5 Things You Can Do to Make Your Mornings Smoother and More Efficient

If there’s one thing I know for a fact, it’s that I have always hated waking up in the morning. If it was up to me, I would have stayed up until midnight at least as a child. But, alas, I couldn’t. Darn that nine o’clock bedtime!

Despite going to bed early, I always had a hard time waking up in the morning. I was just simply not a morning person. I used to love to stay up late and wake up late. It’s different now, two kids later and a job that requires work during the graveyard shift. But that’s a topic for another day.

It used to be such a struggle for me. My mom would have to come into my room not once, but twice, thrive, even four times, to pry me out of bed. I would turn over and over, wishing for a few more minutes before I would have to wake up and get ready for school.

It’s hard to make yourself get up after a good night’s sleep. But there are things you can do the night before to make the morning routine a lot smoother both for your day and your sanity!

1–Take a Bath

Take a bath or a shower the night before. Cleaning up the night before saves ten or fifteen minutes. Plus, it’s a nice feeling to go to bed smelling fresh and clean, with your hair brushed out.

2–Pick Out Your Clothes

Growing up, I always picked out my clothes the night before. I knew myself and I knew that it would take forever in the morning. If I picked out my clothes the night before, I wouldn’t have to go rummaging in the drawers or closet for that missing sock or misplaced pants. I would just have everything I need sitting on my desk. Everything would be folded and clean and ready to go.

3–Set Your Alarm

Ask yourself how long it will take you to wake up in the morning. Be realistic and honest with yourself. If you think it would take thirty minutes to get ready, set your alarm for thirty minutes before you have to walk out the door. Of course, this is assuming that you don’t keep hitting that snooze button repeatedly!

4–Buy Some Quick Ready Made Breakfast

Eating a home cooked breakfast is so important, but sometimes it’s just not possible. During those times, grab some quick ready made breakfast foods the next time you go grocery shopping. Pop tarts, fruit, and bread are a big hit in my house. They are easy to make. You can just grab and then go. Literally.

5–Go To Bed Early

This is probably the most important thing on the menu. Go to bed early. Make sure that you are getting 7-9 hours of sleep, more if you are a child or teenager. If you get enough sleep, then it will be easier to get up in the morning, which will make the morning routine a lot easier.

So, that is what I did as a child to make my morning routine easier.

What do you do to make your mornings less chaotic and stress free?