The mornings are a really important part of my day. How much I get done before noon is a good indicator of how the rest of the day will flow. When it comes to Monday mornings, starting well typically means finishing strong come Friday, and having a really easy weekend with lots of tea and Netflix.
Early riser is pretty synonymous with my name, but I’ve found that even rising before the sun does not mean you’ll be productive, or that your morning will flow as planned. There have been days when I wake up as scheduled, only to get caught up in my Instagram or Twitter feeds, wasting moments meant for other tasks. Distraction is a downer. So, I’ve challenged myself to create this list of 20 time savers, to help you and I have really awesome and easier mornings.
Because rough mornings lead to tough afternoons and uneasy evenings –and that’s no fun.
1. Make a big dinner and package leftovers as tomorrow’s lunch so you can grab & go (saves time and money).
2. Set the coffee maker to automatic so that your first cup (of many, I’m sure) is ready when you are. BONUS: Keep your travel mug/cup next to the coffee maker and clean it the night before so it’s ready, too.
3. Create a morning playlist. The changing songs will keep you conscious of the time flow, and you’ll recognize where you should be in your routine based off of the song playing.
4. Place your keys & wallet on top of something you don’t want to forget (like your breakfast bar or those important papers).
5. Avoid checking your phone until you’re completely ready. If your phone is your alarm, consider a traditional alarm clock to cut temptation.
6. Keep breakfast items at the front of the fridge/cabinet for easy access.
7. Sleep in your gym clothes so you can literally get up and get working!
8. Separate your ‘everyday’ make up from your ‘getting fancy’ make up so you don’t waste time digging for the essentials.
9. Trade a morning shower for a night time shower.
10. Pack your bag the night before.
11. Write a to-do list for the next day before bed so you know what’s coming & can skip that in the morning.
12. Drink a cold glass of water to boost your metabolism and get yourself moving (to the bathroom, if no place else).
13. Check the forecast at the start of the week so you can plan accordingly.
14. Keep your space clean, so it’s easier to move around and find items each morning.
15. Keep umbrellas near the door so you can grab them quickly on rainy mornings.
16. Pack an “inner bag” with all of your essential/daily items that you travel with that can be quickly grabbed and swapped when changing bags.
17. Hang your clothes on the bathroom door and let the shower steam work its magic on the wrinkles!
18. Pick a consistent time to head to bed & wake up to establish regular routines.
19. Wake up ten minutes earlier than you think you have to.
20. Avoid hitting the ‘snooze’ button at all costs. If you struggle with snooze, try this app on for size!
Do you have any time saving life hacks to kick your mornings into high gear? Feel free to add to the list in the comments!
I’m not a morning person at all. haha. Thanks for some more tips to try! I’ve found that working out and drinking ice water really help me get going.
Haha well once you are up and moving, I hope these tips save a bit of time in your morning routine! It’s amazing how fast a cold glass of water can get you moving! I stopped working out in the mornings, but it’s something I hope to go back to soon.
This is such a great list! I’ll definitely have to start implementing some of these into my morning routine :] Thanks for sharing, xo
So glad you enjoyed the list 🙂
I love this list! I need to separate my makeup and not start my day with a scroll through Facebook. Thanks for sharing this, so useful!
Social media is a HUGE time sucker, especially in the morning!
These are such great tips! Especially hanging your clothes on the bathroom door while you shower for the wrinkles… duh, why didn’t I ever think of that??? 🙂 Thanks for sharing, these are really helpful.
I’m so glad you found the tips helpful! It’s amazing how much time some simple life hacks can save!
I use to be such a morning person and now that I love to sleep in so much. These are some great tips..
Sleeping in is always a good thing 🙂
I know, but I need to be more productive..
I love the idea of a playlist! I can see how that can really help you get moving in the morning. I’ll have to try that one for sure. I’m not an early riser but, this could give me a bit of a push!
The playlist helps SO much! Even if you aren’t an early riser (which may mean your mornings need more hustle) the playlist works so well to keep you on track!
Yes–more hustle! You are probably right…again 😉
These are great tips Amber. I’m actually now (On a Tuesday morning) browsing through blogs and Facebook even though I should be getting ready and getting productive.. These tips are great though!
I hope these tips help your next Tuesday morning run super smoothly, then 🙂 Glad you found them helpful!
I actually did a post on my morning routine, http://www.audacityoffood.co.uk/2014/11/morning-ritual-why-we-should-be-making.html
I have found giving myself plenty of time before leaving the house is key, even if this means waking up earlier!
#5 is such a great idea! I always lay in bed for an additional 10-15 minutes when I wake up checking email and stuff when I could easily do that on my morning commute 🙂
Absolutely great list! I do quite a few of these already because mornings = no bueno for me.
These are so awesome, Amber! I loooove reading about other people’s routines and finding cool hacks to make mornings more bearable, so this did the trick. Thanks for sharing!
Great post Amber! One of my goals for the new year is to start getting up earlier and really embracing the morning routine, so this is perfect!
Great, helpful post! No. 8: Or just don’t put on any make-up at all (maybe some concealer somewhere) – also saves time AND money. And health, environment, animals and so on.