4-Step Nighttime Routine for Chaos Free Mornings
Mornings can be hectic. You can’t find anything to wear. There’s no food in the fridge for your lunch. You’re running late for your early-morning meeting, and your car keys are nowhere to be found. By the time you arrive at school, you’re already stressed out and more likely to react negatively to events of the day. You’ve set yourself up for a challenging day…
Starting your day off on the right foot will improve your ability to think clearly and handle any problems that pop up in your classroom. Taking twenty minutes each night to complete the steps below will transform your mornings from chaos to calm.
1. Pick out your outfit
Teachers make an estimated 1,500 decisions each day. Where should I park? How many cups of coffee do I need to survive? Where should I put my new student’s desk? No wonder you’re exhausted. Decision fatigue is REAL! I wish I could have back all of the time I wasted standing in front of my closet saying, “I have nothing to wear!” Take one decision off your plate in the morning and pick out your outfit the night before. Place everything you’re going to wear the next day, from shoes to socks to jewelry, in a spot where you can easily dress in the morning. You step into your clothes the next day, stroll out the door, and save your precious time.
2. Prep your breakfast AND lunch
I once saw a teacher bring a can of SPAM to school for lunch because there was no time to make a decent lunch. A can of SPAM! When you’re running late in the morning, you’re more likely to make unhealthy food decisions. You end up buying food from the cafeteria or the vending machines, and then you feel like crap for the rest of the day. Pack your lunch-bag the night before and put the whole bag right in the fridge. Put your yogurt parfait or overnight oats next to your lunch, so you can grab both at the same time. You’ll make healthier choices and get to school on time.
3. 10-minute Tidy
I used to wake up to a messy house, and it was a rough way to start my day. I couldn’t find anything in the clutter. I already felt defeated because I couldn’t even manage my own home. Then, I discovered the joy of the “10-minute Tidy”. If your environment is messy, so is your mind, but a tidy house leads to a tidy mind. Every evening before you go to sleep, set a timer for 10 minutes and straighten up one room at a time. Make it a challenge and get the whole family involved. You may start to notice there is less and less mess every night, so the clean-up becomes even easier. Before you know it, your house will be neat, and you wake up relaxed and ready to start your day.
4. Pack your school bag
If I had a dollar for every time I was rushing around in the morning and forgot to take my lunch, cell phone, or laptop to school with me, I would be living on my own private island in the Pacific right now. Save yourself the frustration, and make sure everything you need, your purse, keys, water bottle, gym clothes, etc., is packed up the night before and ready to go. Place your items in a visible, safe location near the door. Make a list of everything you need to take with you and write it on a whiteboard or place it in a pretty picture frame. Hang it near the door, check it on your way out, and show up at school with everything you need.
Walking in the school building in a tranquil state of mind sets a positive tone for your day. You will be in a better place to handle whatever the day throws at you. Your twenty minute investment in the evening will pay off with a peaceful morning.
