moment to think of what you are thankful for in your life.
Take just a minute to reflect on your mental state, and how you are feeling. Is there any inspirational quote that keeps you moving forward? Do you have time for a journal entry to let out any residual stress? Have a moment to yourself for grounding before you get your day started.
Think of the morning as a time to regain control, and a positive time to guide your day. Mornings don’t have to be a hurdle; the morning can be an enjoyable time to take in the quietness of a world not yet awake.
You don’t need to do everything at once! If there’s one tip that stands out to you – introduce that one first. Ease into your new morning routines one step at a time, and don’t forget to look back at all the steps you’re taking as you move forward. Good luck!
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