Mornings are tough. Trying to get yourself ready, making sure you have everything you need to for the day, and getting your cup of coffee in is pretty challenging even for the peppiest morning person. But chances are you’re wasting precious time on things you don’t really need to do. Successful mornings and punctuality are all about taking care of the essentials.
If you’re not a morning person or struggle to stay on top of your morning routine, here’s 6 things you can skip to free up some time.
1. Washing your hair.
No, it’s not gross. I’m not saying never wash your hair. It’s a big time saver to wash your hair the night before instead of doing it in the morning. Anyone with long hair will agree that washing and blow drying your hair is extremely time-consuming so why not stick to just styling?
2. Packing a lunch.
There is no reason you can’t pre make lunches the night before. You can even spend a bit of time on the weekend getting set up for the entire week. Waiting until the morning to make your lunch is not only a waste of time but it’s also unhealthy because you’ll be more likely to pack quick things or just skip it altogether and go to a restaurant.
3. Finding something to wear.
Setting out your clothes the night before is not just for children. It’s a great time saver for adults, too. Sometimes drowsy mornings make it difficult to select an appropriate outfit. You end up switching clothes a hundred times and often still regret your choice halfway through the day. Take the guesswork out of it by getting it done ahead and simply dressing.
4. Picking up your morning coffee.
Waiting in a long line up at the coffee shop is just silly. Get yourself a single serve coffee maker! Put a serving cup in or measure out the coffee grounds the night before and have your mug in place. Then just turn it on in the morning and you’re set. You can put it in a travel mug if that’s your thing or just drink it while you finish getting ready. Note: instant coffee is also a valid choice. Quick and easy. You’ll also be saving major money along the way.
5. Checking your phone.
It’s a common move to wake up and instantly check your phone. Don’t do it. Get up, get dressed, be ready, then give your phone a quick check before you head out. Make sure you’re checking for work oriented things only. No scanning your news feed to read people’s pointless statuses. No updating your own. Check only the necessary messages, then move on. Don’t even respond right then unless it’s an emergency (a real emergency.)
6. Running through your daily schedule in your head.
It’s only natural to consider what’s on your agenda and that’s totally fine. However, constantly going over it and worrying about how you’ll get it done is just silly. You can’t do anything about it until you get ready and go but stressing about it is only distracting you and delaying your start. Make a list the night before of what you need to accomplish, look it over once, put it down, and get ready to begin.
By cutting out this 6 unneeded things, you can save time. That means you will be getting where you need to be when you need to be there. It also means that you will not have to rush around as much and will have reduced stress in the morning. No one should start their day off with stress, especially unnecessary stress!
Featured image via Ari Alqadri on Pexels
