Make Mornings A 'Good Morning'
Get Rid of Early Morning Stress and Make It a 'Good Morning'
Do you constantly wake up in the morning thinking that you are behind 'already' and dreading that first step out of bed?
Don't feel like your alone, there are millions more out there that feel the same way.
The hustle and bustle of early morning really wears a person out and in reality, their day hasn't really begun. It seems like you are having a race with the clock. Get everyone ready and out the door by 'x' o'clock and then if you are a working outside the home person, it is even worse.
Wouldn't it be nice to put a smile on your face and be glad to meet a new day?
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to eliminate the stress for everyone in the household, not just you?
Wouldn't it be nice…………oh, just the thought sounds too good to be true!!
What can we do to get rid of all of this stress and get our lives organized, finally?
Don't try to come up with the answer all on your own, you are part of a family and it should be a family decision.
Get everyone together and ask them what the worst part of 'morning' is for them? What seems to be slowing them down in the morning?
Explain that working together all of you are going to try to change the morning routine-for the better! To begin with, you may want to try it out on a weekend to see how well it works. This is your starting point; it could be someone taking too long in the bathroom—that person uses the bathroom last or if they leave early, they will have to get up earlier; it could be not knowing what to wear—get your clothes out at night etc.
Next on our list of things to do is to ask everyone the things that they would like to eat for breakfast. Not everyone eats the same, what is a light meal for some is very heavy for another person to digest. It could be that in trying to provide them a healthy meal to start their day, you are doing just the opposite. Yes, I know according to blah, blah blah; but the fact remains, it doesn't work for everyone.
When you have this list, it also gives you things to choose from everyday without having to come up with a miracle breakfast. This reduces your stress level and the other persons too!
Have a bulletin board and calendar in the kitchen area so everyone can see what is going on that day and who has to be someplace at a specific time; keep this calendar updated!
All lunches for the next day can be packed the night before as part of the nightly routine of washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen (this is also a good way to get rid of leftovers).
All schoolbooks and bags get packed and ready to go at night. All lists and notes that need to be signed are to be signed and packed in the bags so no one loses them. All of this can be accomplished as soon as the kids are finished with their homework.
Make it part of every ones routine to at least throw the covers over the bed in an orderly fashion and throw their clothes in the wash, no one wants to come home and look at this mess everyday- so get rid of it.
Waking up a few minutes before the rest of the family gives you time to collect your thoughts and get ready to wake every one, those moments can become precious 'alone' time before your day begins.
Set up a routine that is easy for the whole family to follow and mornings will be Good Mornings for everyone.
Put a smile on your face when you walk out the door and greet a new day with less stress and anxiety.
Jan Hayner of Easy Home Organizing helps to take the stress out of organizing and cleaning your home. She offers tips, hints and shortcuts to guide you along the road to a happy home. Get her pamphlets '50 Things to Organize in 10 Minutes of Less' and 'Guiltbusters for Working Moms' through her website.