How you start the morning can dictate how you feel and perform for the rest of the day.
Get up late and disorganised, and the remainder of your day is likely to follow suit. And it’s pretty much guaranteed the kids will pick those mornings to do precisely the opposite of anything and everything you ask them to do.
You’ll also have less time to take care of yourself, dashing out the door with crinkled clothes and crazy hair. Not ideal.
Those are the mornings you would do anything to just turn around and crawl back into bed.
So, how do we organise our morning routines to set ourselves up for harmonious school runs and a blissful commute to the office?
The Night Before
I get it. You’ve had a hectic day. You’ve come home to prepare the family meal, help with the homework, put the kids to bed and scoop up the whirlwind of mess they left behind. Number 1 priority is curling up on the sofa with your favourite show – or better still, sliding into bed with a good book. The last thing on your mind is the next day. But, if you dedicate a little time each evening to prepare, you won’t be able to stop thanking yourself come crazy hour.
The following shouldn’t take long to do. In fact, why not involve the children and make it a family responsibility? Who said you had to do it all?
Pack lunches – you should be able to prepare most of it and store it in the fridge.
Clothes – check it’s clean and ironed. Lay it out/hang it up. No more hunting for something to wear at the last minute. Make sure everyone’s shoes are by the front door. We’ve all had those mornings where 1 shoe has mysteriously walked off, never to be found again.
Admin/Homework – make sure both you and the children have all the letters, homework or any other admin signed and packed in bags ready to go. No more sifting through the foot high pile of papers searching for tomorrow’s school trip letter.
Prepare Breakfast – if part of your family’s breakfast includes cereals or dry foods, lay them out on the table the night before. Get plates and bowls out so all everyone needs to do is help themselves.
Get An Early Night
If you feel tired go to bed. Don’t hop on social media just before bed, telling yourself you’ll only be 5 minutes. You’ll get lost down the rabbit hole and eat into your precious beauty sleep. We all need enough quality sleep to enable us to function effectively the next day. If you are short on sleep you are likely to feel more stressed and bad tempered. Not ideal for a smooth running morning. Ditch the screens at least an hour before bed and allow your mind to start winding down. You will have a much better quality sleep and wake up feeling fresher in the morning.
Get Up Earlier
Before you skip past this one, remember you are getting more sleep – so this shouldn’t be a problem! Even just waking up half an hour earlier could make all the difference to your day. Use a sunrise alarm clock to ease yourself into the day naturally. Use that extra time, hopefully before everyone else is awake, to have some ‘you time.’
Spend more time getting ready, putting on your makeup in your bathroom rather than in the car mirror at the traffic lights. Take a straightening brush to your hair and leave the house with salon styled hair, instead of pulling it back in a clip to disguise the just woke up look.
Work Out
Depending on your schedule you might not have a lot of time to work out. But you can spare 5-10 minutes to get your body and heart pumping. It will make all the difference to your day and over time your health and body. Try the 7 minute workout for timed inspiration.
Fuel Your Body
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Miss it at your peril. If you consume a healthy and nutritious breakfast and you’ll feel set up for the day with more energy and less brain fog. Try and include some protein rich foods such as egg, this will help you feel fuller for longer and less likely to reach for the mid-morning doughnuts. For the ultimate nutrient boost include a green smoothie with your breakfast. Try this:
Easy Breakfast Green Smoothie
¼ cucumber (approx. 90g)
80g spinach
1 kiwi (approx 70g)
150ml water
2 to 3 ice cubes
Simply add it all to a high speed blender and whizz until smooth. For an added boost put in a tablespoon of ground flaxseed. You can even prepare this the night before and store it in the fridge.
By just implementing a few of these tips, one habit at a time, you will soon find yourself looking forward to starting the day, rather than hitting that snooze button, just one more time!
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