How to Create a Morning Routine that Works for You

cindy — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 11:00:56 +0000

Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.”Let’s face it, moms, our lives are seasonal. As our family grows and changes, so do our schedules and theirs. What worked for us pre-kid or even just last year, may not be working now. Over my 22+ years of motherhood, my morning routine has changed and morphed many, many times. I can promise you one thing though, when I didn’t have a morning routine in place, my entire day suffered because of it. So, let’s start the new year off with a plan in place to make our mornings smoother in 2016!

Building Blocks of an Effective Morning Routine

We are all different and we all have different needs but here I am listing the basic building blocks of an effective morning routine.

Wake Up First

Sounds simple right? I find my morning routine works best when I am awake 60-90 minutes before the rest of the family. Even now with 3 adults in the house I am usually up an hour to an hour and a half before Ron and Jordan. Why? It takes time to wake up and be ready to deal with other people. Each step in your morning routine is helping you prepare for your day ahead and being awake…and pleasant is a wonderful way to greet your family each day.

Hydrate

Your body has gone at least 8 hours without much needed hydration. Start your morning with an 8oz glass of cold water BEFORE dehydrating it more with a caffeinated beverage. Water wakes up your body internally and re-starts your bodily functions.

Stretch and/or Exercise

I am not a morning exercise person but every morning I do some basic stretches to get my body moving and work out the kinks after a good night’s sleep. Some of you would rather head to the gym, jump on the treadmill, such as the under the bed treadmill, or go for a run first thing in the morning. If that is you, go for it.

Reflect and Give Thanks

I start my day with a time of Bible study and prayer. This time alone on my comfy couch with my Savior is the most important time of my day. This centers me and focuses my mind and heart on what is truly important.

Do the Hard Thing

There are a few household chores that I hate or even tend to forget, so I added them to my morning routine. I hate emptying the dishwasher. I know it only takes a few minutes but I just don’t like to do it. Now if it needs to be emptied, I do it right after my Bible study time. Then it is done and nothing will pile up in the sink because there is room in the dishwasher for them. I also do my laundry as part of my morning routine. I start a load as soon as I get up and
I move it after my Bible study time voila, laundry done for the day…and I didn’t leave it sitting in the washer for hours!

Self Care

Do you like to shower in the morning? Do it early a nice cool shower will wake you up and get you moving. Take a few extra minutes getting ready for your day. When you feel good about yourself it helps you move through your day with confidence. If you are looking to buy a self-care kit, you may visit the UnboxMe homepage for more options.

Breakfast

Whether you eat breakfast alone or this happens after the family is awake and they join you at the table, eat a protein rich breakfast to help propel you into your day.

Mom Maven’s Morning Routine

Remember, my morning routine will look different than yours. My household is myself, my 20 year old college student son and me. I have been where you are, remember, we homeschooled for 16 years, my mornings haven’t always been so “me” focused.

7:00am Wake-up (Mon-Friday)
Stretch
Start laundry if needed
Mix up my Plexus Slim with 12 oz water, take my Accelerator and X Factor
30+ minute Bible Study and Prayer time
Move laundry if needed
Empty dishwasher if needed
20 minutes of reading time while enjoying a cup of hot cocoa. I usually read a Christian Living or Business book during this time.
Breakfast-usually eggs and toast or a P96 shake while scrolling through Facebook.
Get dressed
8:30am Hubby gets up, he has been watching the news in bed for about 30 minutes
8:30am Mon & Fri out the door to my morning chiropractor appointment. Tues, Wed, Thurs get some housework done
10:00am Into my office and start the work day managing my blog, my travel agent clients and my Plexus team.

I hope this post has been helpful. Another great way to prep for your day is by having an effective Evening Routine. I hope to get a post up soon about how my evening routine, which is shorter than my morning routine, is helping me sleep better and start each day off smoother. If you have any questions or comments please, I love to hear from you!

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Thrive Throughout the Christmas Crunch

Cindy — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:46:00 +0000

There are two and a half weeks until Christmas. This is crunch time. The calendar is full with parties, rehearsals and activities. How to we get it all done, enjoy the holiday season and continue with our normal responsibilities as well? It isn’t easy-but it can be done. I am currently using a few different organizational tools to keep me on track. I am using Google calendar for my main calendar, I’ve even created sub-calendars for my husband and the boys (now if they would just use them). I am also using a service called Remember the Milk. It is a free online task prioritizing and reminder service.

Here are some ideas to help your holiday planning go smoothly;

Plan your week in advance. I try to put all my know tasks for the week into RTM (Remember the Milk) on Sunday evening. Then I have the RTM widget that displays in my G-mail so I know what I need to do when. I schedule my blog posts, special activities and planning I need to do for upcoming events. So far, it is working.
Have a daily focus. I tend to work well my compartmentalizing things. Monday’s focus is Girlfriends Unlimited planning, Tuesday’s focus is Works of Wonder Planning etc. Now don’t get me wrong, there will be some tasks that don’t fit the main focus but have to be accomplished on a certain day and that is fine. I have always loved checking things off my to-do list so checking the “completed” box in RTM makes me feel good.
Keep the kiddos schedule as close to normal as possible. Children thrive in a scheduled environment. We know rigid scheduling is impossible to live with but keeping nap time, bed time and eating times as consistent aspossible-even while traveling and visiting relatives, will cut back on tantrums and cranky children adding to the holiday stress.
Allow yourself to take a time out. Watch a holiday movie with the family, read a holiday themed book, soak in the tub, breathe deep and relax for an hour or so. It is amazing how much more productive you will be when you get back to work.
Focus on the real reason for the season. Worship together as a family. Read Luke 2.
Make memories. My kids favorite Christmas presents have always been activities we do together not toys they play with for a week and then gets lost under the bed for 6 months. A few years ago we let our passes to Disney World lapse. The boys were 11 and 13 and all they wanted for Christmas was their Disney tickets back. When I asked them why, their answer was simple, “We like having fun as a family.”

I pray you thrive this Christmas season. When that stress starts creeping in, breath deep and thank God for his Son; born in a manger, died on a cross and saved me from my sins-the true meaning of this Christmas holiday, Love.

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