Mornings around our house are hectic just like everyone else; getting everyone up and out the door to work and school on time can be a challenge. Over the years I realized that if I take a little time in the evenings to prepare for the next day, our mornings go much smoother.
Today I’m going to share with you the 5 things I do every evening before bed that make my mornings so much less stressful. Ok confession; do I do this every single day? No, I’m not perfect, sometimes I fall asleep on the sofa watching TV after dinner and stumble up to bed in the wee hours. But everything starts off on the right foot which sets the tone for my entire day when I do my evening routine.
1. Close the kitchen
I love to cook dinner for my family almost every evening. Years ago when my husband and I first married we agreed that if one of us cooked the other would clean up. Since I enjoy cooking he does the cleanup. This works great for us, but if you find this doesn’t work for you, find a routine that does and stick to it.
Your goal is to get the kitchen cleaned up every evening. Once the dishes are done, leftovers put away and the counters and sink are wiped down, the kitchen is officially closed for the evening. Does that mean no one is allowed in the kitchen? No, of course not, but the rule is that if you get a drink or a snack it needs to be put away and any dishes you use go into the dishwasher. I fold and straighten the dishtowels before heading upstairs to bed. It makes me smile when I come downstairs in the morning and everything is tidy and in its place. There is nothing worse than coming downstairs in the morning to get coffee and being greeted by a sink full of dirty dishes soaking from the night before. Yuck! Not a good way to start your day.
2. Do a quick tidy up
I walk around the house and put away all the things that get set down where they don’t belong over the course of the day. Mail that needs to go in the “bills to pay” folder, junk mail that needs to go in the trash, magazines left laying out, empty glasses, water bottles, shoes, socks, jackets, dishes, electronics that need to be plugged in to recharge overnight. I fold the quilts neatly on the sofas, fluff and straighten the pillows.
This is by no means a deep cleaning session, just a quick tidy and straighten up session; it takes me about 5 minutes to do this. My goal is to clear off the horizontal surfaces in the house that collect stuff and make the house look cluttered. Anything that needs to go upstairs I set at the bottom of the stairs and when I head upstairs I take them with me to put away.
3. Pamper yourself
This is my time at the end of each day. This is when I get to do all the girly things that make me feel pampered; it’s my time to unwind from the day and focus just on me for a few minutes. Sometimes I will light some candles to create a calm and relaxing mood. I wash my face, brush my teeth, moisturize, and rub my favorite scented lotions and potions on my body. I change into my jammies, turn down the sheets on the bed, and set the alarm clock.
4. Set out your clothes
I check my calendar so I know what is in store for the next day and then I set out the clothes I want to wear. Years ago I installed a hook on the wall next to the closet. I hang what I will wear the next day on the hook; I even set out the shoes I want to wear with my outfit. If something needs ironing this is the time that I will do it so everything is ready to go. This makes getting dressed in the mornings a breeze!
5. Go to bed at a reasonable time
We are all adults, so I am not going to tell you when you should go to bed. I tend to stay up later than I should, but I know that getting a good night’s sleep will make for a better day tomorrow. I spend a few minutes after the lights are out to thank God for all the blessings he has given me and to say a prayer for my family and friends that make my life worth living.
That’s it! You can add to your routine; customize it so that it works for you and your life. Just don’t make it so long and cumbersome that it becomes a chore and you don’t do it. I work my routine into the flow of my evening, starting after dinner. Then it’s time to relax before going to bed, watch some TV or catch up on social media, whatever it is that you enjoy doing at the end of your day to unwind.
Just remember to keep it simple and try to do it consistently so it becomes a habit and not a chore. I promise that if you commit to doing just these 5 basic things every evening, your mornings will run so much smoother and you will not be a frazzled mess when you get to work.