HOW TO HAVE A MORE PRODUCTIVE MORNING
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I like to look like I have it all together…
Like I’ve got my routines down, I manage my time well, and I’m always super productive.
Which in + of itself is all true.
But, that doesn’t mean I don’t have those moments where I completely lose my cool, and instead of being this “put together” mama, I become 100% a Hot Mess Mom.
This is especially true when it comes to my mornings. I can’t even tell you how many mornings I have ended up screaming at my kids because we are rushing to get out the door to get to school on time. It’s not a pretty look on me, and it gets my day off to a pretty rough start.
And the cherry on top is when my daughter blatantly tells me how mean of a mom I am. I swear, my heart has never been broken by someone more than it has by that child. But, dang it, I can’t help but love her still.
But, this past year has been different. I’ve started noticing that I haven’t been losing my crap nearly as much I had in past years. Instead of it being an almost daily occurrence in our house, I can maybe count on 1 hand the number of times my daughter has had to call me out for being a not-so-stellar parent.
Now, when I sit down to start my workday at 9AM, I already feel productive and I’m ready to tackle all the to-dos on my list.
And I want you to feel that way too. I want your mornings to set you up for success for the day - and in the right mindset to be your most productive self.
Here are 5 things to do to help you have a more productive morning...
1. Prepare the night before.
I feel like this step is pretty obvious, but it’s not always the easiest thing to do. Believe me, I’ve learned this the hard way. The one thing I HATE doing after dinner every night or after the kids go to bed is make their lunches. It’s not like it’s even hard - I just HATE doing it. It’s just one more thing at the end of the day when I’d just rather lay on the couch or play with the kiddos.
But, I’ve come to learn that despite it only taking about 3 minutes in the morning to put their lunches together, I end up being rushed and subsequently rushing the kids, which ends up in me yelling and my daughter calling me a bad mom. And NO ONE wants that.
This past year, I’ve made it a PRIORITY to make their lunches the night before. After I put the dishes in the dishwasher and clean up from dinner, I make their lunches and put them in the fridge for their backpacks the next day. It might only take 3 minutes to do, but it saves me a TON of stress in the mornings.
2. Avoid your phone first thing in the morning.
Look, I get it. As a business owner who does 95% of her marketing on social media, the first thing I want to do in the morning is to check my notifications. Maybe for you, it’s checking your email as soon as your alarm goes off.
But, how many times has a single post you read or an email you received completely derailed your morning?
I remember several years ago checking Facebook first thing when I would wake up in the morning and seeing something someone else posted that put me in a defensive mood and completely threw off my mood for the day.
But, here’s what I know…
YOU control your reactions. And if you struggle with controlling what you’re reading on social media (or in your inbox), you need to find ways you can get back that control.
That doesn’t mean you have to put your phone in a different room, but it means not making social media or your email a priority first thing in the morning.
For me, I don’t let myself check my email on my phone pretty much ever (unless necessary) and I don’t check social media until AFTER I’m done with my workout for the day (at least during the week… weekends are a different story). This means that I have a solid 1-2 hours in the morning BEFORE anyone else’s thoughts or opinions invade my headspace.
It takes some discipline, but it’s 100% possible.
3. Give yourself plenty of time.
I know that when I feel rushed in the morning that I am 100x more likely to lose my crap on my kids. I don’t want to rush through my workout or getting ready or getting the kids out the door because rushed means negative thoughts start to invade my headspace.
Do I need to wake up at 5AM every morning? No, probably not. But, I know that if I don’t wake up that early, I’ll either won’t have time to get my entire workout in OR I’ll have to rush through my getting ready routine. And then rush to get my kids out the door.
And when I think of being rushed, it already gives me anxiety and puts me in a bad mood.
So, I give myself PLENTY of time in the morning to be able to take my time so I don’t feel rushed before getting the kids out the door.
Here’s how you can do this for yourself: ask yourself how long it takes you to go through all the steps of your morning? Your morning doesn’t have to look like mine, but you should know how long it takes you to do all the things before leaving the house or sitting down to work in the morning. If you’re rushing during that time, wake up 15 minutes earlier and see what happens.
I’m not asking you to become a morning person… I just want you to have enough time to do what YOU need to do to feel productive in the morning.
4. Set an alarm - and Don’T hit snooze!
You probably have a natural set wake time. For me, it’s usually between 4:30 and 5AM. I don’t know why, but that’s just when my body naturally wakes up in the morning.
However, I’m still tired and it’s easy for me to just turn over and fall back asleep.
Having my alarm set for 5AM every morning helps me know (a) how much longer I have to sleep, and (b) when I NEED to wake up. And when my alarm goes off at 5AM, I have no problem getting up and getting my day started.
Here’s the other thing… stop using Snooze as an excuse to sleep longer. I want you to think about what happens when you hit that snooze button. Every time you hit snooze, you lose 9 minutes of your day. Hit it again and you’ve lost 18 minutes of your day. What could you get done in 18 minutes (besides sleep)?
I know that when I hit snooze I’m telling myself that my morning routine doesn’t matter and that also means I’m accepting being rushed in the morning. And do I like being rushed? Well, go back to the last 3 points and you’ll find your answer.
My advice to you is to pick a time around when your body naturally wakes up and set your alarm for that time. Then make a promise to yourself not to hit snooze!
5. Give yourself something to look forward to.
This really goes hand in hand with #4, but if you struggle to wake up in the morning, find something that gets you excited to start your day.
For me, waking up at 5AM means not just getting a workout in, but it also means time to myself when I’m NOT working. I don’t get a ton of time to myself, and usually, if I do during the day, I’m busy working or taking care of our home. But, my morning is MY time (until it’s time for the kids to get ready for the day). I wake up and read my Bible first thing in the morning, and then most days I’ll head down to the basement to do some strength training while I wait for the sun to come up a little more, then I’ll head out for a 3 to 5-mile run.
I look forward to that time every single morning - and it’s definitely what gets me out of bed every day.
Maybe for you, it’s some quiet time to yourself to read + drink coffee. Maybe it’s getting to do some yoga or go for a walk. What is something you can do in the morning that will help you get out of bed and get your day started on the right foot?
I also want to remind you to start small. These are just 5 things that I know have helped me have a productive morning, but maybe changing 5 things to your morning routine is overwhelming. Instead, choose 1 thing you can change or start and see what happens. Maybe it’s just setting your alarm 15 minutes earlier tomorrow - or setting out your work clothes the night before.
Pick one thing to do and start your day feeling more productive than ever!
Now that you’ve got some steps in place to be more productive in the morning, let’s get you set up with a morning routine that will actually work for you! There are 3 things you need to create a successful morning routine - especially when kids are involved!
