Mornings permeate and set the tone for the rest of the day. If you’re rushing, frazzled and frustrated, it affects you, your family and your work. Here are twelve tips that have helped me keep the morning hours calm:
Cultivate good habits
1. Go to bed at the same time.
Starting with good sleeping habits increases the likelihood that you won’t be tired the next day and prepares your mind for whatever routine you stick to.
2. Don’t hit snooze.
Get up at the same time every day. Eventually your body will get used to the schedule and you might even find yourself waking up two or three minutes before your alarm – a much more peaceful beginning than the usual clamor.
3. Don’t turn on your computer. Don’t.
This is my favorite tip and the hardest thing for me to stick to. Turning on my computer means I spend 20-30 minutes before I even turn on the shower, and then an additional two or three minutes here and there while getting ready. It’s a huge time suck and isn’t smart because I’m not fully awake to be productive. But darn if Twitter and email don’t call out to me lovingly each morning.
4. No TV either.
It’s the reporter’s job to make you interested in the story and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat down while brushing my teeth to watch a story only to be pulled in for five or ten minutes. Just keep it off.
5. Cultivate efficient routines.
My shower routine consists of shampooing my hair, washing my face, conditioning my hair, washing my body and then shaving. It’s the most efficient order to be in and out of the shower as quickly as possible. Find out what works for you and just be logical. Eat breakfast before cleaning the pearly whites. Let your lotion dry while you brush your teeth.
Be smart
6. Organize your products.
Organize your make-up and household product shelves and drawers with baskets or organizers. If you can always find what you need you’ll avoid a late start and a bad mood.
7. Find a good time to commute.
I can either leave between 7:00 am – 7:15 am or 8:30 – 8:45 am. Anywhere in between is a traffic nightmare. Figure out your own traffic sweet spot and plan accordingly.
8. Keep your keys easy to find.
I have mine hanging on the back of my door (see photo right). This was a necessity after I once spent fifteen minutes searching for keys that were in the first place I looked.
Spend 15 minutes the night before
9. Write down your to-do list.
Not only do I list and think about my priorities the night before, but I often keep a pad of paper and pen next to my bed if I have a lot of ideas going through my head. Knowing your priorities and getting them out of your head allows you to concentrate on getting to bed on time, resting and being up and at ‘em in the morning.
10. Prepare lunch the night before.
The easiest way to do this is to cook more than you need for dinner and package up the leftovers in the freezer. Once you get a few containers going, you don’t always have to eat the same thing the next day either. Or make a sandwich, grab some fruit and put it in a bag that’s ready to take the next morning.
11. Pick out your outfit, at least in your head.
I actually can’t do this the night before since I never know what the weather or my mood will be the following day. But I do decide in the shower what to wear so I’m not dripping in front of my closet trying to figure it out.
12. Get everything together.
Pack up your files, laptop and make-up. Put everything in your stylish bag on the counter next to the lunch you have prepared in the fridge and the keys on your door. Now, you’re ready to go!
What are your tips to getting out the door smiling? What makes it easier or more difficult for you?
The one I have trouble with is the urge to turn on the computer. The first thing I do is check my email via my phone (which I’m sure is a bad habit). Then, reading through some of the emails, I’m tempted to turn on the comp before anything else. Then of course you know what happens after that…
The best thing that I’ve done to organize my schedule and that’s led to greater productivity is that I set my To Do List (step #9) the night before and I often print my calendar and post it on the wall or somewhere visible next to my desk at the office. Since I don’t have the luxury of dual monitors, having that calendar visible alerts me to what I need to do next without missing a beat.
Oh, tell me about it. I lie in bed checking email and still feel compelled to turn on the computer to check stats, and do a “quick little thing” before showering. And I do know what happens after that… : )Thanks for sharing your additional tips – very helpful!
Wait, you skipped breakfast! Make breakfast a part of your morning routine for more energy, better metabolism. I have to plan my breakfasts the night before, too. :)
I changed from TV news to radio news in the morning – from an actual radio, not the internet. You keep moving, and it helps wake up my brain so I don’t spend 20 minutes at work checking headlines. I’m lucky to have an all public transportation commute so that is when I check Twitter & at least delete email.
I make my to do list first thing in the morning while I wait for my computer to start up and my coffee to brew. Having the quiet time to think, even if it is to jot down notes about things I want to accomplish is my perfect alone time. It also helps me free up a few more minutes at night to spend with my husband.
@ Tiffany – Haha, so I did – good reminder. I always am eating breakfast on the go. I long ago gave up on cereal so I like a granola bar or one of those highly unhealthy Toaster Scramblers. Your idea sounds better :)
@ Alisa – Oh, that’s so smart! I love the radio idea. I used to be able to take the bus to work as well – which I loved – but no longer. I think that people that are able to do that have a definite advantage!
@ Dorie – Nice. Making to-do lists daily is such a good habit to cultivate. Appreciate you sharing!
Another classic to do with your alarm clock, besides not hit the snooze, is to put it someplace where you have to get up to turn it off. Definitely has been helping me lately. That or, if you just can’t give up the snooze button addiction: http://www.nandahome.com/
You said you eat breakfast before cleaning your teeth!! Don’t skip it, and eat healthy. Bars and scramblers aren’t. I was sick last year because I wasn’t eating enough protein, my sodium levels were too high, and my potassium level was in the basement. I make an effort to eat protein every meal, watch my salt, eat yogurt every day–it’s portable and so easy to take along for lunch with some protein, and eat more veggies and fruits. I now feel like a human being again. It took about 3 months to come back. You put your lunch together the night before; you could easily put together a healthy breakfast to mw for a minute, then eating takes less than 5 minutes including loading the dishwasher, just before you clean your teeth.
I agree with your list. Morning routines are important. They actually help you remember what to do next to get ready on time with less distractions (I have 2 dogs who distract me). And I also drive during the less driven times. It cuts my driving time by 25% both morning and night, and saves gas which saves $.
I’ve had disappearing keys too many times, so hopefully your suggestion will work for me. It’s a good suggestions for sure. The worst was leaving my keys in the door the night before. Try finding them when they aren’t even in the house!
@ Rob – That nandahome alarm is awesome! Thanks so much for sharing.
@ Linda – Glad it was helpful and thanks so much for the tips on breakfast. Sometimes food is the last thing you think about it when it should be one of the first! I also agree about saving gas – super important.
I would love to know where you got the door knob pocket hanger…
My downfall is turning on the computer. I am regularly 15 minutes late for work because of it. I’m going to try tomorrow not even looking at it.
@ Sandy – Isn’t it great? I bought it locally here in Madison, Wisconsin from either The Century House or Pop Deluxe… I can’t remember. The brand is Kikkerland.
Ha, and I like your resolution to not even look at the computer – good idea, really : )
Like Ricardo – keeping the computer off seems like an almost impossible task – I see the morning as my most productive time of the day – it’s when I respond to emails, read blogs, etc. Before anyone wakes up, before I have to head off to work – getting things like this done gives me some satisfaction that I’ve been productive. But, I really need to work on limiting my computer time – I feel like between @ home and @ work the computer and the internet completely consumes my life. I need to know when to step away and that I don’t have to be involved with every Twitter conversation, every blog post, etc.
Second – lists are SO important. I am a little obsessive about this but I do my best to make a list the night before or first thing in the morning for the things I want to do that day. Doing this keeps my mind organized and provides some self-affirmation of my productivity each time I’m able to cross something off the list.
Great advice here!
I do all of those things, except picking out the outfit. I usually wait to see how the weather feels in the morning (I’m really, really bad about checking forecasts.)
I also shower in the evening – usually between the gym and my night activities, so that doesn’t have to be part of the morning routine.
You’re so right about the alarm – I don’t even use one anymore! I just wake up around the same time every morning, and (assuming I went to bed early enough) I feel like I got just the right amount of sleep.
Wow! Thanks for the reply!
You can purchase it right from the Kikkerland website. It costs $8 and comes in black (http://www.kikkerlandshop.com/or14-bk.html), gray (http://www.kikkerlandshop.com/or14-gr.html), or red (http://www.kikkerlandshop.com/or14-r.html)
I get up an hour before work which gives me time for all the basics. Would anyone reccomend getting up 2-3 hours earlier and doing other things? I feel like i only go to bed to go to work the next day. Would more time in the morning be beneficial?
I go to bed by 11 but I honestly start doing my best work at 10:30 pm and often get sucked into staying up until midnight because I am producing. Darn the real world. Thanks
ZFarls
Maddenbible.com
@ Matt – I agree, morning is my most productive time, but I would prefer to do it when I’m done getting ready and actually at work, you know? So that the internet, like you say, doesn’t consume my whole life. ; ) And I’m with you on the lists, totally.
@ Nicole – Same! I also never know what kind of mood I’ll be in so I always wait. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
@ Sandy – No problem, thanks for finding them! I don’t remember it being that cheap – that’s awesome.
@ ZFarls – I have a lot of friends who get up really early in the morning to do just that. But I tend to be more like you and seem to start being really productive around 9:30 or 10 – quite inconvenient! I think it’s best to just work with your natural rhythms, whatever those may be : )
[...] article posted on the Alice Blog by Rebecca Thorman offers 12 ways to simplify your morning routines. The tips include practical steps to take the night before, such as preparing your lunch and picking [...]
Great post! Morning routines are so important! Like so many of the others here, my biggest challenge is showering before looking at the computer too! I also try to get some form of exercise in the AM whether it’s watering / gardening or a 5-10 minute walk to get the blood flowing. As mentioned by others, a protein shake (I use Designer Whey and Rice or Soy Milk) and at least a 16 oz of water, also make a great start to the day.
Thanks again for the great post!