Creating a Calm Morning Routine
Summer is officially over and school is back in full swing. How are your mornings going?
I set a goal this year to wake up earlier, allowing more time to get the kids out the door in hopes of decreasing chaos and starting the day with less stress. It's been work in progress.
Why is it so hard to become a morning person who doesn't hit snooze multiple times?! 😴
Recently, I received an email from Susan Morley, parent coach to moms with spirited children. Susan gave the following tips for having a calm morning:
- Prepare: Do what you can the night before.
- Visualize: Play your ideal morning in your mind like a movie so you can make sure you've got all bases covered.
- Sleep: Make sure all family members are getting enough sleep.
- Get Ready: Be ready before the kids so you can supervise the morning routine.
- Begin with the End in Mind: Write your morning schedule backward, starting with what time you have to leave to make the bus, so you know when bedtime is, wake up, etc.
- Practice Makes Perfect: Run through your morning routine to practice the new routine to be sure the kids are on board and celebrate.
Beginning with the end in mind is exactly what I did when I set a goal to go to bed earlier, get up earlier, and have a calmer start to the day. I figured out when we needed to leave for school and worked backwards to figure out what times I really need to get up and go to bed in order for things go to more smoothly.
It's not perfect yet (And I know it will never quite will be!) but I've been practicing. The snooze button sometimes wins, but overall my morning-stress-level has definitely improved.
---
Are your mornings impacted by the struggle to get to bed or fall asleep? If you need some tips for a better sleep routine, click here!
