31 Days {Day 22} – Change Your Morning Routine

I am not a morning person. And I have little doubt that I will ever become one. But there are a few things that can help make the morning a little more bearable.

Get Enough Sleep- I’ve always been a night owl. I find it incredibly relaxing to lay in bed at night and read. The house is quiet and the kids are asleep. It’s one of my favorite times of the day. The only problem is that I tend to stay up much too late reading, and that makes getting out of bed in the morning that much harder. But on those rare nights that I actually get to bed early…wow! What a difference it makes in the morning!

Get Organized the Night Before- The more I can get done the night before, the better our morning goes. I always try to pack lunches before I go to bed. The kids usually pick out their clothes the night before too. I make sure that the backpacks are packed and all the school papers are signed before I head upstairs to read sleep. I know people who set the kitchen table for breakfast the night before or shower the night before, but I’ve never quite been able to make either of those work for me.

Get Up When the Alarm Goes Off- I recently read that hitting the snooze button in the morning actually makes you more tired than if you get up the first time the alarm goes off. The little bit of sleep you get between snooze button pushes is low quality and makes you feel less rested.

Give Yourself a Few Moments- Rushing through the morning can make you feel frazzled. Schedule in 5 or 10 minutes in the mornings for reading the newspaper, doing a few stretches, or simply enjoying a few sips of your coffee. Just those few minutes of slowing down can make the rest of the morning feel less stressful and rushed.

What does your morning routine look like? How do you make your mornings easier?

This post is part of the 31 Days Series-Choose Your Change. Did you miss a day? Visit the 31 Days Welcome page for links to each day.