Getting Back Into A Morning Routine:
Now that school is starting back up, getting back into a routine can be a struggle especially when you are responsible for more than just yourself. When you have to start incorporating getting your children ready for school while getting yourself ready, getting lunches packed, figuring out breakfast and packing backpacks it can all add up and create a more stressful morning than desired. When thinking about your morning routine you can keep in mind these small aspects:
Prepping for the morning before it has already begun
Waking up earlier in the morning, or setting time in your morning for yourself
Finding what routine works best for you and your family
Starting with baby steps
Before you tackle the morning it's important to set yourself up for success. Doing a couple of small things the night before can help make the morning easier for you. You could plan both your own and your child's outfits, put together lunches, get backpacks all situated, or get everything you need out for breakfast to prepare for the morning to come. I know when I plan what I am going to wear and I have my lunch packed the night before, it makes the morning easier and leaves me more time to do other things. These little things can be impactful especially for allowing time to help your children get ready or give yourself some breathing room.
If you know your morning is going to be chaotic, set your alarm 15-30 minutes earlier so when you wake up you can spend the first bit of the morning by yourself. This could look like waking up early to do a meditation or a yoga flow from YouTube, both of these activities allow for mindfulness and can help you start your day on the right foot. I know everyone is not a morning person so if your body is going to utilize the extra 15-30 minutes of sleep then you can find a different time to be mindful in the morning. On your drive to work you could listen to a podcast, practice some deep breathing, or focus on things you're grateful for. All of these ideas can help you get situated and feel good about what's to come during your day.
When considering your morning routine it doesn't have to look picture perfect like what you may see online. Everyone is different and what works best for someone online might not work best for you and your family. (Remember, people only post their best moments online, rarely their worst.) Something that can be beneficial when you find out what works for you and your family is writing it down, this can benefit both you and your children. When your routine is written down it can allow your children to have a structured way to know what and how the morning goes, it is also a way for your child to gain independence. If your child doesn’t know how to read yet or has trouble you can always make a morning routine with pictures to help prompt them in the morning.
When considering a new or different morning routine it is important you don’t put too much on yourself or children. If you think the morning routine you want to start implementing might be too overwhelming, implement it in increments. This can help build up to the full routine in a manageable way. This process can be challenging and take a lot out of you. It's important to note that one less than ideal morning doesn’t define you, it doesn't mean you have failed, it just means we have another chance tomorrow to try again and learn from what happened. We can always adjust and pivot, it’s important to figure out what works best for you and your family, which takes time and patience.
