Night time routine for a stress free morning.

Last week I wrote about the benefits of having a morning routine.  A morning routine only works if you have an evening routine! The things that you can get organized the night before will save you time in the morning, and your sanity.   

Routines can be a little bit boring, but they also offer comfort because there is no guessing what you need to do, and they prevent the likelihood that you will forget something.  Our neurophysiology likes things that are predictable and consistent.  

Take 15-30 minutes each evening to prepare for the next day so your mornings will run more smoothly, and you’ll be calm by the time you go to bed.  

Examples of things that can get done in the evening:

·      Prepare breakfast; get your coffee maker ready (most have timers), make some overnight oats -soak oatmeal and chia seeds in milk and they will be ready to eat in the morning.

·      Make lunches.

·      Get your clothes ready for the morning-iron if they need it.  If you have kids, get their outfits ready, including coats, boots etc. 

·      Ensure that all of your essentials are in one spot; keys, wallet, purse, briefcase, anything vital that you need for work, and make certain that your phone has been charged. If you have kids, make sure their homework and bags are packed. 

·      Review your calendar for the next day.  Do you have an essential file that you must bring to a meeting -if so, make sure that you pack it, or is there an early morning meeting and you need to leave a bit earlier? 

·      Depending on your morning routine, have your workout clothes ready, journal accessible etc. 

Once you’ve completed these tasks, you can focus on winding down for the night; journal, read to your kids, or have a hot bath.  Drifting into sleep will be easy because your mind will not be cluttered with the things that you will need to do in the morning-they will already be done.  

Stuff can happen in the night that might cause you to oversleep-kids are sick or you don’t sleep well  You won’t have time for your morning routine-working out etc, and that’s ok, after all, your morning will still run smoothly because you don’t have to worry about getting things organized.

When I was working full time, I spent my Sunday afternoons getting ready for my week; I put together and ironed my outfits for 5 days and made a large lentil stew that took care of my lunches for the week.  A little obsessive, but my weeks ran smoothly because of it.  

Now, in the evening, I prepare my smoothie ingredients in my magic bullet and don’t blend them until the morning.  My coffee maker is set up and programmed for 6 am.  On the days that I go to the gym, my workout clothes, bag and keys are all in one place.  

I experience so much comfort when these things are in place before I go to bed.  After my alarm goes off and I have that nanosecond moment when I would rather stay in bed, I remember that I don’t have to do much because everything is already prepared.  This helps motivate me to get out of bed.  When the alarms goes off and I haven’t prepared things, I won’t get out of bed right away because I dread that I have a bunch of stuff to do.   This usually sets the tone for a stressful and unproductive day.  

Experiment with morning and evening routines until you find ones that work for you.  Remember, routines and structure will decrease stress levels and increase joy and productivity.  

Be well.

Anita