Three Quick Habits To Organize Your Morning

Are you tired of chaotic mornings? You know the ones; when you can’t seem to find anything that you need, when you realize there are no clean socks and try to dig the best pair out of the dirty clothes hamper, and you’re pretty sure you forgot a kid. If you have trouble getting out of the door on time in the morning, or you’re so rushed you forget to put on your shoes, try these three tips to get it together in the AM.

Does any of this sound familiar?

— You get ready on time, but then you spend 20 minutes looking for your keys.

— You hit the snooze button so many times, you’re pretty sure it has to be afternoon by now.

— You’re down to the wire, so breakfast is out of the question.

— You can’t possibly get ready fast enough because you can’t even find your hairbrush.

The list could go on and on, right? Add to this other special circumstances like feeding pets, finding your husband’s wallet, getting kids ready, packing lunches, finding your husband’s watch, or any number of other tasks, and it’s a wonder that we can even leave the house at all.

If this sounds like you, here are three quick habits you can start practicing so you can get organized, have a calmer morning, and reduce the stress:

— Prep the night before. Yes, I know, it’s kind of obvious, but then again, if it were so obvious why don’t we do it more? The thing is, if you’re not used to getting your tomorrow prepared before you go to bed, then it’s going to take some time to form this new habit.

Take a few minutes in the evening to prep as much as you can — set out breakfast essentials, pack lunches, pick out your outfit, and gather any items you need for your day such as papers, briefcase, umbrella, whatever they might be. Plus, it’s also helpful before heading to bed, to jot down a quick list of what you need to accomplish the next day; this way you don’t think about it all night long while you’re trying to go to sleep.

— Create a “Come and Go” station by your front door. This is an area where you keep a basket that has all of the items you need to take with you in the morning, as well as a hook for your keys, and even a hook for things like your purse and umbrella (and nowadays your face mask). Get in the habit of always putting these items here when you get home, so you will always know where to find them and can easily grab them as you head out of the door.

— Every man for himself. Set clear expectations of who is in charge of what in the mornings. For example, older children can get themselves ready for school, pack their lunches, an even help get younger siblings ready. Perhaps you can assign special morning tasks to each person in the household. For example, your partner might be in charge of making breakfast, while you load the car, and your son feeds the dog or some other chore. This step will take a little time to put in place, but if you’re consistent and everyone is on the same page, then pretty soon it will become second-nature, and the mornings will start to run a whole lot smoother.

What are some of the tricks you use to get your mornings off on the right foot and get out of the door on time? Share in the comments!