3 Simple Steps for a Better Morning

Ever wonder how someone could possibly be a morning person? You can be one too. Enjoying your morning may not be harder than you think. Waking up in the morning, getting ready and heading out the door quickly may seem like the best option because you'll get the most sleep but it's probably not the best for your day overall. Waking up, feeling less-stressed, calm, and ready for the day can lead to a day of success. Here are three ways you may not have though of to make for a great start to your day.

1. Pick Your Clothes Out the Night Before

This step may sound a bit childish since you do this for your five year old but it saves time and can even save some unneeded stress in the morning. You could lay out outfits at the beginning of the week or the night before. Go to bed knowing that you already have an outfit picked out. It may take a couple minutes but a couple minutes before bed seems like a whole lot less time than a couple minutes in the morning. Whether this is physically pick out your outfit or mentally, it could ease your mind at night and make for an easier morning.

2. Set Aside 25 Minutes in the Morning

Setting aside 20-25 minutes for yourself in the morning is worth it. Waking up and sitting on your couch or at the kitchen table to drink your coffee and/or eat your breakfast instead of taking it on the go with you allows your mind to wake up for the day before heading out the door. This also gives you time to take your time in the morning instead of rushing. I know it sounds tempting to use that extra 25 minutes to sleep, but using it to slowly wake up or have some alone time in the morning will make your mornings more enjoyable. If you have children that you have to wake up for school, daycare, etc... I highly recommend taking these minutes to yourself before you have to rush them out the door. A longer morning leads to less things forgotten. Longer mornings make for better mornings.

Not even planning anything for this extra time in your morning may even be better, especially if you find yourself in a habit of rushing all the time. Leaving time for the unexpected in the morning is always helpful. If after you're all done getting ready for the morning and you find yourself waiting around for the time to leave, that can sometimes be even better. you may realize you forgot something. You'll be more put together by the time you get to work and you may even get there early.

3. Make a To-Do List

Trying to remember throughout the day what you need to pick up from the store after can actually cause a lot of stress, especially when you should be focused on other things. Take a few minutes out of your 20-25 minutes to yourself or spend extra time to write down what all you need to get done that day. This will set your mind at ease and allow you to focus on one thing at a time. You will notice that on your way to work or while running errands you'll feel a weight lifted off your shoulder. You will no longer have to frantically think about what you need to get done or where all you need to go if you take your time to make a list.

Try these three simple steps in the morning if you're having a rough time making it work.