Chaos-Free Mornings

In the New Year I am planning on adapting Chaos Free Mornings.

I find myself scrambling to find my cell phone, a jacket for the weather, something to eat on the bus and of course my keys. I barely make it out of the door with both shoes on, and almost miss my bus because I had to go back for something, breaking a sweat, before even getting to work. I want to get rid of this ritual; I want to have a stress free enjoyable time before I get into a hectic pace at work.

The most critical factor in organizing your day is your mental freshness, or mental fatigue. I feel like half of my mornings start out on the wrong foot and by the time I get to work I am exhausted. Here are some tips I am working on:

Get into a Routine

Have a specifically plan as to how your morning will go

Make a list on a post it notes of anything you need to remember.

List of what I need for work the next day and gathering spot to collect these items:

Bag to carry all I am taking to work

Lunch/snacks

Purse

Coat I am wearing with that outfit

Cell phone

Umbrella

Any papers/computer/books from the office that need to go back

Items I need for trips I make after work (coupons, dinner discount, returns, yoga clothes/mat)

The Night Before

Check my calendar

Make a short “To-Do” list

Backpacks and briefcases should be by the front door

Check the weather

Pick out clothes and accessories for next day

Pick out coat/hat/gloves or any outwear I need

Pack breakfast and lunch in reusable bag and place in fridge

Pull dinner option out of freezer and make sure I have ingredients or make a list to stop at store on way home. Fill crock pot and place in fridge.


Other Ideas that might help: 

For truly relaxing mornings, reduce the number of choices and decisions you make to zero. Go about this two ways: First, make your morning decisions the night before: what clothes to wear, what breakfast to eat, what route to take to work, and so on.

When it comes to getting out of bed and facing the day, everyone is different.

I like to allow 15 minutes or me to wake up, stay in my jammies and read email, or surf the web with a question.



Keep any medications and/or a multivitamin out on the kitchen counter right by the coffee/tea pot so you remember to take one every morning.

Create healthy easy-to-assemble breakfasts such as smoothies and yogurt with granola.

Put my coffee/tea maker on a timer to save a few extra minutes.

On the weekend plan quick, healthy breakfasts, prepare what I can ahead of time

Also plan dinners for the week to save time and money on eating out, there should be no reason to swing by fast-food places last minute.

Brush your tongue for one minute. There's no better way to rid yourself of morning breath and begin your day minty fresh and clean. After all, more than 300 types of bacteria take up residence in your mouth every night. You think a quick brush over the teeth is going to vanquish them all?

Drink eight ounces of water. You've been fasting all night and you wake each morning dehydrated

Launch Location

Find a constant area of your house to place everything as you prepare for the next day. A launch pad could help you to” leave nothing behind.”

This is a place for charging cell phones and keeping keys, book bags and anything that needs to go out of the door with you.

My launch pad where I come and go from, right inside the garage entrance on a table in my sewing room.

Place a basket there for items you “may” need and unload items at the end of the day.

Make it an equally important habit to take things back into the house each evening./ That means take everything out of the car, wash your travel mug, lunch Tupperware, unload used napkins and wash out your lunch tote. Put away everything you do not need for the next day.

Survey everything you will need and place in the launching area. Getting ready for the next day will keep you stress free in the mornings.

Tips from others:

Prepare an emergency outfit in your closet. Include socks, jewelry, hose, etc., so on those mornings when you sleep through the alarm or simply need an extra 10 minutes, you can just pluck it off the hanger and go. (In case you change your mind that morning.)

Kiss all the people you love in your house (including the dog and cat) before you leave. Connecting with the ones you love soothes stress and provides you with a positive start to your day, as well as keeping you focused on what's really important says therapist Barbara Bartlein, L.C.S.W., author of Why Did I Marry You Anyway? 125 Strategies for a Happy Marriage.



Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier. This way, you don't have to jump out of bed and rush through your morning. You can begin your morning by lying in bed, slowly waking up. Stretching. Listening to the news headlines. Mentally clicking off what you're going to wear, what you're going to do, what you're going to have for breakfast. It's just as important to prepare yourself mentally as physically for your day. These few minutes in bed, before anyone else is up, are all yours.



Stretch every extremity for 15 seconds. Try this even before you open your eyes. Lift your arm and begin by stretching each finger, then your hand, then your wrist, then your arm. Then move on to the other arm. Then your toes, feet, ankles, and legs. Finally, end with a neck and back stretch that propels you out of the bed. You've just limbered up your muscles and joints and enhanced the flow of blood through your body, providing an extra shot of oxygen to all your tissues.

Above all be in the moment, enjoy your routine and try to slow down jut a bit.  The calmness when you arrive at work will be so "worth it"