Are your time management skills put to the test every morning? Does your early routine cause you and your family stress? Just a few simple steps can help you begin your day in an organized and efficient way! Every good morning begins the night before. Doing some prep work can really cut down on the chaos of the mornings. Before you start winding down for sleep, be sure that you have done as much as you can for the next day. Doing things the evening before can save quite a bit of time when the chaos of the morning comes! Some things you can do the night before include:

• Getting your clothes ready
• Preparing the coffee so all you have to do is turn the coffee maker on
• Preparing your lunch and your family’s lunch the night before

You might want to create a list of things that you need to do every morning and see which ones can be done the night before and decide who gets assigned to that task. Having your kids pick out their clothes in the evening eliminates arguments in the mornings about what to wear. Also, letting them have input about their wardrobe will alleviate quite a few stressful situations!

Note how much time you need for eating, grooming, family time, and travel time. Add about 25% to that time. For example, if you think that all of these activities will take 1 hour, be ready for them to take 1 hour and 15 minutes. Doing so will allow you a cushion for sudden mishaps, and miscalculations. Consider this preparation time when deciding when to wake up.

As part of your night preparation, set up a bathtime and bedtime routine for children. They need quiet time to wind down and get ready for some restful sleep. Then include some personal time for yourself before climbing in bed. Try reading a book, or listening to some classical music to help yourself relax.

Getting a good night’s sleep will allow you to feel rested in the morning. If you wake and still feel tired and groggy, try going to bed 15 minutes earlier the next night.After waking fully rested and ready to begin the day, be sure that you and your family eat a full and healthy breakfast.

According to Health Services at Columbia, “Eating breakfast has been proven (many times) to improve concentration, problem solving ability, mental performance, memory, and mood”. In other words, if you eat breakfast, you’ll be more mentally prepared for your day! You can also enjoy that coffee you prepared the evening before. :)

As the morning begins to get busy, you will feel in control because you’ve already laid the groundwork. You have allowed plenty of time for dressing and grooming, spent a few minutes with your family, and can leave for work in a timely manner. It all adds up to increased daily productivity and reduced stress.