12 Ways to Make Mornings Less Stressful

Are mornings a mad rush at your house?

By the time you get the kids ready for school or get your gear together and answer the text messages that piled up overnight, you may feel like you’ve put in a full day before you even head out the front door.

The good news is that you can make your mornings less stressful and run more smoothly. It all starts by organizing and planning the night before. The following time-savers will streamline your routine.

Try these 12 ways to reduce the stress so you can feel more relaxed as you start each day.

1. Plan your schedule.

Staying on schedule might be one of your biggest challenges. Maybe you’re trying to cram too much into too few hours. Figure out how much time you need for your usual activities. Then, you can calculate when you need to go to bed so you’ll be well rested each day.

2. Organize your space.

Do you know where all your stuff is? Keeping essential items in their place will eliminate searching for car keys or gym bags.

3. Check the weather.

Rain and snow may change your plans. Take a look at the forecast before you go to bed so you’ll be ready with rain boots or ice scrapers.

4. Prepare breakfast.

Eating breakfast gives you energy now, and makes it easier to resist snacking on junk food later. Assemble your smoothie ingredients tonight so you can pull them out of the refrigerator tomorrow.

Kitchen shelves with housewares and a houseplant.

5. Lay out your clothes.

Hang tomorrow’s outfit at the front of your closet or on the back of your bedroom door. Buy a compact steamer to cut down on ironing time.

6. Simplify your look.

How many beauty care products do you use in the morning? Design a simpler skin care regimen and browse around for a low-maintenance hairstyle.

7. Write notes.

Save your brain power for more important subjects. Jot down reminders to pick up prescriptions or dry cleaning.

8. Adjust the light.

Light has a powerful effect on your brain. Darkening your bedroom at night will help you to sleep better so you wake up feeling refreshed. The opposite holds true for waking up. Exposure to morning sun will banish grogginess.

9. Pray before bedtime.

Praying before sleep helps to calm the nerves and can lead to pleasant dreams.

10. Skip the snooze button.

Replace the alarm with a musical wake up. A study from RMIT University reveals the waking up to music may make you more alert. Enjoy waking up gradually to your favorite music. You can set your alarm at night to play music from Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and more.

11. Cue up a playlist.

Listen to music while getting ready for work. Cue up a playlist of your favorite songs before you go to sleep. Prepare upbeat music to give you energy if you’re the type that drags around in the morning. Play calm instrumental music to soothe your nerves if you’re apprehensive about a job interview or business presentation.

12. Listen to podcasts.

Skip the news and continue your education during your commute. Find a podcast that will teach you whatever skill you want to get better at such as marketing, communication, a new language, etc.

Bonus: Work from home.

See if you can find a job that let’s you work from home at least part time.

Start the morning positively

However much you need to do, you can stay calm and focused. It’s a matter of organization and attitude. These simple routine suggestions will help you enjoy mornings more. They can transform your mornings from a mad dash into a cheerful routine and help you become more productive. Starting the morning on a positive note will help you head off stress and feel calmer all day long.

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