How do you leave the house in the morning? Are you calm? Are you able to quickly pick up the things you need as you go out the door? Or do you run around, frantically trying to remember where you put your keys last night and forgetting your lunch on the kitchen counter?
If you have children, or need to coordinate with other people leaving the house, the difficulties are multiplied, sometimes exponentially!
So what can help you get out the door with the minimum of fuss and maximum of efficiency? I heard of one woman who was able to get her and her children out the door in 25 minutes in the morning – that’s efficiency. I confess, I like to have more time in the morning to do a few things around the house before I leave.
So what do you need to do to make your morning routine easier on yourself? Ask yourself what it would be like to leave calmly. What sorts of things would you do? How much time do you need to leave for various tasks? What things could you do ahead of time?
Here are some ideas if you are stuck.
The Night Before
- Set out clothes, including ironing them if necessary
- Prepare lunches, or at least gather together any uncut items – whole fruit, carrot sticks, cheese sticks, crackers, etc. – and put them in their containers or baggies.
- Gather any items you will need for the next day- homework, permission slips, items for running errands, meeting materials, etc. – and put them in your bag/briefcase near the door.
The Morning Of
- Get up a few minutes earlier
- Set a timer to finish reading the newspaper or fixing your hair (or any activity that causes delay in the morning).
- Have a schedule so you know when to get up, when to finish your shower, when you should be dressed by, when you need to have finished breakfast, and so on so that you can leave on time. Kids can also use a “get ready” chart; use photos or drawings for the little ones.
When You Return Home
- Put your keys in a designated spot right by the door as you come in the door (that way they’ll be there when you need to leave again).
- Leave your sunglasses and wallet there too, or if that is not practical, have another spot where you always go to put them down.
- Put your cell phone on to charge if necessary
Remember that a new morning routine takes time to become established. In the beginning you may need to consciously remind yourself to change your routine. You may need to put up little reminder notes for yourself, or set alarms. Discuss your new plan with others in your household so they can support you and work with you while you establish your new morning routine.
If you have any other tips on how to make mornings go smoothly, leave them below!
Perfect timing! This time of year is the ideal time to review the morning routine. For families, setting up this routine before school starts will help everyone know where things are and what they need to do. It will help reduce stress and anxiety too.
Thanks, Sabrina! Yep, it’s good to get a jump on the looming school year.
I am a firm believer in routines. I love the way you outlined a possible morning routine and included things to make the routine a little easier. Even though I don’t have children to get out the door, I still follow a routine. It creates a calm feeling and sets a tone for the day.
Absolutely, everyone can benefit from a little stability!
Excellent tips and I particularly like that you accented that preparing for the next begins when you return home. Making sure your phone gets charged and everything will be available when you need it the next morning is essential to the process. I’m not a morning person, so I do literally everything the night before, with the exception of breakfasting and grooming, which by their very nature have to be done in the morning. I know from decades of trial and (lots of) error that expecting anything else from my morning self is foolhardy, so I pre-prep it all!
Smart stuff, Julie! Knowing what you will and won’t do is an essential tool for an organized life.
A morning routine has saved me more more than once. I need to set everything out that I need the next morning because I often wake to “unexpected difficulties,” and I lose the chance to think rationally about what I need.
I don’t always set out my clothing, but I do think it through. I always put on work-out clothing when I wake first thing, so that gets me going.
It’s great to have a straight-out-of-bed habit, like putting on workout clothes!
There’s nothing quite as comforting as a solid routine. Recently, we returned from a mini-vacation. It made me so aware of my routines and habits. When I’m away and out of my environment, I like to set myself up to feel comfortable in the new place. Some of the habits remain the same and are transferable. For example, I always keep my keys in the same place (in the front pocket of my purse.) However, in a new location, my purse gets stored in a different spot. So I needed to establish a ‘spot’ in the vacation home. So some of the routine remains the same and some shifts. Or, at home, I keep my clothes in specific drawers. When I’m away, like stays with like, but their landing spot is different.
Eyeglasses were a thing too. At home, I keep them in various places of use. But on vacation, I had to figure out the best location for them. I noticed they got moved around more.
After a few days, I was comfortable with the new routines I set, which is positive. It means I can adapt my habits to work in other environments. It also felt great to return home where all the places for things and patterns for moving through my day are well engrained. Felt seamless.
Absolutely, Linda. The ability to pivot and be flexible within a routine, or modify it when necessary, is super important!